Response to 1990s crime shaped today's campus

After a string of crimes, Penn had two options: wall itself off or engage with the community

Much of the community engagement now credited to Rodin had its roots in the administration of Penn President Sheldon Hackney, who was in office from 1981 to 1993 and saw crime rise under his tenure in the late 1980s.

“There were suggestions made at the time that you have a field perimeter,” said Linda Wilson, who worked in the president’s office from 1985 to 1994, first as the associate director and then chief of staff. “Sheldon Hackney rejected that. He said that we weren’t going to become a walled fortress.”

Hackney instead responded by engaging with the community, living on campus and creating what is now known as the Netter Center for Community Partnerships. Rodin’s administration took a similar approach. 

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