More Class at Penn, Less Rush at Princeton, and Vinny

The quick and dirty about what's been going on around the Ancient Eight (and other schools too).

The University of Pennsylvania is in danger of losing its accreditation as an institution of higher education if it does not extend the length of its academic year. According to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn administrators are working on a proposal that would move the start of the University's 2013-2014 school year to Aug. 28—the first time since 1974 that the school would start classes in August. State regulations require semester-long college courses to meet for at least 42 hours of instructional time, but The DP writes that under Penn's current schedule, some classes meet for as little as 36 hours.

Vinny Guadagnino of "Jersey Shore" fame gave a guest lecture this past week during a Columbia University sociology class entitled "Mistake, Misconduct, Disaster." Guadagnino, who (between gym, tan, and laundry) works with the teen social action organization Do Something, discussed his personal experience with bullying with the students. TMZ writes that the lecture went "really well" until the question-and-answer portion, when a student asked, "What gives you, as a cast member of 'Jersey Shore,' the right to interrupt this class and then lecture us on setting a good example?" According to the celebrity news website, the question left guido star "stumped."

Despite Princeton University's plan to prohibit freshman from affiliating with fraternities and sororities starting next fall, this year's rush number were similar to those of previous years, according to The Daily Princetonian. The decision to prohibit students from joining Greek organizations during their first year was "driven primarily by a conviction that social and residential life at Princeton should continue to revolve around the residential colleges, the eating clubs, and the shared experience of essentially all undergraduates living and dining on campus," Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman wrote in a letter to students.