Wharton deans meet with undergrads

Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity and Vice Dean Janice Bellace answered undergraduates' questions on several topics, including whether the school's priorities lay with graduate or undergraduate education, at an open student forum yesterday afternoon. Many of the questions focused on student concerns that MBA students receive a higher quality of education than undergraduates. Gerrity stressed the importance of quality education at all levels of Wharton -- undergraduate, MBA and doctoral. He denied that MBA students receive priority over undergraduate students. Gerrity said the programs are designed for "two different groups with two different backgrounds." "There is no data that supports your premise," Gerrity told a student who asked why graduate students have the better professors. Gerrity passed most of the questions that dealt with specific aspects of the undergraduate program to Bellace. During his remarks prior to the questions, Gerrity praised the undergraduates' leadership and organizational skills. He cited several programs, such as the Leadership Lecture Series, Career Week and Project Aim, as examples of student initiative. "[The] Wharton undergraduate program is the finest business program," Gerrity said. "This is a great school and it's been getting even better in recent years. What distinguishes Wharton in many ways is the strength of its students and the strength of its faculty." Gerrity said that 19 new faculty members were recently hired, however neither he nor Bellace said in which division they would be teaching. Both deans emphasized the need for student feedback. Bellace invited students to come speak with her about problems they encounter. She did not introduce herself formally to the students before she spoke. "I hope you know me. If you don't, you don't know where you go with mistakes," Bellace said. Bellace told the students about several new study abroad programs that are being planned in Italy and France as well as "the greater international dimension in our curriculum." Although students agreed that the session was useful, they were disappointed by the sparse attendance. Fewer than 50 of Wharton's 2400 undergraduates were there. "Although the discussion was rich, I am shocked and appalled that there were only 45 or 50 students there," said Wharton senior Joy Jakobovits. The Deans' Forum, which is sponsored by the Dean's Undergraduate Advisory Board, has occurred every semester since Gerrity became dean in the fall of 1990. The first forum introduced him to the school and the second introduced the new curriculum, according to Wharton sophomore Jaijai Ramsey, who organized the event.

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