Farnsworth to depart for U. of Denver

Associate Vice President for University Relations and Director of News and Public Affairs Carol Farnsworth has been named Vice Chancellor for Communications at the University of Denver. Farnsworth, who has been at the University for five years, will leave at the end of March for her new post at the 9,000 student university in Denver, Colo. Farnsworth, who will report directly to Denver's Chancellor Dan Ritchie, will be responsible for news and information, photography, video and publications divisions. "This is the direction that everyone always hopes to move in," Farnsworth said of her new position last night. "I think my experiences at Penn have helped me tremendously." Ritchie said, in a prepared statement, he is excited about Farnsworth's selection as a vice chancellor. "She will play a pivotal role in helping to strategically lead the University," Ritchie stated. Farnsworth was chosen after a national search which attracted 350 applicants. Reflecting on her experiences at the University, Farnsworth said that the public relations opportunities provided by the selection of President-elect Judith Rodin and the University's modification of the racial harassment policy were among the highlights. "I think the announcement on the decision on the speech code was really important in turning around the way the University was seen in the eyes of various journalists," she said. "It showed them that Penn had learned from its mistakes." And Farnsworth recalled the negative publicity the University received from last spring's 'water buffalo' incident and confiscation of The Daily Pennsylvanian as some of the most trying times of her tenure. "I think everybody at Penn learned a lot as a result of those incidents," she said. "It's become a rite of passage. People learned at a variety of levels and a variety of offices learned that it is important to consider carefully how a decision is going to affect people." The University's Associate Director of News and Public Affairs Barbara Beck said Farnsworth helped the University through dark times last spring. "It has been a difficult time in our office during the last year and Carol has taken a leadership role in guiding us through it," Beck said last night. "The University of Denver is quite lucky." Farnsworth said the University is on the path to recovering a positive public image. "[Interim President Claire Fagin] has taken communications very seriously and she is really wonderful to work with," she said. "The president is a key part of communications because she personifies the institution." Farnsworth said she will miss the University and the city of Philadelphia, adding that she has met hundreds of people here over the last five years. Before coming to the University, Farnsworth was a public relations officer at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. ment and Support of Education.