Interim Judicial Inquiry Officer takes reign

Following a prominent year as interim Judicial Inquiry Officer, Michele Goldfarb was awarded the new post and will be using a new title -- Director of the Office of Student Conduct. "I am very proud and excited about being JIO with a new Judicial Charter in place," Goldfarb said. "Even though I won't be called JIO anymore." Recently Goldfarb has worked to define the Code of Academic Integrity and the Code of Student Conduct. She is also the director of the Student Dispute Resolution Center and is responsible for ensuring that the disciplinary process is fair, timely and consistent. "I see my role not as an enforcer, but as an educator," she explained. "It's a role that is designed to help students appreciate their responsibilities as citizens of this community." The new director says she hopes to make herself more accessible and open to student interest. She also plans to work very closely with the University Honor Council. "I was delighted that the search committee, which had on it students as well as faculty and staff, strongly recommended Michele Goldfarb as its favored candidate," said Chodorow. "Michele has been Acting JIO for nearly a year now, and I, my staff, and the VPUL staff who worked with her have been greatly impressed." Goldfarb earned her B.A. in history at Oberlin College in 1972 and attended The American University's Washington College of Law, where she received the J.D. in 1975. During the next three years she served as Assistant U.S. Attorney and Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia. In 1988 Goldfarb entered teaching at Temple University as a visiting instructor in criminal procedure. By 1992 she was named to the clinical faculty of the Penn Law School. As part of her work in the Civil Practice Clinic here, Goldfarb has also been the attorney of record for all cases handled by students representing the clients of the Penn Legal Assistance Office. When Goldfarb was appointed to be interim JIO after Steven Blume stepped down from the position, Chodorow said she was highly recommended by people within the University who knew her from her work at the Law School Clinic. "Both faculty and students who knew her gave her rave reviews for her judgement, good sense and organizational skills," he said. After becoming Acting JIO last year, she also underwent intensive training in mediation at the Friends Conflict Resolution Center in Philadelphia. "The JIO has a very important and very difficult job, and Michele has done it superbly," said Chodorow. "I have relied on her judgement, common sense, and sound values and look forward to working with her under the new charter." Goldfarb says her job is challenging and on a lot of levels what you make of it. "I'm looking forward to working with more students," she said. "I figure I need all the help I can get."