EDITORIAL: Rodin's mixed public image

Media attention focused on University President Judith Rodin reflects on Penn as well. But don't let the prestige of NBC lead you to think everything Rodin did last year was spectacular. The NBC feature did raise several points demonstrating Rodin's effectiveness as University president. She organized the Penn National Commission on Society, Culture and Community and sits on two of President Clinton's commissions. Rodin is also adept at raising money for the University -- one of her major responsibilities. But, the NBC feature didn't contain any interviews with students and left out all of the negative publicity Rodin received last year. She responded late to the rash of crimes this past fall -- announcing new safety initiatives only after a student had been shot. In the controversy surrounding the crime statistics, Rodin poorly defended the University's reasons for not counting crimes on 40th and Walnut streets in campus statistics. These instances led Philadelphia Weekly to name her to their list of "Villains of 96." As pleased as we are that she has been nationally recognized for her success in higher education, we wish she would be more visible to students and more responsive to pressing problems. We realize we are far from her only constituency, but interacting with students means more than simply going to the occasional basketball game. Rodin's public image is important, and when she does receive positive publicity, it also spotlights Penn. But her image is not just the do-no-wrong president seen on NBC or just the inadequate president presented by the Philadelphia Weekly. The real picture is closer to a combination of the two.