Public relations experts say the University avoided what could have been a serious blow to its public image stemming from a recent barrage of media attention over the recent nude-photo controversy.
When the Office of Student Conduct charged an Engineering junior -- who had posted photographs of two students apparently having sex in a Hamilton College House window -- with sexual harassment, a national debate on sex, privacy and free speech on college campuses ensued.
But by dropping the charges against the photographer, experts say, the OSC quieted the furor.
While Penn spokeswoman Phillis Holtzman said the OSC's decision did not stem from the nationwide media coverage, public relations officials -- who help clients deal with negative press -- say that the move was a smart one for the University.
After the story broke, news of the scandal spread across the country. The nude photograph was printed on the front page of the Philadelphia Daily News. Shortly afterwards, the OSC dropped all charges.
And national coverage of the scandal fizzled.
"Something like this is going to put dings in the armor of Penn," said Peter Madden, president of Philadelphia-based marketing firm AgileCat. "It has to be handled in the right way. The wrong response can really give a story some serious" momentum.
To preserve its reputation in the face of media scrutiny, Madden said, Penn needed to resolve the issue quickly, but without provoking controversy.
Marketing Department Chairman Stephen Hoch said that the student conduct office's decision left reporters with a lack of material.
"For most people, it's not newsworthy," he said. "The [Philadelphia] Inquirer wrote one little story on it. It's on the radar screen [at Penn], but that's an inside thing."
In 1993, the University drew similar attention over the "water buffalo" scandal, which a College freshman set off by calling a group of black female students "water buffalos" because he thought they were making too much noise outside his dormitory window.
The student was charged with racial harassment under the University's speech codes, which drew fire as a possible violation of First Amendment rights. The press covered the case for months until Penn dropped charges against the student.
This time, public relations experts say, Penn resolved the charges before media coverage could flare up.
"When scandals like [the nude photo] happen, I don't think it comes down to exactly what the students did, [but rather] how the college is going to handle it," said Greg Ricciardi, CEO of Philadelphia-area marketing firm 20nine Studios.
As the Jan. 1 regular decision deadline approaches, University spokeswoman Lori Doyle doesn't expect the incident to affect the number of applicants.
"Penn's been around for 250 years, and it would take much more than this to harm our reputation," she said.
