Amy Gutmann Will Be President of Penn Until at Least 2022

Photo handout from the University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday announced that Amy Gutmann has been awarded a contract extension into 2022 that will make her the longest-serving president in Penn history.

“We believe Amy is the best university president in the country,” said David L. Cohen, chairman of Penn’s board of trustees, in a release. “Amy Gutmann’s outstanding leadership of Penn has been nothing short of transformational. The Trustees strongly support her inspiring vision for Penn and our broader community.”

The announcement from Penn about the contract extension emphasized the transformation of the Penn campus during Gutmann’s tenure, which began in 2004. The school has opened a slew of new buildings and programs — including the Penn Wharton China Center in Beijing; Pennovation Works at an industrial site in Forgotten Bottom, Grays Ferry; a new college house for students; and the Perry World House, an interdisciplinary global policy research center — and turned a former parking lot and industrial area into Penn Park. The university also now says the average net cost of Penn attendance is $2,700 cheaper than it was in 2005, thanks to its “all grant” aid policy, first instituted in 2009.

“It has been an absolute honor to serve as Penn’s president for the past 12 years, and I am excited about all that we can accomplish together in the next six,” said Gutmann. “I am constantly grateful for the strong support that our Trustees provide and deeply appreciate their confidence in my efforts to make a Penn education the very best in the world. Together, the multidisciplinary expertise, civic commitment, and collaborative spirit of Penn’s faculty, students, Trustees, alumni, and staff are unsurpassed by any university in the world.”

Gutmann earned $3.3 million in fiscal year 2013–14. The eighth president in Penn’s history, Gutmann is among the highest-paid university presidents nationwide.