COLUMN: Stress education, not shopping centers

From Amar Kosaraju's, "And Justice For All," Fall '97 From Amar Kosaraju's, "And Justice For All," Fall '97 When we came back to campus this semester, we were greeted with bulldozers and jackhammers that marked the upcoming arrival of Sansom Common. The University is now building a hotel and a shopping center that would be fit enough for Ben Franklin. But did Franklin ever believe his University would be building hotels and shopping centers? One would expect Penn's purpose and philosophies would be centered around the concept of educating students -- plain and simple. This University was founded on the principle of learning and educating and is focused around the student. Campus leaders should have our education foremost in their minds and govern this institution with our mission -- with Franklin's mission in their minds. Of course, Franklin did not live in a time in which money is tight and the process of education has become a very expensive service. Administrators will argue it has become an economic necessity to pursue other lines of revenue to sustain the University. The reality is that education is not a business and cannot be valued in those terms. The profit of the University is in providing a service and cannot be measured in dollars and cents. At this point, I know many Wharton students are thinking I am idealistic liberal who has no concepts of the reality of the world. But I do. Let's assume we treat this University as a business, then we need to start closing some schools. The Dental School is a losing proposition, taking up too much square feet, equipment and instructors to educate one student as opposed to the Law School, which simply puts an instructor in front of 100 students in a classroom. They do not have the expense of dental instruments, dental chairs, sterilization charges and other enormous expenses which come with producing dental students. According to this economic model, let's close the Dental School and double the size of the Law School. We keep the Dental School because it is the philosophy of providing an education. It is our Penn mission that allows schools like the Dental School, Veterinary School and other departments to exist. Currently, Penn places value on offering a broad range of education and viewing it in the larger context of society. That is greater than the value of business and the bottom line. Unfortunately, it seems the future of education is bleak because the mission of education will be replaced with the mission of business. If you ask 100 students at Penn who is in charge of the University, you will most likely hear a confident response of "President Rodin" or "Provost Chodorow." If you ask 100 top administrators who is in charge of Penn, you will most likely hear the name "John Fry." Who is this John Fry? He is the executive vice president of the University who is responsible for all economic decisions made by this University. Since Fry's arrival a few years ago, Penn has been purchasing and building hotels and shopping centers. Penn has brought in outside businesses and has tried very hard to get rid of the street vendors who are making billions of dollars in revenue. While this change in purpose is becoming evident at the head of the University, it is also happening throughout the different schools and departments. At one time, the dean's office would be dedicated to the educational needs of the students. But now it seems the business of the school is the top priority. For example, the Medical School Dean, William Kelley, is also referred to as the chief executive officer. I do not question the need for the University to generate income and have business interests, but I do question the change of philosophy. It seems the Sansom Common construction is proceeding very briskly but what is happening to our new student union. Penn's name is not worth prostituting for a few million dollars in revenue. Who protects the philosophies and the mission of this University? In the next decade, we will see the mission of education and the mission of business carefully balance on both sides of a scale. Eventually, the business side will win and such unprofitable buildings like the Van Pelt Library will probably be replaced with something much more profitable like a Penn Wal-Mart.