Misleading Claims about Joe Biden's Role as University of Pennsylvania Professor Revealed

From 2017 to 2021, former Vice President Joe Biden held an honorary professorship at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice Professor. During his tenure, Biden delivered lectures and talks to students on campus, but did not carry a full semester's course load. Despite this, he received a substantial compensation of over $900,000 for his involvement.

Joe Biden as a “full professor”

In response to claims circulating on social media in mid-to-late 2023, it became evident that Biden's role at the University of Pennsylvania had sparked controversy. Although he stated in a speech that he was a "full professor" at UPenn for four years, the reality was that his position was honorary and did not involve traditional classroom teaching. While he did not teach a full course load, he was involved in delivering public talks and lectures and led the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington, D.C.

During his tenure, Biden received over $900,000 for his engagements at UPenn, with payments amounting to $371,159 in 2017 and $540,484 in 2018 and early 2019. His role was vaguely defined and included around a dozen public appearances on campus, primarily in large, ticketed events. Additionally, he held joint appointments in the Annenberg School for Communication and the School of Arts and Sciences, with a secondary affiliation in the Wharton School.

Biden's commitments at UPenn included delivering talks and lectures, with one notable instance being a lecture to graduate students at the Wharton Business School in a highly selective course run by the Lauder Institute. A compilation of his public engagements revealed a series of activities over a two-year period, although it did not encompass any behind-the-scenes work.

In April 2019, when Biden officially announced his candidacy for the U.S. presidency, the University clarified that he would take an unpaid leave of absence from his position at the Penn Biden Center due to his new role as a presidential candidate.

Notably, Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate, also held a similar honorary position at UPenn from 2018 to 2020, participating in talks, lectures, and joint appearances with Biden. It is important to emphasize that Biden's honorary professorship concluded in 2021, and it was not his first experience in a professorial role, as he had previously served as an adjunct professor at Widener University Delaware Law School for approximately 20 years.