Some U. officials wear two hats

Several administrators have elected to add teaching to their list of official duties. It takes a variety of credentials to qualify as a Penn administrator, from basketball fan to amateur hotel planner. And now it seems administrators must teach classes in order to make the grade. University President Judith Rodin returned to the classroom last semester to teach a freshman seminar called "Body Obsessions," which attracted nearly 70 applications and received rave reviews from students. Provost Stanley Chodorow is teaching at the University for the second time this semester, giving a General Honors History seminar called "The Origins of Constitutionalism." Others administrators, such as Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Rescorla, have taught regularly throughout their stays at the University. But wearing two hats sometimes presents difficulties, particularly in the area of scheduling. Rodin said her seminar was a huge time commitment in an already busy day. "It was not only the three hours for class," she said. "I assigned a lot of reading and I had to prepare. It was exhausting, especially since it was from 7 to 10 p.m." And Rescorla often begins his day at 7 a.m., in order to squeeze in a few hours in his lab before he goes to work in the College office. Despite tough schedules, students praised the administrators for their accessibility and their ability to balance dual roles. Rodin and Chodorow set up class listserves and e-mail accounts to allow students to reach them and conduct out-of-class discussions. Although they were unable to hold formal office hours, Rodin and Chodorow told their secretaries to squeeze in students who needed meetings. College senior Jeffrey Daman praised Chodorow for his ability to wear many hats at once. "He balances being the provost, being not so boring and knowing everything you'd ever want to know -- and some things you would not -- about the Middle Ages," Daman said. And Jamieson also set up special meeting times for students when necessary, according to College sophomore Charlene D'Ambrosio. Even the intimidation factor faded after a few classes, according to students. "In the beginning everybody was very quiet and nervous," College freshman Oren Epstein said of the Rodin seminar. "But she was very effective in relaxing everybody." Epstein attributed the relaxed atmosphere of the class to the fact that it was held in Rodin's living room in Eisenlohr Hall. Rodin agreed, explaining that her students really felt at home, particularly since her son and dog would occasionally wander into the class. Jamieson's students were more awed by her expertise than by her administrative position. "People were a little intimidated by her," D'Ambrosio said. "Especially when we turned on the TV and watched her do the commentary after one of the [presidential] debates." A few students even felt comfortable enough with Rodin to discuss larger University concerns during class, College freshman Leanne Abrams said. "It came up a little but not too much," Abrams said. "She was like any other professor; that was the role she was playing and you have to respect that." But it is hard to forget that your professor is also a University big-wig, Daman said. He explained that Chodorow is "big on being the king." When giving analogies to the Middle Ages, the provost usually begins by declaring "For example, if I'm the the king ?," Daman said. Rescorla said it is important for administrators to continue to pursue scholarship and teaching in order to keep in touch with the University. "I personally think of myself as a faculty member who happens to be doing some administration now, not an administrator who happens to be doing some teaching," he added. And Chodorow said he finds teaching Penn students "exhilarating." He added that he plans to teach next year, although he is not sure which semester. The class will likely be a joint course on the making of constitutions, co-taught with Law Professor Kim Sheppele.