Officials reassert students' role at U.

Student involvement in the University and its committees will not change despite recent comments made by University Provost Stanley Chodorow, administrators said last night. Chodorow said earlier this week that student involvement in curriculum committees was "hard to sort out." He said student participation is problematic for several reasons. For example, students may not have enough time, may not be the "best organized people in the world," and may speak only for themselves and not "for the whole." Student leaders objected to the provost's comments, saying that involved students do put in a great deal of time, are organized and do care about the University as a whole. But, administrators said last night that student representation is very important to the University and its committees. "I have found students, particularly at Penn, to be well-informed, active and extraordinarily productive partners," said acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum. "I think that as the new administration has the opportunity to work further with our students, the partnership will develop." McCoullum said the University is different from other universities, and anyone new to campus needs "some time to make the adjustment." "It does take time to move into a new institutional culture but people can make the transformation rapidly," she added. College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Rescorla said Chodorow "may have been cast in an unfair light." "I think students often bring a valuable perspective to the discussion," he said. "And I think that Chodorow agrees with that." Rescorla added that history has indicated that "many of the curricular innovations that have taken place at Penn in the last decade have been at least partially student initiated." University Secretary Barbara Stevens echoed his sentiments. "It's clear that student participation is important in aspects of the University that have to do with the student experience," she said. "Historically, when one looks at what's happened here, the student participation has been extremely positive." For instance, Stevens said the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education is a body with a "long history of really creative thought on these issues." Chodorow has spent a lot of time working with the Student Oversight Committee for Judicial Reform, which created proposals for a Code on Academic Integrity and a Student Judicial Charter, she said. Several administrators said they too feel student participation on University committees is necessary. "Student input is very important and often, therefore, student input on committees is very important," Rescorla said. "But sometimes there are confidential matters. It might be hard to know where to draw the line." Rescorla said faculty members ultimately make decisions regarding curriculum, but student feedback provides "a valuable perspective." One objection from student leaders came in response to Chodorow's outlook on the students' role in University life. "Students may play an advisory role in committees concerned with the organization and deliverance of student services," he said Wednesday night. Student leaders, such as Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Dan Debicella, expressed concern with the word 'advisory.' The Wharton junior said students should be "an integral part in deciding what the curriculum is and what student life is like at the University." McCoullum said last night that students can do more than simply advise faculty and administrators. "There is a wonderful difference about Penn from other universities," she said. "One of those major differences is the lively and constructive work that students do to move the University forward. "A partnership indicates a shared development of long and short term goals, joint consideration of strategies for improvement of our services and a joint celebration of each other that makes our work much more substantial," McCoullum added. "Students in our work have been true partners and I believe that is essential." Rescorla and McCoullum both said they supported Chodorow's plans for undergraduate education, which include an integration of curricular issues with VPUL services. "The more seamless the connection between academics and University life services, the better we will all be able to serve all of you," McCoullum said. Chodorow was unavailable for comment yesterday.