Stetson gets College Board post

The Admissions Dean will advise members in the Middle States region. In addition to traveling around the world promoting the University and sorting through over 15,000 applications per year, Admissions Dean Lee Stetson has taken on a new responsibility. He was recently elected to serve as a trustee for the Middle States Regional Assembly of the The College Board. The College Board is a non-profit association of 3,000 colleges, universities and educational organizations -- divided into six regional assemblies -- that hosts forums for discussing educational standards and common concerns and sponsors research activities. It also governs exams like the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT. Stetson will serve as a policy maker for the board, said William Harris, executive director of the Middle States Regional Office. "He will be setting policies including which programs should be offered and what research should be done," Harris said. He added that Stetson will help organize the structure of the Middle States Regional Board and set fees for tests and services. Stetson will be involved in the Middle States Region assembly, which consists of 29 members and two trustees. The region represents New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Stetson previously served on the the College Board Middle States Regional Council and chaired one of its admissions programs. But even with all this experience, Stetson's nomination came as a surprise. "I'm flattered to be nominated and elected and look forward to the challenge," he said. Stetson added that the appointment will benefit the University. "It will help me gather information for Penn," he said, adding that he believes the admissions process will be strengthened by his new role. "I can help bring back suggestions to Penn's admissions process," he added, noting that this will help the University to further evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the standardized exams. Harris explained members of the Middle States College region nominated Stetson. His nomination, along with several others, was brought to the governing body. "His name was among three possible candidates, and two of these three were placed on the ballot," Harris said. Stetson received the largest popular vote and will serve a four-year term that began in October at the 1996 College Board National Forum, which held recently in New York City.