Acting vice provost given permanent post

McCoullum first black woman in Ivies to hold position Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum was officially named Vice Provost for University Life Tuesday after serving 18 months as acting VPUL. McCoullum will be the first African-American woman in the Ivy League to hold the position. Provost Stanley Chodorow made the announcement earlier this week, after finalizing the recommendation of the VPUL selection committee, comprised of students and faculty members. The committee came to its decision after three months of screening potential candidates. "I'm absolutely ecstatic," McCoullum said in an interview Tuesday. "The past 18 months?have been the most fabulous and challenging months of my entire life. "Penn students are the most wonderful people in the world," she added. "I can't wait to work with those students as active and ardent partners." As VPUL, McCoullum will continue to be responsible for all University offices and services which play a role in student life both on and off campus. Chodorow said he is confident McCoullum will ably lead the VPUL division in coordination with University President Judith Rodin's and his 21st Century undergraduate education initiative. He added that although the committee came to its decision quickly, "it did a very thorough job." "It took its time to make sure that it had considered all possible candidates, including people who had not applied," he explained. The selection committee decided early in the process that it would consider only members of the University community for the post. In March 1994, when then-Interim Provost Martin Lazerson extended McCoullum's tenure as VPUL for the 1994-5 academic year, she told The Daily Pennsylvanian that her term would "definitely end on June 30, 1995." McCoullum said earlier this week that she changed her mind about leaving because she was "just having too much fun." Larry Moneta, associate vice provost for University Life, said he is delighted with the appointment. "She's been a great partner to work with over the last year," he said, adding that the VPUL division has exciting plans for the upcoming year. "I think we're going to look at improved services in a number of areas -- campus spirit, pride in being at Penn," he added. "And we want to redouble our efforts at supporting student self-governance." McCoullum said the office is also focusing its efforts on consolidating and improving services for students. "Our guiding principle is partnership with students -- what we can do better or differently that will best serve everybody," she said. McCoullum added that she is in the process of officially moving to the VPUL's new headquarters at 3609-11 Locust Walk. While serving as acting VPUL, McCoullum worked out of her office in the Mellon Bank Building and continued in the role of associate vice president. She will relinquish those duties now. The staff reorganization within the VPUL office, which began a year ago, will soon reach its completion, McCoullum said. During her tenure as acting VPUL, McCoullum was active in establishing the PENNCAP tutoring program and the University's Upward Bound Programs. She also took prompt action after several McGinn Security Service guards were found sleeping on the job, placing the firm on formal notice that its contract with the University was in jeopardy. Last summer, McGinn was replaced by Allied Security. The VPUL search committee was chaired by Mathematics department chairperson Dennis DeTurck, and included Religious Studies Professor Ann Matter, Microbiology Professor Helen Davies and Operations and Information Management Professor James Laing. Several graduate and undergraduate students also served on the committee. Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writer Lisa Levenson contributed to this article.