Rodin talks on Penn's future

Changing conditions in the outside world pose the largest challenge to Penn in the near future, University President Judith Rodin said at her annual "State of the University" report at yesterday's meeting of the University Council. Rodin's report to Council -- which included statements from other senior administrators -- centered around the University's strengths, the obstacles posed by government that stand in the way of further improvements over the next few years and the ways in which the administration is working to overcome them. "Many indices testify to the excellence of our university," she said. "And Penn is really poised for even greater achievements. But I am concerned that the extent to which any institution can fully realize its potential is in part influenced by the environment in which we operate." Rodin said one of the biggest problems facing the University is the limited availability of government funding. She said Republican cuts in federal appropriations to research and student aid will force the University to become more self-sufficient and to build stronger relationships with both city and state governments. Vice President for Government, Community and Public Relations Carol Scheman also gave a detailed report on the current state of the University's public funds. Scheman said Rodin and Board of Trustees Chairperson Roy Vagelos have been lobbying Congress and the Clinton administration to maintain or increase the current level of funding for research and student aid. "For the moment, research universities have fared reasonably well relative to other federal programs," Scheman said. "But the federal deficit is real. We as a nation have to reduce spending, and the size and scope of government programs will change." Legislation pending in Congress would increase allocations to the National Institutes of Health, the University's largest federal research subsidizer, according to Scheman. But other national science institutions will receive less money next year, which will mean less grant money for the University. Scheman added that uncertainty in Washington about when a budget for next year will be completed -- and what that budget will look like when it is finished -- makes predictions for specific federal appropriations to the University very difficult. But she said the University will definitely be affected -- no matter what the outcome. "We're not going to see the same kind of growth that universities like Penn have thrived on in the future," she said. "There will be some real and painful cuts." Scheman also reported on University efforts to gain more Pennsylvania state funding, and service and economic development projects in West Philadelphia. After Scheman's report, Public Safety Managing Director Thomas Seamon outlined a plan to improve security at the University. "The University Police must adopt a service orientation regarding all who live on, work at and visit this campus and its surrounding area, and treat all those people as valued customers," he said. Seamon said he plans to develop new ways to patrol campus with an increasing emphasis on technology such as closed-circuit television cameras and alarm systems. He said he will also raise the professional standards for University Police officers through increased training, better facilities and a closer relationship with the Philadelphia Police Department. University Secretary Barbara Stevens also reported on the University's goals for increased communication. "It's no secret that we live in an intense media market that can impact our ability to do the work we do here," she said. "We need to communicate to the public the truly extraordinary nature of this place." Stevens said the University will focus on promoting the research conducted here, the characteristics that differentiate Penn from other universities, attracting the best students and faculty to Penn and getting public support for the work done here. Also at yesterday's meeting, Provost Stanley Chodorow reported on the progress of implementing the recommendations of the Provost's Council on Undergraduate Education and presented preliminary plans for the Perelman Quadrangle. Because of time limitations on the meeting, Chodorow's report on the Perelman Quad was cut short. Council moderator William Harris, an associate Political Science professor, said Council would discuss the Perelman Quad at its next meeting.