SEAS dean spends 3 nights at Van Pelt

Engineering Dean Greg Farrington and his wife, librarian Jean Farrington, took a trip back in time this week as they spent three nights in Van Pelt College House as part of the house's Distinguished Penn Citizens in Residence Program. "I love it," Farrington said. "It's really a fantastic program." The Farringtons' stay in Van Pelt's guest suite -- which began Tuesday and lasted through last night -- included a discussion session, a study break and the latest episode of the "Dinner with Andre" series. Farrington's dinner discussion, entitled "The Pre-Professional Education," was part of the University's effort to provide an informal forum in which the academic community can share its views on particular subjects. After taking part in these activities, Farrington explained that he saw the need for further interaction between the academic and residential aspects of University life. "I think they need to be connected all over the map," he said. "This is a great model for how to do it. We ought to think very hard about what works in a place like Van Pelt College House and see how we can make that work in more places on campus." And Jean Farrington said Van Pelt "has a very nice feel of community and involvement among students." A key aim of the Citizens in Residence Program is increased interaction between administrators and professors and students. When students have the opportunity to live with University faculty, the two groups understand each other better, according to Al Filreis, an English professor and faculty master at Van Pelt. "I can only imagine that they and we will be better off for their having spent some time -- especially evenings -- with us," Filreis said. College sophomore Myra Lotto, who organized the Farringtons' stay called the visit "a good experience." "It brings teachers into a setting where they can interact and not just hear what the undergraduates have to say but to share themselves," she added. Farrington's discussion with Engineering students centered around the theme that the University's curriculum is particularly valuable because it combines a liberal arts education with engineering requirements. "I really like to hear that because that's the reason I came here," Engineering freshman and Assistant House Manager Sancho Pinto said. He added that "everywhere else faculty are normally considered research gods -- they're in the ivy towers doing their research. This program helps us to actually see faculty and be able to interact with them. It makes them much more human -- more approachable." Farrington also discussed the future role of computers and technology in higher education, a key tenet of the administration's 21st Century Project. He hopes PennWeb will facilitate the transfer of course and lecture material onto the Internet, which would free professors' time and allow them to work more closely with students. Engineering freshman Bo Daly noted that the dean's hopes echo his own ideas about how university life should be. "The reason you pay $120,000 to be here is because of the professors and the personal interaction that you can have with them," Daly said.