Rodin prepares to take over helm

After months of anticipation, the University is about to get a look at its new president in action. President-elect Judith Rodin will officially take office tomorrow, replacing Interim President Claire Fagin. And along with a new president, the University will also see a new provost, College dean, athletic director and student conduct code. Rodin, who is leaving her post as provost of Yale University, said she is ready for the big transition. "I'm eagerly awaiting the opportunity to lead the University," she said. "I've been anticipating now for six months the day of July 1st, and so I'm very excited and enthusiastic." She added that since she is taking office in the summer, she will have extra time to get accustomed to her new position. "This is the time to take a very hard look at how the institution is organized and how efficiently and effectively it runs," she said. "The summer gives us some quiet reflective time to do some preliminary thinking before the campus is back in full swing." Fagin, who described Rodin as a "superb" choice and "exactly the kind of leader that Penn needs," said she hopes Rodin "will talk with as many people as possible" when making decisions regarding the University. "The generally good feelings of the students, staff and faculty, and the way we have come to coalesce and solve the problems that we had [is a] style that is not necessarily characteristic of large corporation," she said. "My hope is that we will see that continue because I think it's a really healthy way to operate." Rodin seems to agree, as she said she has been spending her time recently being briefed by "transition teams," asking a lot of questions, meeting with alumni and other people on campus, and even talking to other college presidents around the country -- just to get a clear idea of how the University works. She added that she will continue consulting people at the University when she arrives. "I'm looking forward to working with the deans and the staff and the faculty to think about the way the University is run and the kinds of educational opportunities that we provide," she said. "And when the students come back in the fall we'll engage them in that dialogue as well." Fagin said she predicts the biggest immediate challenges to face Rodin will be the campus infrastructure, student housing and other student services, undergraduate education, health systems and "issues that fall out of the air unexpectedly." Rodin added the cost of higher education to that list, saying she will make sure the University is "extremely vigilant on how we spend money and on what, to keep costs as low as possible." Fagin also said that Rodin must learn what differentiates the University from other schools. "The first task for an outsider is to learn what we're like intellectually and viscerally," she said. "We have a personality of our own -- we're very lively, sometimes pretentious [and] very participatory." Looking back on her one-year interim presidency, Fagin said she is "very proud and?very emotional" about what she called an "extraordinarily productive year." "I feel very, very good about the accomplishments of the year," she said. "I have met probably all my goals and then some, [and] I think I'm leaving the position and the University in a marvelous frame of mind for the future. "My hopes are that that frame of mind will last," she added. And while Rodin said she is looking forward to working with Chodorow, Fagin said her "outstanding relationship" with Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson was one of the most important facets of her administration.