Commission to release new plan

After weeks of heated debate, the Commission on Strengthening the Community will publish its final report in tomorrow's Almanac. The Commission unleashed a storm of controversy when it released its preliminary report on February 1, after six months of information gathering. Most of the uproar has concerned just two of the Commission's nearly 60 recommendations -- one which advocates assigned housing for freshmen and the other which suggests that Greek rush be postponed until first semester of sophomore year. The assigned housing recommendation, which would prevent freshmen from living in Living-Learning programs, has been criticized for taking away students' freedom of choice and for the effect it may have on the W.E.B. DuBois College House. Some have argued that the recommendation is specifically targeted at the predominately African-American DuBois College House, which depends on freshmen residents for its programmatic and financial support. Commission members have denied they had DuBois House in mind when they drafted the assigned housing recommendation. Some have even said that the recommendation is an important first step toward removing barriers to racial and cultural integration on campus. The sophomore rush proposal has likewise alarmed the Greek community, whose chapters often depend on sophomores living in fraternity and sorority houses for financial viability. Members of the Panhellenic Council have argued that they are being punished for the bad-boy reputation of their male counterparts, the fraternities, while the Interfraternity Council has argued that their negative image is undeserved. Among the Commission's other recommendations, which touch on almost every aspect of the University community, are suggestions that student speech not be the basis for disciplinary action, advising across the four undergraduate schools be made consistently good, and teaching and community involvement play a greater role in faculty promotion. After the Commission's last open forum two weeks ago, Commission Director Rebecca Bushnell said that several of the Commission's recommendations were being reconsidered by the group. The full Commission met last week for the last time to draft the final report, which is already circulating among top administrators. Once the final report is published, it will be up to the administration and affected faculty and students to see that the recommendations are implemented. The report will include a suggested implementation timetable to serve as guide. The 23-member Commission was created by former University President Sheldon Hackney and Interim President Claire Fagin in the wake of last April's 'water buffalo' incident and Daily Pennsylvanian confiscation. Its task was to suggest ways of creating a viable, multicultural community at the University based on the ideal of free speech and expression. The Commission is chaired by Gloria Chisum, vice chairperson of the University Board of Trustees.