Will holes at the top rock U.'s boat?

With news of another top University administrator leaving for greener pastures and President Sheldon Hackney's own future in question, a lot of aquatic analogies have been floating around campus this week. "The University is a very liquid institution," a student leader declared. "It's the natural ebb and flow of things," a faculty member said. "It's a lot like a supertanker," one University administrator explained. "It doesn't always matter who's on the bridge shouting 'full right rudder' because the ship doesn't respond for another 80 miles. It has momentum." And momentum is what most University officials said they are counting on to keep the University from foundering as it steers through the potentially choppy sea of transition ahead. · When Senior Vice President of Planning and Development Rick Nahm was named president of Knox College last week, he joined Provost Michael Aiken and former Executive Vice President Marna Whittington to become the third major University official to leave since September. And rumors of enticing government positions continue to circulate around Hackney, who has been at the University for 12 years -- longer than any other current Ivy League president. But Hackney said yesterday he is committed to the University and he is sure that the administrative changes will go smoothly. "I will do nothing that would damage the University," Hackney said. "I've put too much of my heart and soul into the place to allow that to happen." Hackney added that he is aware of pressure to "restaff" the University quickly and said that the search for Whittington's replacement is nearing completion. "It's a matter of being able to change leadership without losing any momentum," Hackney said. "I am confident that we are not going to suffer from a lack of leadership." Aiken said yesterday that his departure will have no long-term effect on University. "Leadership changes in institutions all the time," Aiken said. "This University is full of talented people and I'm sure a very successful set of people will succeed us. Changeover always creates uncertainty, but I don't think Penn will miss a beat." Faculty Senate Chairperson David Hildebrand said he thinks the University's depth of talent will see it through any transition. "In the short term, there will no doubt be some scrambling around," Hildebrand said. "But long term, the visible leadership parts of the University are a long way from the whole story and a lot of important decisions will continue to be made no matter what happens." Emeritus Microbiology Profesor Robert Davies put a historical perspective on the changes. "Well, it's certainly not as bad as when in 1790 or so the provost and all the faculty were fired," Davies said yesterday. "More recently, when [former Provost Vartan] Gregorian left there was a period of time when the University took some time to settle down from that traumatic situation." Davies added that it remains to be seen whether the transition will hurt the University or help it by infusing it with fresh people and ideas. "It really all depends on who goes and who comes," he said. "It also depends entirely on the results of the search process. I'm sure the University will survive. It may be awkward for a while, but that just means the [the search] committees will have to work harder." Undergraduate Assembly leaders said they are prepared to meet with "the new administration." "Obviously it is a setback to the University to see people we've been able to build a relationship with leave," UA member David Rose said yesterday. "This sort of change is expected . . . this is just a new opportunity to get a new perspective, new actions and a new outlook." University officials downplayed any similarity between what is happening at the University and events that recently occurred at Yale University. Last year, former Yale President Benno Schmidt left for a postion in private secondary education following a slew of key administrative resignations. "There is a big difference in how they left at Yale," Acting Executive Vice President John Gould said. "People resigned there because they did not like the direction the president was taking the University. [Schmidt] saw the handwriting on the wall and decided to take a convenient opportunity to jump ship and join Whittle [a private education consulting firm]." Gould said this is not the case at the University. "Here, people are simply following career goals," he said. "It has nothing to do with any internal conflict over the direction of the University. The fact that other schools are looking to people from Penn is really a compliment to the institution." Hackney said that Yale was going through "a period of turbulence" while the University is "well-positioned and in very good shape." University officials also downplayed any suggestions that recent resignations may make it harder for Hackney to decide to leave the University. "[Hackney has] done his indentured servitude and I believe he can legitimately do as he wishes," Hildebrand said. "He's important to the University, but not all-important. And while I'd be glad if he'd stay for a while, he's served the University honorably and he ought to feel free to leave whenever he wishes." Davies and Gould also said they would prefer it if Hackney stayed at the University, but that he should not feel compelled to do so. "[His departure] would certainly not make it any easier," Davies said. "But I'm sure he realizes that he has served rather longer than the mold and I'm sure he's looking for a way out. I think if he gets an offer [to leave] he would be wise to take it." "I wish that [Hackney] would stay as long as he could or wanted to stay," Gould said. "But he's been here since 1981 and he has done a great job for the University. He should feel free to take any opportunity that comes along."