Rodin keeps hectic schedule bobbying for U.'s cause in Harrisburg, Washington

Fox Chapel High School '93 Pittsburgh, Pa. Although her on-campus responsibilities kept University President Judith Rodin's appointment book full during her inaugural year, Rodin was also hard at work off campus, traveling frequently to keep the University's coffers full. At least once a month, Rodin met with elected officials in Harrisburg and Washington to discuss the University's funding for the 1996 fiscal year -- a hot issue in the months following last November's sweeping Republican electoral victories. Like most research institutions, the University receives reimbursement from the federal government for the indirect costs of basic research, including the construction of laboratory facilities and the payment of support staff. However, during the debate over President Clinton's proposed budget, the Republican congressional leadership made clear its belief that the costs of higher education in the United States are spiraling out of control. As a result, budget cuts are expected to be directed toward both indirect cost payments and federal financial aid, especially for graduate students. In April, Rodin traveled to Harrisburg to testify before the State Senate Appropriations Committee. She hoped to secure $50 million for the University for the upcoming academic year, up from about $35 million this year. The increase was requested to stabilize tuition at the Veterinary School, which is the only one of its kind in the state, and to guarantee financial aid availability for state residents, according to Carol Scheman, the University's vice president for government, community and public affairs. However, state representatives pushed Rodin to reveal her $350,000 salary during her testimony, and questioned the merits of providing an institution as rich as the University with 40 percent more state aid than it has received in the past. Rodin said she was pleased with the answers she offered lawmakers during the hour-long hearing, adding that she expected their "tough and probing" questions and felt they did not treat her more harshly than they did representatives of other Pennsylvania schools. During January and February, Rodin participated in the deliberations of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge's Keystone Commission, a coalition of civic leaders culled from across the state to advise Ridge on issues of policy reform. Rodin also served on President Clinton's White House safety panel, which recently recommended turning the stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House into a pedestrian thoroughfare similar to the University's Locust Walk. Scheman and Rodin's new chief of staff, Stephen Schutt, were both Washington insiders before coming to the University. Scheman was deputy commissioner for external affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, while Schutt served as chief of staff for former Sen. Harris Wofford (D - Pa.). Apart from political travels, this year Rodin attended fundraising functions in California, New York, Florida and Texas. She characterized her off-campus jaunts as necessary for the University, and said she tries to be away from campus no more than 20 percent of an average semester. "In a sense, my schedule reflects the University's priorities," Rodin said.

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