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(01/20/95 10:00am)
Money to improve M and T For the Management and Technology program, the holidays came a little late this year. The dual-degree program received a $5.5 million gift earlier this week from Wharton graduate and Chairman of the Nine West shoe company Jerome Fisher. "It's a great honor for me to endow such an enlightening program, and one that places Wharton and Penn on the cutting edge of the future of business education," Fisher said in a statement. Fisher previously contributed to the restoration of the library within the Furness Building, later renamed the Jerome and Fisher Fine Arts Library. He was also a "founder" of the Penn Club of New York that opened early last year. Management and Technology Professor William Hamilton said the endowment will enable administrators to make improvements to the program, which has been operating on a "very, very lean budget." Hamilton said the gift will expand student advising, the summer internship program and the student research center as well as increase alumni networking. Currently, Hamilton is the only full-time staff member running the dual-degree program. Several work-study students work in the program's office. "It's going to make a great program even better, rather than to expand it dramatically," Hamilton said. "The [Management] and [Technology] program symbolizes what Penn does exquisitely well -- to give students the opportunity to study across discipline and across school boundaries. "We will no longer be lean," he added. "But we will still be mean." Wharton School Dean Thomas Gerrity said there is "a growing need in both industry and government" for Management and Technology graduates. He added that the endowment will continue to enhance the program's reputation. The dual-degree program began in 1976 and has seen a 50 percent increase in applications since 1993.
(01/20/95 10:00am)
After serving as the interim director of the Greenfield Intercultural Center first semester, Reverend Larry Burnley has been awarded the position permanently. Burnley was appointed in mid-July to replace Interim Director Joseph Sun, who took a position in the Wharton School. After the semester-long search, Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta is convinced that Burnley is the perfect person for the job. "I feel like we could have searched for years throughout the world and we couldn't have found a better candidate," Moneta said. "He's a terrific choice. He knows the students and the students trust him." Moneta added that Burnley's expertise in coalition-building and management, in addition to his goal of bridging cultural gaps, won him the position. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Burnley graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1979 with a degree in African-American Studies. He then returned to college after counseling Cleveland inner-city youth and working as an investigative parole officer. He finished his Master of Divinity work at the Christian Theological Seminary in 1990. And he is now studying at the University's Graduate School of Education. Burnley was assistant director of the Christian Association before taking his position at the GIC and said he feels that this new position is very similar to his work in the ministry. "This ministry that I'm involved in with Penn is very similar to what I'm doing here," he said. "It has been a ministry of reconciliation and empowerment. I don't see a great deal of difference except one is more cultural." Burnley's goals for the GIC are three-fold -- to create opportunity for intercultural dialogue, foster relationships between the GIC and graduate groups and continue the comprehensive support presently given to the many student groups that are connected with the center. University students are enthusiastic with Burnley's appointment. "I'm very excited because as interim director he was an integral part of the activities that [the United Minorities Council] sponsored, as a mentor and a sponsor," UMC President Liz Melendez said. "I look forward to working with him this semester because I know he'll continue supporting us." Burnley is extremely enthusiastic about his appointment and his chance to work toward increasing diversity on campus. "I'm convinced that the GIC is an extremely important institution on this campus," he said. "And I believe that we can help Penn become a truly multicultural community."
(01/20/95 10:00am)
College junior Mike Nadel proposed a constitutional plan last week which would completely re-invent student government. Nadel, a Student Activities Council Finance Committee member and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, said his proposal creates an entirely new governmental structure at the University. But much of his plan resembles that of Undergraduate Assembly representative and College senior Dan Schorr, and Nadel said he and Schorr are working to join the two proposals. Nadel's proposal would abolish all branches of student government in favor of a new Undergraduate Senate, which would perform all governmental functions. His proposal would also create a new Committee on Constitutional Administration to oversee the functions of the government and ensure that the constitution is followed.This committee would also run elections, he said. Nadel said a one-branch system of government is the best way to effectively represent students. "Having one body accomplishes several important objectives," he said. A one-branch system would allow students to understand how the government works. "Right now we have a six-branch student government," Nadel said. "Nobody understands it. A one branch system is a way to [make government comprehensible]." The Senate would also combine all governmental functions into one elected body, providing for more accountability in student government, he added. The proposed plan would create committees on the Undergraduate Senate that perform the duties currently executed by the Student Activities Council and the Nominations and Elections Committee. At the time he released the plan, Nadel said it would eliminate SAC altogether. But this has drawn some criticism from interested students, and now, Nadel is planning to revise the proposal, he said last night. "People have been making comments, and I hear them, and I respect them," he said. "When Dan Schorr's and my reconciled version [of the plan] comes out, those people will be happy with the changes that we make." He declined to comment on what those changes might be. Nadel said there are two reasons that the Senate should perform the duties of the NEC and SAC. If the plan is adopted, nominating and budgeting would be performed only by elected officials. "In principle, unelected people should not be making major decisions for students," Nadel said. Nadel added that if the plan is passed, the Undergraduate Senate would be imbued with so much power that it would attract more qualified student leaders. "[The proposal] gives the elected body enough power so that it will attract good leaders to run for it -- which is not the case now," he said. Nadel said that without a powerful forum for student activity groups, leaders of those groups would probably run for the Senate. Because of the additional powers that the proposed Senate would wield, it would be composed of 40 representatives, instead of the 33 currently on the UA, according to Nadel. Despite the many plans for reform, some student leaders said they were unsure that any changes would be helpful. "You can have one million different new things," said UA representative and Engineering sophomore Manny Calero. "[But] as long as you have student apathy, it will not work." Senior Class Boards President Jason Diaz said he also thinks reform could do more harm than good. "I'm wary that [people] don't know the implications of their actions," the Wharton senior said.
(01/20/95 10:00am)
Although its implementation will dramatically alter the way they do their jobs, University employees seem to have embraced the recommendations made by the Coopers & Lybrand administrative restructuring report. University officials briefed members of the Penn Professional Staff Assembly earlier this week about the restructuring effort, PPSA Chairperson Drita Taraila said. "It was a very positive session, I think," she said. "Everybody went in there with [feelings of] fear and trepidation, but went away with a very different feeling. The openness shared by three senior-level administrators was a very positive experience." Provost Stanley Chodorow, who attended the PPSA meeting, shared similar sentiments. "We got good feedback from everybody," he said. "There's plenty of anxiety out there, but I expected it to be expressed in a more forceful manner." Chodorow said he knows certain segments of the campus community are skeptical about what the restructuring process will actually achieve. However, the administration is confident that all of the benefits of restructuring can be realized, he added. "We want to make Penn the best-run place on the planet," he said. "The purpose of this whole operation is to make Penn the most effective, efficient organization it can possibly be." Acting Executive Vice President Jack Freeman said PPSA members were especially pleased that he and other University administrators responsible for changes associated with restructuring were taking an open approach to the process. "We were able to respond to expressions of interest and concern," he said. "It was not at all an antagonistic meeting. Everyone there seemed to recognize and appreciate the need for and reasoning behind the need to restructure." Taraila agreed with Freeman's assessment, adding that she and the PPSA are "optimistic" about the prospects of restructuring precisely because it is being handled in an open fashion. She said this treatment is in contrast to similar administrative initiatives she has experienced during a 20-year career as manager for administration and finance in the Medical School's Pharmacology Department. Jean Morse, deputy to University President Judith Rodin, said the success of the University's restructuring efforts depends on the involvement of the entire campus. For this reason, Rodin, Chodorow, Freeman and Janet Gordon, executive director of the Executive Vice President's Office, will be meeting with various constituencies -- including the A-3, Undergraduate Assembly, and Graduate and Professional Student Assembly -- in the next few weeks to get suggestions and feedback on implementation of the administrative restructuring plan.
(01/20/95 10:00am)
That's the news, and we are out of here. Tomorrow night, the DP will inaugurate its 111th Board of Managers and Editors in pomp, circumstance and revelry, retiring current board members to civilian life and marking yet another year in the life of one of the University's longest running traditions. As an independent newspaper with no financial ties to the administration, the DP's perennial goal is to be the advocate for the entire University community -- to insure that whatever happens on campus does not happen in secret. Among the traditions passed from board to board are persistence, accuracy, belligerence and a fervent mistrust of anything done to students without their knowing about it. The 111th Board members were elected to their positions by the outgoing board last fall. Leading the 21-member board will be College junior Charlie Ornstein, who hails from Farmington Hills, Mich. Ornstein, described as "intelligent," "determined," and "nerdy," carries to his position two semesters of reporting and two semesters of editing experience. As executive editor, Ornstein will serve as president andCEO of the corporation and has final authority for all business and news decisions. "I hope to report the news as clearly and objectively as possible, and to provide a forum for discussion on campus," Ornstein said.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
Over 15,000 apply to U. The number of applications for admission to the University hit an all-time high of 15,050 this year, surpassing last year's record-setting amount by 10 percent. Admissions Dean Lee Stetson said yesterday that this number is especially impressive considering that five years ago the University received only about 9,800 applications. Stetson added that this year's pool is not only high in quantity, but also in quality. "The early implication is that it is comparable to last year, if not a little better," he said. He attributed this rise to increased publicity -- including coverage of University President Judith Rodin and the campus' appearance on Good Morning America. The University has also gained national exposure from the consistent success of its sports teams, Stetson said. "The raised visibility through successful athletic programs has helped raise national awareness," he said. Equally influential was a joint travel effort with Harvard, Duke and Georgetown Universities as part of a new admission recruiting program. Stetson added that this effort helped the University reach 20,000 more students and parents. With 36 percent of the Class of 1999 already accepted through Early Decision, the Committee meeting in February can afford to have competitive standards. In fact, Stetson said it will be "perhaps the most selective ever." University President Judith Rodin said she is "delighted" about the record number of applications. "I think that the applications are recognizing what we already know," she said. "That Penn is the place to be." The average Scholastic Achievement Test score of the applicants this year was 1252 -- up 10 points from last year. The number of applications from relatives of alumni was 770, a 10 percent increase over last year. Overall, the number of women applying to the University also increased by 11 percent this year to 6,683 women. There were 637 women applicants to the School of Engineering and Applied Science -- the highest number ever. This is up from last year's figure of 527. The Wharton School received the second highest number of women applicants, with a projected 750, up from 668 last year. While there was a 10 percent increase in the number of Hispanic applicants and a one percent increase in the number of Asian applicants, there was a four percent decrease in the number of black applicants. Stetson stressed that this decrease came despite an aggressive recruitment program to attract black students. There was a 10 percent increase in the number of applicants to the College, a seven percent increase to Wharton and a five percent increase to the Engineering School. But the pool for the Nursing School experienced a 25 percent decrease, dropping for the first time in years. Stetson said this has been a cross-country problem, due to health care issues. The number of Philadelphia high school students applying to the University is close to last year's figure at 389 applicants. Sixteen states reached an all time high this year -- Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia and Washington. The state with the lowest number of applicants was Wyoming, contributing only one application. Fifty-seven percent of this year's pool came from the Atlantic Coast, with 35 percent from the five traditional "feeder states" of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. International applications, which are the highest to date this year, comprise 17 percent of the applications. All 50 states are represented in the applicant pool, including North and South Dakota, which were not represented in this year's entering class. Stetson said his department is working to represent every state this year. "We would like to have at least one student from each state if we can, but obviously the size and quality of the applicant pool dictates the chances that that would occur," he said.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
Schoor's plan would kill SAC finance, NEC Undergraduate Assembly representative and College senior Dan Schorr proposed a plan last week that infuses the UA with more power than it has ever held -- while slightly weakening other branches -- to combine most governmental functions into one body. "The basic principle is to combine lobbying, finance and nominations in one government," Schorr said. To stay true to this principle, Schorr's plan would institute major changes in several of student government's long-standing organs. The proposal eliminates the Nominations and Elections Committee, the Student Activities Council Finance Committee and the UA Budget Committee. It empowers the UA to perform the duties that currently fall into their jurisdictions. "Functions should be done by elected people," Schorr said. "Nomination and budgeting are not [under the current constitution]." Schorr's proposal would create a new UA Nominations and Feedback Committee to appoint students to University councils and committees -- a duty currently performed by the NEC. "The NEC works well in their constitutional job," he said. "But I disagree with their mission." Schorr said his plan will include an independent body to run elections -- another function the NEC now performs. Originally, Schorr's plan also called for the SAC Steering Committee to run elections, he said. But feedback from students this week convinced him to create a separate committee for the purpose. In addition, while SAC would no longer allocate funds to student activities under the proposal, it would continue to oversee and grant official recognition to various University groups. Schorr said the UA would assume control of funds for SAC groups. But he added that SAC could overturn a funding decision made by the UA by a two-thirds majority vote. "There has to be a slight check on UA funding so it can't indiscriminately wipe out student activity groups," he said. SAC's membership would continue to consist of one representative from each recognized group, as it currently is, Schorr said. With the UA's increased power, it will need additional members, according to Schorr. If passed, Schorr's plan would increase the size of the UA from 33 representatives to 39, so that there would be sufficient personnel to perform the body's added duties. Under the proposal, the UA and SAC would be the only branches of student government. Schorr downplayed the importance of electoral reform in restructuring student government. He added that by infusing the UA with greater power, more talented and capable students will want to run for office. "Instead of electoral reform, what we need is student government members who go out and get in touch with the voters themselves," he said. "I think that will happen under this new government." Other student leaders had varied comments on Schorr's draft. UA Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella, who released his own plans this week, said Schorr's plan was extreme. "We do need to make the branches work together," he said. "But I see his solution as going over the edge." SAC Finance Committee member and College junior Mike Nadel said he has been working with Schorr in an attempt to unify their plans. "[The plans] have a lot in common but there are some major differences," he said. "We're going to put together one united front." UA representative and College junior Lance Rogers said Schorr's plan could be the solution to the problems facing student government. "It encompasses some great characteristics of [Debicella's and Nadel's] policy and seems to me to be the ideal compromise," he said.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
Tonight is the "big night" for Richard Wernick, a University music professor and Pulitzer Prize winner. The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform one of his most recent compositions, Symphony No. 2, at the Academy of Music. Symphony No. 2 is the first of five of Wernick's compositions scheduled to premier with the Orchestra this year. According to Wernick, the piece took over two years to write, and was "an enormously complex matter." In addition, Wernick said this symphony is dedicated to the former Executive Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Stephen Sell, who died of cancer in 1989. Wernick said this symphony differs from his first symphony in that it is commemorative, as opposed to abstract. The symphony consists of only two movements. And a highlight of the performance should come during the second movement, entitled "Verses for Steve," which features a solo by soprano Sylvia McNair. The text for this movement is comprised of excerpts from Sell's memorial service In addition, Wernick said all music is "progressive," and "influence moves over a long period of time." He added that, although much of modern composition is based on composers of the 18th and 19th century, classical music is "very much alive and well." Much of Wernick's work has been in the concerto form, including the four other premieres planned for this year. Wernick said he has begun composing for larger ensembles only recently. Wernick has been a member of the University's faculty since 1968, and has won several awards. In 1977, Wernick received the Pulitzer Prize for his work entitled Visions of Terror and Wonder. The symphony will be performed at 8 p.m. tonight, Friday afternoon at 2 p.m., and again Saturday at 8 p.m. A reception will follow the final performance.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
For the first time in years traffic is moving on South Street. Two weeks ago, the city implemented new traffic regulations on South Street, removing on-street parking all together, and adding an additional traffic lane and a "valet" lane. The new restrictions are in effect from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights only, on South Street between Second and Eighth Streets. To compensate for the lost parking spaces, four valet parking stations have been created. Valet parking costs $9, but many of the restaurants on the street will validate the parking voucher for $4. Area self-parking lots are also offering visitors a "Shopper's Special" every Friday and Saturday night from 6 to 8 p.m. The new parking regulations follow the installation of 43 new "Streetscape" lights on South Street. Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Herb Vederman said he is enthusiastic about the drastic traffic improvement he has seen in the last few weeks, adding that the new lighting has made South Street much more visible at night. "Traffic is moving freely for the first time ever on South Street," Vederman said. "South Street is one of the brightest lit streets in the city of Philadelphia." Vederman said the majority of the merchants on South Street are very pleased with the new changes because they have brought increased business. Another added benefit, according to Vederman, is increased response time by the South Street Police Detail. He said they can more easily negotiate the street with less congestion. Peter Whitehouse, executive director of the South Street-Headhouse district, said the police are ecstatic about the changes. "The police say it's a homerun," Whitehouse said. "They're finding it makes their job a lot easier." According to Whitehouse, the retailers on South Street were initially upset by the traffic experiment, but have recently begun to realize its benefits. "A lot of the retailers who were the fiercest opponents have now joined up to be a part of the valley parking program," Whitehouse said. "We've got a few bugs to work out, but were very pleased." Harris Eckstut, the owner of Montserrat, a restaurant on South Street, said his business has improved greatly since the parking ban began. "It's the first time I've done business late at night in three years," Harris said. "South Street looks great and feels great." Vederman said the program is on a trial run for eight months. After that, the city can put the traffic changes into effect. He also added that there are plans in the works to place toilets on South Street.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
School of Medicine Vice Dean of Education Frederic Burg announced his resignation yesterday. Burg, who has held the position for more than fifteen years, will leave office on July 1. Many medical students suspect Burg might have been asked to leave, according to sixth-year medical student Erick Santos, a member of the Medical Student Government. Burg, joined by Med School Dean William Kelley, announced his resignation before the Medical Student Government at a meeting yesterday. Burg said he needed to move on and that it was time for someone new to take over the position, according to Santos. "Dean Kelley said they were going to try to fill the position as soon as possible, without a search committee," he said. According to Medical Student Government President Wendy Gwirtzman, Kelley was concerned about Burg's resignation because the medical community in the nation has been changing rapidly. Therefore, it would be detrimental to the University's medical school if it went without a dean for an extended period while a search committee conducted an exhaustive hunt for a replacement. "Dean Kelley was more than gracious in extending the decision period from two weeks to one month," Gwirtzman added. However, Kelley agreed to accept letters in support of possible candidates from students, she said. There was an uneasiness among medical students about the selection process because Kelley wants to forgo the search committee, Santos said. "There was a feeling that if you read between the lines at the meeting that Dean Kelley had somebody in mind for the replacement," he said. At the University Council meeting yesterday afternoon, Santos asked the Council if the "proper proceedings" were being followed -- since this was an important position that has been vacated. Santos' question was referred to Provost Stanley Chodorow -- who responded by saying he would look into the matter. According to Santos, faculty members had not been informed of Burg's resignation until today. But Gwirtzman said the Medical Student Government supports Burg in his decision. "I think that it's too bad that the medical school is losing somebody who is very supportive to students," said Gwirtzman. "However, he feels that it is time to move on and we have to support him in that decision." The vice dean of education is responsible for the undergraduate education, international medical programs and minority affairs in the medical school.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
For the first time in their college careers, students can now actually see the front of Logan Hall. Next door, however, scaffolding and a huge yellow tractor block College Hall's facade. Both projects are on-going deferred maintenance projects originally begun in the mid-1980s in order to restore and renovate the historical buildings. Vice President of Facilities Management Arthur Gravina said the exterior of Logan Hall should be completed by early spring. And the front of College Hall faces the same deadline, Gravina said. "I think you'll see a dramatic change when that scaffold comes down," he added. "We even want to do some indirect lighting to show these buildings off." Gravina said progress on Logan Hall is moving much more rapidly than that on College Hall because Logan Hall is vacant. Logan 17 is the only room in the entire building in use. As a result, the construction workers can work on bigger phases of the Logan Hall renovation. Before, the scaffolding remained up around the building and when one area was completed -- or another area had a specific problem -- work could continue on the remaining parts of the building. Since College Hall is occupied by classes and offices, scaffolding can only be kept up in the areas where work is occurring, and therefore much smaller phases are involved, Gravina said. To accelerate the College Hall renovations, Gravina is considering relocating the occupants of College Hall. Provost Stanley Chodorow and University President Judith Rodin, who both have offices on the first floor of College Hall, have said they would be willing to move. "I'm begging them to let me move out of College Hall," Rodin said. "It ought to be done more quickly and we don't need unnecessary nicety in order not to inconvenience the residents of that building." Although Gravina said he was investigating the possibility of moving the residents of College Hall out of the building, he said there were issues on the other side of the argument that should be considered. "There are a lot of questions when you do that," he said. "You could save some dollars by moving them, but it could cost five times as much to do the relocations." Chodorow said that one time consuming part of the College Hall renovations involved replacing every single stone of the building. He said the exterior of College Hall will not be fully completed until 1998 or 1999. Chodorow added that the administration will have to make decisions "down the road" regarding what programming and offices will go in each building. "We will make those decisions on how to use the buildings in good time so that there will be no break between when they're done and when they're used," he said. Gravina said Facilities Management is already beginning to work with the School of Arts and Sciences on designing Logan Hall's infrastructure based on the school's programming ideas.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
Dents, dirt and scratches cover the otherwise bare walls. The hot, thick air makes it difficult to breathe, much less exercise. The floors remain covered with ripped plastic while concrete cures beneath it. A prison-like atmosphere has filled the Hutchinson Gym weight room -- now undergoing renovations after years of poor ventilation, worn floors and a generally unbearable atmosphere. Even the hallway leading toward the Hutch basement's exit has poor ventilation, stained and worn flooring and uncomfortable and crowded conditions. Yet that hallway is Hutch's current space for free weights while the weight room is under renovation. Those who want to work out in Hutch can do so only in that space. "Be prepared to sweat a lot and drink a lot of water," Recreation Assistant Director John Hamrick said, pointing at the one water fountain in the hallway. The conditions have forced many students to join fitness clubs -- ranging from those in Center City to the Penn Fitness Center located in Hutch, where a student membership costs $125. But even the Penn Fitness Center -- located throughout the upper floors of the gymnasium -- has poor ventilation and crowded conditions. The equipment, however, is more organized and in better condition than the free weights in the basement's hallway. "Students shouldn't have to [join clubs], but they don't want to come down here," Hamrick said, adding that the weight room's conditions have remained the same since it moved to that location over three years ago. The renovations first began after Athletic Director Steve Bilsky and Provost Stanley Chodorow became aware of the conditions last summer, and students signed a petition in October complaining of the condition of the gym. But because the concrete needs to cure for 60 days, the rubber floor cannot be placed down until March 13. The Recreation Department has set April 1 as a tentative completion date. In the meantime, students have to deal with the hallway, where roaches crawl along the side walls and students stand in line to quench their thirst at the single water fountain. "I certainly don't enjoy it and at my high school they have better stuff," Engineering freshman Roger Wallace said. Wallace added that the lack of electric fans and radios make the atmosphere even less pleasant. In the Penn Fitness Center, however, fans, open windows and radios are available. Hamrick said these extras, in addition to mirrors and painted walls, are just as important as the basic necessities, although the lack of money makes the facility itself the first priority.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
Wharton doctoral student Ari Brose was nominated and elected the new president of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly last night. She is replacing David Mestre, a fifth year astronomy graduate student who resigned from the position December 31. Brose had been serving as interim president since Mestre first announced his resignation in November. "I'm going to throw myself into it but I'm going to need a lot of help," Brose told the members of GAPSA at a meeting last night. Brose said she was originally apprehensive about accepting the position. But now she said she feels confident about her appointment. "I feel a little overwhelmed ," said Brose. "But I'm glad I'll be able to give something back to the University." GAPSA members said they are enthusiastic about their new president. "I'm glad to be working in partnership with her," Graduate Student Association Council President Bronwyn Beistle said. Mestre was rumored to have accepted a job at NASA in order to complete his doctoral work. According to Brose, though, Mestre does not have a job at NASA. "It was a personal decision," said Brose. "He's pursuing other educational opportunities." The GAPSA meeting continued with the proposal of a committee for the creation of a graduate student cafe. A group of Wharton School students will be conducting the market research and will provide a preliminary report to GAPSA. Several GAPSA members expressed their desire for a cafe -- or another location where graduate students could meet, and also receive information about different activities and clubs. "We have no central place where we can communicate with all of the graduate students," sixth-year medical student Erick Santos said. A teaching center that would provide a mentor service for teaching assistants was also proposed at the meeting. The center would sponsor workshops, along with being a resource network for graduate students. The proposal will be discussed in more detail at next month's meeting.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
The full University Board of Trustees will be on campus today and tomorrow for its traditional round of winter meetings. But six new Trustees -- four alumni and two Commonwealth of Pennsylvania officials -- are already immersed in the issues affecting campus life after having attended a day-long orientation program yesterday at the Faculty Club. University President Judith Rodin described the orientation program as an "institutional briefing" that allows the new Trustees to get an overview of the role they now play in University decision-making. The group of six also had the opportunity to meet deans of the various schools, Faculty Senate leaders and senior officers of the University. They will return to campus later this semester to meet student leaders and other faculty members. University Secretary Barbara Stevens said the entire Board of Trustees will be briefed on many aspects of campus life during the next two days -- listening to everything from student life and University responsibility to external affairs and budget and finance. Discussion of the strategic importance of the University's "mutually beneficial" partnership with federal, state and city government, to be led by Vice President for Community and Government Affairs Carol Scheman, is also on the schedule, Stevens said. And a first-of-its-kind plenary session on "The University in the Information Age" will be held today, so that faculty, staff and students with electronic expertise can share their knowledge with Trustees. Rodin said other topics of interest to the Trustees are the Coopers & Lybrand report on administrative restructuring and the 21st Century Undergraduate Education Initiative, which will be explained in-depth both during normal committee meetings and some special joint sessions. This cycle of meetings is the first full set that Trustees' Chairperson Roy Vagelos, who took office last fall, will lead.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow probably felt a little clairvoyant at yesterday's University Council meeting. In their opening reports, each anticipated many issues that would later be raised by Microbiology Professor Helen Davies as part of the Committee on Pluralism's continuing effort to track the implementation of recommendations made last year by the Commission on Strengthening the Community. Rodin spoke about the release of the Coopers & Lybrand administrative restructuring report earlier this week, said that planning for a campus center will finally "move aggressively forward," and reported on dean searches that were successfully concluded over the past few months. Chodorow brought the Council up to date on the University's progress in implementing an "arm's length" arrangement for its Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, and said he is pleased that the Provost's Council on Undergraduate Education has begun work on the 21st Century Project for Undergraduate Education. Chodorow added that deanship reviews will begin in about two months for Law School Dean Colin Diver, School of Dental Medicine Dean Raymond Fonesca and Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson. The University should also be closer to having a new deputy provost at the end of the month, when the search committee appointed by Chodorow submits a list of candidates for the post to him. Search committees -- and their composition -- proved to be a topic of prime importance at yesterday's Council meeting. When Undergraduate Assembly member Dan Schorr, a College senior, asked Chodorow why there were no students on the deputy provost search committee, Chodorow said he was unsure whether such an appointment would be appropriate. And sixth-year Medical student Erick Santos, Representative to Council for the Medical School Student Government, asked Chodorow to look into Medical School Dean William Kelley's decision not to appoint a search committee to find a new Vice Dean of Education for the Medical School. Council Moderator Will Harris, an associate professor of Political Science, then turned the floor over to Davies. She said the Committee on Pluralism is "very pleased" with the University administration's efforts to implement Commission recommendations, citing the revamped Code of Student Conduct and increased involvement of faculty in campus life through courses offered in residences as examples of progress. Council next debated the proposed Student Judicial Charter and Code of Academic Integrity, aiming to resolve ambiguities in the appeal and sentencing processes they advocate. Before adjourning, Council also received updates from the Committee on Communications -- which endorsed the merger of Almanac and Compass, the Committee on Safety and Security, and Undergraduate Assembly member Lance Rogers, a College junior, who briefed Council on the activities of Ivy Council this semester.
(01/18/95 10:00am)
Although classes have barely begun, University Council is not wasting any time getting back to the business of advising the University's administration. Today, the Council will hold its first meeting of the semester. Members will receive an update from the Committee on Pluralism regarding implementation of recommendations made last year by the Commission on Strengthening the Community. A report on the current status of the University's Reserve Officers' Training Corps program will also be included in that discussion, University President Judith Rodin said. The Committee to Review the Status of ROTC at Penn suggested last fall that ROTC be restructured under an new "arm's length" arrangement. Following the report of the Committee on Pluralism, the Bookstore, Communications, Library and Safety and Security Committees of Council will each give brief interim reports. Provost Stanley Chodorow said time has also been allotted at the meeting for discussion of proposals involving the Student Judicial Charter and the Code of Academic Integrity advanced by the Student Judicial Reform Committee. Additionally, a report on the Ivy Council is slated to be given before the meeting adjourns. Today's meeting will be the first conducted by Council under its revised bylaws -- which were approved by mail ballot on December 14, 1994 by a vote of 41-6. The revised bylaws provide for eight new Council members: one elected representative of the Penn Professional Staff Assembly, the Librarians Assembly and the A-3 Assembly -- and five additional undergraduates who are members of the Undergraduate Assembly. The allocation of additional seats to undergraduates became a hot topic last spring when UA chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella asked that one of the new seats be given automatically to the chairperson of the United Minorities Council. That proposal was defeated. Graduate students protested the awarding of additional seats to undergraduates, since they were not offered an increased number of spots on Council. The new Council members will attend today's meeting, which will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Quadrangle's McClelland Hall. The meeting is open to the public.
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"Bring Your Own Beer" will finally become reality at the University, InterFraternity Council President and College junior David Treat announced last night. After five years of struggling with the alcohol and BYOB policies, the IFC ratified a new policy which will be "strictly enforced" starting this weekend, Treat said. The new policy brings to the University a concept that has appeared on paper for years, but in practice has never been implemented fully. It also serves as a statement to the Greek Alumni Council, which developed its own BYOB policy in 1993. "It's an attempt to show GAC that we're capable of leading ourselves," said Alpha Chi Rho President T.J. Zane, a College senior. According to a letter sent this week to chapter presidents from the IFC Executive Board, the new policy was drafted in December during negotiations with GAC officers. The letter stated that policy specifics would not be released until the meeting last night, where the policy was introduced and ratified in a closed meeting in less than 90 minutes. Under the new "Greek Alcohol Management Policy," fraternities are prohibited from purchasing alcohol for consumption during social events. Instead, students attending the events will contribute alcohol to a pool. Although the IFC adopted BYOB five years ago as an effort to transfer liability from the fraternities to individual partygoers, enforcement has been problematic. This time, according to IFC officers, the policy is for real. "In the middle of the fall, it was clear that the policy was inadequate?it had loopholes," said IFC Judicial Manager Josh Gottheimer, a College sophomore. "The IFC has recognized [BYOB] as a body, and we are going to cooperate together to enforce it." Still some members of the Greek system said not only do the loopholes still exist, but that BYOB is not the answer to decreased liability. Zane said BYOB has been talked about for years, but has not been the cause for the reduction in alcohol-related incidents on campus. "It's because houses have become smarter with risk management," he said. Zane added that enforcement will depend on GAC's commitment to keeping monitors on campus. The IFC first adopted BYOB as part of its alcohol policy in September 1990 and a self-monitoring policy was announced in February 1991. And although faced with criticism that the BYOB policy had loopholes, the IFC was confident that it was a sound policy. Five years later, the new policy will potentially affect more students than in previous years. "Fraternities are serious about following the rules of the University," said College senior Ryan Heil, Social Chair and Risk Management Officer for Delta Psi. "Students are going to find that if they walk into a party and they expect to be handed a beer they could find themselves sorely disappointed in the future." Officers said social life will be maintained despite the policy. "Our efforts were geared toward altering the social life on campus as little as possible while satisfying the requirements of the insurance company and GAC," Treat said.
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Students would vote by geogrpahic district under Debicella plan Students would vote by geogrpahic district under Debicella planEditor's Note: This is the first of a series of stories outlining the various proposals for constitutional reform of the Undergraduate Assembly. Today's story focuses on UA Chairperson Dan Debicella's plans for revamping student government. Followers of the University's student government may need a constitutional scholar to help them understand the next few months of debate. Within a week of the beginning of the spring semester, student leaders have released nine separate constitutional proposals. Each one represents a major break from the current constitution -- which has been criticized by almost everyone involved in the movement to reform the way student government works at the University. "Constitutional reform is desirable," Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella said. "The UA right now has proven that the current structure can work, but no matter how well you're doing you can always do better." Debicella put forward seven proposals this week. Of the constitutional plans released so far, Debicella's most closely resemble the current constitution. All the proposals he put out this week are merely options for the University's student government to discuss, according to Debicella. He declined to endorse any specific plan at this time. While Debicella said he still has faith in the constitution, he cautioned that his drafts still mark significant departures from the present structure. "Actually, [the drafts are] hugely different," he said. "But I think the basic framework we have now works." Debicella focuses all of his plans on electoral reform, rather than a change in the balance of power within student government. All of his plans would change the election system from the current school-based proportional representation. Debicella would implement 33 geographic districts, each of which would elect one representative to the UA. He said the basic problem with student government lies solely in the operations of the UA -- not in the other branches such as the Nominations and Elections Committee, which UA representative and College senior Dan Schorr has suggested disbanding in his own reform proposal. "The other branches of student government work very, very well," Debicella said. "If you just do structural reform without electoral reform, it's just shifting the power around within government." He listed the accomplishments of the Student Activities Council and the Student Planning and Events Committee as reasons that a new constitution should not focus on those branches. But Debicella said all his options include increased UA supremacy over the other five branches of government. "In general, the branches of student government could use to work closer together," he said. "I think you definitely want the elected body of student government to be the final power in all decisions." Most of Debicella's other changes pertain to internal UA matters, he said. Two proposals put forth the idea of creating two positions for UA commissioners, who would study specific areas of the school. Debicella's proposals would make the commissioners responsible to the UA for all information in their area of expertise. "At each Assembly meeting, each Commissioner shall be required to give a written report to the Assembly consisting of recent events in their area?" reads the third of Debicella's proposals. "Failure to produce this report is grounds for removal." In addition, two of his proposals call for a general election for UA officers -- rather than the internal UA election that currently determines who holds office. "The main benefit is that it would make people feel much more attracted to their student government," he said. Rather than structural reform, Debicella said he wants to see an increase in students' understanding of and participation in the UA. "People shouldn't put so much emphasis on constitutional reform as a cure-all for any problems student government might have," he said. "I think that what we need to do beyond just constitutional reform is to get students more involved in student government." Debicella pointed to the UA's recent reports and proposals as evidence that the UA is quite active -- contrary to what he said is the general public opinion at the University. "The UA has gotten a lot done this year," he said. "Structure is important, but more important is what this UA is getting accomplished." Several other student government leaders -- each of whom have reform proposals of their own -- had comments on Debicella's plans. "Dan Debicella doesn't understand what the problem is," SAC Finance committee member and College junior Mike Nadel said. Nadel said electoral reform is not the solution to the problems facing student government, but that he is willing to include it in his plan. "[I am] open to considering electoral reform," he said. "[But] I haven't yet heard ideas that [I] consider good." Schorr said he also thought electoral reform was a secondary issue. "I don't think that's the big problem," he said. "It's being blamed for a lot of problems that are really the result of poor management." Tomorrow, part two of the series will examine UA member Dan Schorr's reform plan.
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W.E.B. DuBois College House Assistant Dean David Biggs is leaving the University for a position at Webster University in St. Louis. Biggs, who served at DuBois for four years, will begin his responsibilities at Webster as director of multicultural student services on February 1. In his new position, Biggs said he hopes to represent the minority community at Webster in decision-making. A University alumnus, Biggs received a bachelor's degree in philosophy and religious thought in 1977 from the College of Arts and Sciences. He continued his education at Boston University, where he received his master's of divinity degree in pastoral counseling and philosophy. Biggs became the first assistant dean of DuBois in 1990. He said he has seen major strides in academic support at the University since he took office. "Back when I was a student, we didn't have academic advisors in the residence halls," he said. "We had to go all the way down to College Hall and many times we wouldn't do it. Living in the residence hall allows me to hunt down the students who need help and make sure they get it." This type of advising and support is what students have said they will miss most about Biggs. "We had our house meetings and he was always telling us that we have a support community," Wharton freshman Miki Toliver said. "He always tried to let us know who could help us in every area." Since the beginning of his tenure at DuBois, Biggs said he has enjoyed many accomplishments in the advancement of the college house -- such as helping to start the practice of holding classes in DuBois, and improving communications between the house and other University departments and residences. Biggs said he is wary of the suggestion to randomize housing made by the Commission on Strengthening the Community last year. If the Commission's recommendation were to be implemented, DuBois -- currently a home for the African-American community -- would be "mainstreamed," he added. "After 23 years, [DuBois] is as much an institution as any other institution people think of when they think of the University of Pennsylvania," Biggs said. "And the commitment the University has shown to DuBois should be continued, for [a decrease in support] would be a blow to the quality of residential living the academic excellence the University is trying to purport with its undergraduate education programs." Biggs' colleagues said his departure will be a bittersweet conclusion to his exceptional leadership at the University. "I'm very ambivalent that he's leaving," Assistant Vice-Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel said. "I'm happy to hear that he's moving onward and upward. But on the other hand, he will be missed by colleagues and students alike." Biggs said he has enjoyed the time he has spent at the University. "The opportunity, honor and privilege to serve as the first assistant dean will always be a cherished memory of mine," Biggs said.
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In the maximum security wing of a mental institution, a woman lies horizontally across her bed, taken over by what appears to be a spasm of pain. A man clutches his wife as their two children sit next to them in an old dilapidated car that had become their home. These are just two images from the more than 200 photographs world-renowned photojournalist Mary Ellen Mark exhibited at the Annenberg School of Communications yesterday as part of the Women in the Public Sphere series. A graduate of the Annenberg School, Mark has had her photos printed in numerous publications, including Life Magazine, National Geographic, and The New York Times Magazine, according to Communications Professor Klaus Krippendorff. Mark, whose first pictures were published in the Pennsylvania Gazette, said she did not become interested in professional photography until she was 23 years old. Refusing to pull punches before an audience of about 25 people, Mark blasted current magazines for "not dealing with true content." She said magazines have changed in the last ten years by giving into pressure from advertisers to steer clear of the type real-life documentaries Mark insists upon shooting. "A magazine would rather do something commercial," Mark said. "My ideas are not commercial. I really am most interested in the single image -- images that can last by themselves. "At the end of my life I want to say I did pictures that really meant something," she added. Annenberg Graduate student Emory Woodward said he was impressed with Mark's candidness. "I appreciated the criticism she leveled against current photography," Woodward said. "Now I probably have a more critical eye." Krippendorff said Mark's trademark is to only "take the pictures that are real," something which sets her apart from other photographers. "For me, the pictures are really emotionally engaging," Krippendorff said. "That perhaps is the difference between her and other photographers. "She is not just a photographer," he added. "She is someone with a mission. She is someone with a heart." Mark said her pursuit of "real" stories has propelled her on photo shoots ranging from an Oregon mental hospital to the brothels of Bombay. Mark said she tries to photograph "universal subjects." She said one of the keys to her success has been an intimacy with her subjects that has been envied by other photographers. Currently, Mark is working on a book about American life, with photographs ranging in subject from shots of college students on Spring Break to the plight of the poor.
