Amid a year of student activism, a contentious election cycle, faculty union negotiations, a new university president and public safety concerns, the News section of The Temple News published more than 180 articles, covering stories from breaking news to in-depth, data driven investigations.
In 2025, Temple could see public safety, union contracts or community development grace headlines once again. A recent end-of-year statement from President John Fry announced multiple initiatives including staffing studies and new student services, promising imminent campus reforms.
Here are the top 10 News stories of 2024.
1. John Fry officially appointed as Temple’s 15th president
By Samuel O’Neal
Temple’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted former Drexel University President John Fry as the next university president on July 3, ending a strenuous process to secure a full-time leader after former President Jason Wingard’s resignation in March 2023.
Temple tapped JoAnne Epps to serve as the interim president while a the search began for a full-time leader, and former President Richard Englert stepped into the role following Epps’ September 2023 passing. Fry’s hiring marked the beginning of a new era at Temple and was one of the most consequential university decisions in recent history.
2. Temple students face charges for participating in Penn encampment protests
By Sidney Rochnik
Temple moved forward with charges to Temple students for participating in off-campus encampment at the University of Pennsylvania during the Spring 2024 semester, The Temple News first reported. The protests resulted in three Temple students facing disciplinary action from the university despite Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner dropping all charges.
The arrests came after the decision was made to add to previous misdemeanor charges for the student’s participation in another protest on Penn’s campus on May 17. The students were released after paying an outstanding $2,500 bail the next day and being processed in Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility.
3. Obama, Springsteen and political leaders rally for Harris at The Liacouras Center
By Samuel O’Neal and Evelyn Blower
After Vice President Kamala Harris visited The Liacouras Center in August and President-elect Donald Trump visited in June, former President Barack Obama and musician Bruce Springsteen rallied for Harris’ presidential campaign on Temple’s campus on Oct. 28.
They were joined by Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who lost his campaign for state auditor general but was re-elected to the state House. United States Sen. Bob Casey also spoke, who narrowly lost the senatorial race to Republican candidate Dave McCormick.
4. Temple places Students for Justice in Palestine on interim suspension
By Samuel O’Neal
Following a pro-Palestine protest at a career fair for the College of Engineering, Temple placed the university’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine on interim suspension and launched an investigation into its conduct, The Temple News first reported.
Proceeding the suspension and the detainment of multiple students who participated, the Council of American-Islamic Relations announced its pursuit of legal action against Temple and the Philadelphia Police Department for its treatment of the students.
5. How Temple had its best enrollment year since COVID amid a national decline
By Nurbanu Sahin
While many universities across the United States experienced enrollment declines, Temple experienced a surge in its post-pandemic enrollment numbers in 2024. The Class of 2028 showed high enrollment totals and the university more than tripled the admission goal it set a year prior, including a large number of first-generation college students and students of color.
The enrollment increase also impacted the University Housing and Residential Life office, causing the housing department to be at 95% capacity and begin a waiting list.
6. Temple settles class action lawsuit arising from COVID-19 campus closure
By Nurbanu Sahin and Evelyn Blower
Temple settled a class action lawsuit from two 2020 cases, Ryan v. Temple University and Fusca v. Temple University, agreeing to pay $6.9 million into a settlement fund accessible to any students, undergraduate, graduate and professional who were enrolled during the Spring 2020 semester, The Temple News first reported on Nov. 15.
According to the case, Temple breached a contract when it transitioned to remote learning after governmental shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Temple denied all wrongdoing in the action and agreed to the settlement “to avoid the expense, uncertainty, and burden of continued litigation,” a university spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to The Temple News.
7. Temple stakeholders note lack of accessibility, awareness of Board of Trustees
By Fallon Roth, Samuel O’Neal and Oliver Sabo
In a special report, The Temple News found that most key univeristy stakeholders and the student body believe Temple’s Board of Trustees — the university governing board composed of 36 voting members — are lacking needed accessibility and transparency.
The Board acknowledged it can improve its means of accessibility and engagement with stakeholders and students and outlined plans to do so, including speeding up the process to approve meeting agendas and minutes, holding more in-person meetings and increasing conversations about the Board.
8. “Everybody is just tired”: TAUP negotiations continue with one issue unresolved
By Nurbanu Sahin
The Temple Association of University Professionals spent more than a year negotiating a new union contract with the univeristy with the goal of secruing better pay, job secruity and sick leave. Despite coming to a contract agreement on Oct. 15, key issues remained unresolved, and the union is continuing to fight for an improved sick leave policy.
The next step is to engage other unions on campus as well as elected officials in city and state government to fix the sick leave policy, Doshna said.
9. Temple Public Safety introduces major changes ahead of new semester
By Evelyn Blower
Temple’s Department of Public Safety installed cameras, revitalized their computer system, hired new officers and asked for increased funds for the 2025 fiscal year in a comprehensive safety update for the Fall 2024 semester.
DPS continued to introduce new technology, including a training simulator and an AI gun detection system, throughout the semester. However, the police union has recently criticized their department’s leadership for their lack of transparency to the university and community and a staffing crisis resulting in the loss of 55 officers in the last two years.
10. Temple community, climate activists weigh in on university’s sustainability progress
By Sarah Frasca and Julia Merola
Amid an increasingly worsening climate crisis, rising global temperatures and multiple administration shakeups, Temple’s Office of Sustainability, faculty and student advocates spent the year attempting to address sustainability issues on campus.
Temple Climate Action, an unofficial student organization, advocated strongly for Temple’s disinvestment from fossil fuels and investment transparency but feels the university falls short in its environmental sustainability.
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