Faculty members pleased with Rodin

See her as unafraid of making tough choices Faculty members seemed optimistic yesterday about Yale University Provost Judith Rodin's nomination to be the University's next president. "It's wonderful," Faculty Senate Chairperson-elect Barbara Lowery said. "She is bright, articulate and experienced as an administrator. She's everything we need." Many faculty members think she would make a good president because she is not afraid to make difficult decisions and tough choices. "She is someone extraordinarily well regarded as smart, energetic and someone who is not afraid to make strong decisions," said History Professor Richard Beeman, associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. "This is not a shy person," Lowery said. "She will not be reluctant." Rodin's biggest challenge, Beeman said, will be to focus a great research university more towards undergraduate education. "Undergraduate education is definitely at the top of her list," he said. Faculty Senate Chairperson Gerald Porter agreed. "I think the number one issue facing the University is undergraduate education," he said. Faculty members also said yesterday they are pleased that Rodin is a University alumna. "All her roots are in Philadelphia," Lowery said. "I think it's super. She even said in her interview that she's coming home." "I think that she is a very capable person and that is the most important thing," Porter said. "But this is the first time in 50 years that we have a Penn alum [as president]." Other faculty members were excited that the University could have a woman at the helm. "I think it's great to have a woman nominated," said Religious Studies Chairperson Ann Matter. "I think it's very exciting to be the first Ivy to have a woman as president." But other professors, while pleased the University may have a woman as its president, said Rodin is a very qualified person and that is more important than her gender. "It's wonderful that she is a woman," Lowery said. "But she is president because she is the best candidate, not because she is a woman." "I think it's also wonderful that Penn is the first Ivy school to have a woman president," Beeman said. "But I think it is secondary to her qualifications." Faculty members said their only regret to Rodin's nomination is that it means there is only six months left of Interim President Claire Fagin's term. "I think what Claire Fagin and Marvin Lazerson are doing this year is fantastic," Beeman said. "My only sadness in anticipation of Judith Rodin's ascension is that we only have a short time left with Claire Fagin." "I hope [Rodin] hits the ground running," Finance Professor Emeritus Morris Mendelson said. "If she does as well as Claire Fagin is doing, she's going to be great."