Office of Interpersonal Development & Engagement

Mission

To foster a supportive and thriving campus community where all individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered. We cultivate educational opportunities, uplift authentic dialogue, celebrate connection, and build intentional relationships to emphasize collaboration, promote holistic wellness, and advance Penn’s commitment to elevating global citizens focused on enhancing social good.

Guiding Principles

Collaboration
Dialogue
Education
Authenticity

Community Building
Holistic Wellness
Joy
Empathy

Services Provided

While the primary focus of the Office of Interpersonal Development & Engagement is student support, the office can also be a valuable resource for Penn staff, faculty, and alumni.

Educational Training and Workshops

Community Building Program Development

Dialogue and Discussion Facilitation

Consultation

Student Group Advising

Professional Moderation

Resource Referral

Educational Programming

Our workshops empower individuals to embrace their full authentic selves, engage with others, and create positive change on our campus and beyond. Through interactive experiences and critical dialogue, we explore the complexities of identity, foster collaboration, and develop strategies for building empathy across difference.

Key Themes

Identity Exploration: Understanding the multifaceted nature of self, how it shapes our worldviews, and how we engage across differences.

Social Cohesion: Building environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered.

Authenticity: Embracing one’s true self and fostering genuine connections.

Empathy: Encouraging and empowering students and campus community members to build capacity for empathy, especially across differences.

Workshop Highlights

Join us in creating a more just and equitable world! For more detailed workshop descriptions and to request a workshop, please contact Malik via email at malikmuh@upenn.edu. Customizable workshops are also available. We will do our best to meet your needs; if we can’t, we’ll point you in the direction of a resource that can!

Broadening Your Perspectives:

The multiple facets of who we are play a role in our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we critically the ways in which we engage with others. This interactive workshop provides participants the opportunity to reflect on their own identity, explore identities other than their own, and explore effective ways to promote social cohesion.

Fostering Authenticity in Academic Environments:

Bringing your full, authentic self to various spaces at Penn can oftentimes be an ongoing challenge. In a world where we are encouraged to live dual lives in the guise of professionalism, our multi-layered identities can feel stifled in academic spaces, contributing to a lack of belonging. Codeswitching and imposter syndrome permeate campus communities. As our campus environment continuously shifts, it is crucial to foster spaces that embrace the holistic experience of who we are as individuals and our multi-faceted identities. This facilitated dialogue will explore the barriers and opportunities to being fully uplifted at Penn and beyond.

And many more...!

I want to reach out on behalf of our chapter to express our gratitude for your support with the masculinity workshop yesterday. I loved how engaged the brothers were, and how we all listened and communicated with care. I also heard from a few queer brothers that they especially felt heard and supported. I’m excited to continue working with you in the future, and I hope you have a happy holiday season.”

Your comprehensive and insightful presentation was invaluable to our community. The topics you covered resonated deeply with our volunteers, providing them with a better understanding of the nuances involved in effective communication and the importance of recognizing and addressing implicit biases. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing how much they appreciated your expertise and the interactive nature of your session.

As usual, you effectively created a safe and nurturing environment to discuss important, but sometimes uncomfortable, truths. Your contagious enthusiasm and engagement solicits others to participate and share, and the team is anxious to have you back sooner than later!

Events Calendar

Student Events Calendar

University Life departments and other campus partners host events year round. Check our student calendar for programming and other campus events.

Explore Our Student Events Calendar

Who We Are

Malik Muhammad he/him

Director
Office of Interpersonal Development & Engagement

The ARCH – Office 211
3601 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Full Bio

Malik Muhammad (he/him) is the Inaugural Director of the Office of Interpersonal Development & Engagement. A Philadelphia native, Malik holds a bachelor’s in psychology as well as a Master’s in Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs from West Chester University (WCU) in Pennsylvania. A proud brother of the Pennsylvania Tau Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Malik’s passion for social cohesion began at an early age as he is the son and grandson of phenomenal change agents in the community.

That passion was reignited and flourished throughout his six-year academic and para-professional career at WCU. There he realized the deep significance of collaboration, education, and working with an socially responsible lens at the higher education level and in all walks of life.

Within his role at Penn, he serves the campus community by fostering opportunities for education, discussion, and dialogue that promotes critical thinking. As a sibling to the Cultural Resource Centers and several other campus partners, he works to cultivate intentional community building that uplifts Penn’s principles of non-discrimination, expanding access, and empowering all students across the many vibrant communities that make up our campus.

Malik also works to serve the Philadelphia community at large as a talented local artist/entertainer. From the moment you meet him, Malik’s genuine, energetic, and optimistic nature is undeniable and, often, quite contagious. If you haven’t already, find out for yourself!

Support Opportunities

Give to What Inspires You

Inspiring Student Life is a fundraising initiative that supports University Life’s Cultural Resource Centers and celebrates their collective impact across campus and beyond.

Inspiring Student Life Campaign

Announcement: The Cultural Resource Centers & The Penn Fund

Effective immediately, unrestricted donations to the Cultural Resource Centers will also be recognized as donations to The Penn Fund. In other words, when you make a gift to a Cultural Resource Center General Fund, your gift will be recognized by The Penn Fund too. By doing so, donations to any Cultural Resource Center General Fund will be included in these University recognitions:

Benjamin Franklin Society (BFS): Gifts that are received by Penn and gifts made directly to a CRC General Fund will be recognized the same as other Benjamin Franklin Society (BFS) funds using the same levels and criteria for recognition ($2500+).
Ivy Stone Society (ISS): Gifts made by undergraduate alumni to a CRC General Fund will count the same as other Penn Fund-designated gifts toward Ivy Stone Society (ISS) status. The Ivy Stone Society recognizes Penn undergraduate alumni who make consecutive gifts of any amount to The Penn Fund for three or more fiscal years.
Reunion Giving: The amount of their gift and the number of alumni donors (one for an individual and two for a couple) will increase the numbers calculated for Total University Achievement for any milestone (quinquennial) reunion class for the year it was received. 
Total University Achievement includes all gifted dollars and alumni donors from each milestone reunion class in the fiscal year of their reunion. These are the two numbers (total amount of dollars and number of alumni class donors) presented to university leadership on Alumni Weekend.