FOCUS: A Matter of Trust

When the Board of Trustees comes to the University, its members spend their days in meetings, luncheons and get-togethers. But some students have said the Trustees do not spend enough time at the University, do not meet with their various constituencies enough and do not know enough to fulfill their positions as members of a body that has the final say on almost all University-wide decisions, from appointments to policy institution. Many Trustees say they do make an effort to actively involve themselves with the University. While on campus several times a year for various meetings, some Trustees have lunch or dinner with students from their areas, meet with faculty groups, and keep in contact with University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow. Two-day Trustee meetings occur three times throughout the year and usually involve small committee meetings and an Executive Committee meeting. Other committee meetings occur sporadically throughout the year. Trustee Elsie Sterling Howard, who serves as president of the Trustees' Council on Penn Women, said contact with students and other groups is very important. "It's a very big responsibility to get all those constituencies in your mind and move the University forward," she said. "Whenever I am at Penn, I do lunch or dinner with students usually from my area, and I ask a lot of questions." Trustee Stephen Heyman voiced similar sentiments, saying the function of the Board is to "give our students the best education that we can with the resources we have at our disposal." Heyman said he too has gone to dinner with students from his area, interviewed prospective students and talked with students during breaks and the summer. According to Trustee Gloria Chisum, her involvement with students and other constituencies has been extensive, especially since she chaired the Commission on Strengthening the Community last year. "I definitely have taken something from that," she said. "I hope every member of campus was affected by what happened last year." University Secretary Barbara Stevens said those Trustees who are not often on campus are still able to keep up with University news. Many subscribe to either The Daily Pennsylvanian or its weekly counterpart, she said, adding that a newsletter is sent to every Trustee three times a year as well. "They aggressively seek input and advice of campus constituencies," Stevens added, noting that faculty and student liaisons serve on six out of the 10 Trustee committees. "Through the representation, there is the opportunity for Trustees to learn first hand what the various topics are," Stevens said. "[The representatives] can make a difference in Trustee deliberations." · But some cite the issues of time and the University's chain of command as reasons why some Trustees do not keep in contact with the University and its constituents. Board of Trustees Chairperson Roy Vagelos said he has not been able to spend that much time on campus, or meeting with constituents, because of his former position as chief executive officer of Merck & Co. Vagelos, who has been a Term Trustee since 1988, said last month he has "not spent enough time at Penn [before retiring from Merck on November 1]." "I have not been close to the students," he added. "Now, I will. I am very anxious to get on with it." Vagelos said he hopes to be on campus every week to "get a real feel for what's going on." Vagelos said he could not outline his future plans for the University because, as chief executive officer of Merck, he was "extremely busy" and did not know enough about the issues the University is confronting. · Some student and faculty leaders say most Trustees are not like Howard and Heyman and do not have enough contact with their constituencies beyond the administration. "I think that as a whole the Trustees could make a little more attempt to make a better presence on campus," Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Dan Debicella said. "They need to be 100 percent in tune with the different constituencies." Faculty Senate Chairperson Barbara Lowery agreed. "We do have some input," she said. "There are some instances where interaction should be stepped up." · Most agree that the Trustees play a significant role in the University, although people differ in how that role relates to Trustee contact with the University community. Many say the Trustees are very dedicated to the University. "Penn is blessed with a board of extremely loyal and very able Trustees," Rodin said. "They spend enormous amounts of time on issues." The typical process in decision making at the University begins at the committee level, where ideas are discussed and proposals are made. Rodin and Chodorow are then ultimately responsible for making policy and personnel decisions. But they must bring all decisions to the Board of Trustees for final approval or rejection. "The Trustees are policy makers," Stevens said. She named seven major functions of the Trustees, including choosing a president and working with her through "times that are challenging and difficult as well as promising." Stevens added that the Trustees have to deal with issues ranging from budget and endowment to academic programs, University life and capital planning. During Trustee meetings, Rodin and Chodorow brief the Board on the various issues and activities facing the University. Usually, the Board simply follows through on the recommendations of the president and provost. Vagelos said Rodin is a link between the students and the Trustees, especially since she is "close to the students" and has "experienced everything we will be dealing with." And Chisum said since the Board of Trustees has so much influence on the policies of the University, Trustees "have to know the organization." "We need to know as much about the University as possible, from every perspective," she said. But Chisum added that meeting directly with students and faculty is not the only way, adding that Trustees learn through publications, contact with administrators and committee meetings. Some say it is not enough for Trustees to find out indirectly what the students and other groups are thinking. "The purpose of the Trustees is to approve all the major decisions that are going to impact the University," Debicella said. "They are the governing body of the University and need to know what every constituency feels about them." According to Vagelos, the Trustees play a significant role in the University management. "The role of the Trustees is to work with the administration and leadership to understand and to agree and to be satisfied that the vision for the University is an appropriate one," Vagelos said, adding that the Trustees are the "guardians for the future of the University." Howard said responsibilities vary depending on the type of Trustee. Alumni Trustees, like Howard, must go back to alumni from their area to report on and explain the University's events and issues. Some Alumni Trustees represent a specific region, while others simply serve as a general alumni representative. "If there's a problem or negative national story, I get calls from constituents and heads of alumni clubs," Howard said. "We don't do day-to-day stuff, we look more at the bigger picture." Charter, Term and Emeritus Trustees do not have those specific responsibilities. Commonwealth Trustees, the four appointed by the state, have a role yet to be defined. · Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons said some worry that the Trustees could have too much involvement in the University. "Sometimes, faculty worry about greater Trustee involvement because they don't see Trustees as academics," she said. Lowery said if the Trustees played "too much of a role in daily governance," faculty and staff might object. But Stevens said increased involvement of the Trustees in the University by "getting to know the faculty and students is only positive." · Everyone has ideas on how the relationship between Trustees and University constituencies can be improved. According to Rodin, the major difficulty comes because Trustees meet infrequently on campus. "I think the Trustees would love to spend more time with students," she said, adding that the Board and administration have been debating changing the number of meetings per year or the amount of time Trustees are on campus at any one time. "They have so many commitments but they are very eager for more direct contact and I am very much in favor of providing that," Rodin added. Howard said students should be more proactive. "I would encourage students to be much more proactive," she said, noting that at least one student representative serves on each Trustee committee, but sometimes they do not speak enough. "The problem is they only serve for a year and there are only four meetings in a year," Howard added. Debicella said a solution to this dilemma might be to hold committee meetings with increased frequency. "A lot of work can be done through those committees," he added. "They're a great avenue for the Trustees to keep in touch with everything that is happening on campus." Debicella also commented on the formal quality of the meetings, saying that there is "not a lot of interaction" during the meetings. Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson David Mestre said the Trustees should "invite students to take part in activities that are populated by members of the Board of Trustees." "Don't be intimidated by the generation gap," he said. "Learn a little about the courses students take and the lives students lead. "Learn to love the students as much if not more than the institution -- that's where the heart of the University is," Mestre added.