Resignations could endanger academic goals

The rapidly spreading "interim effect" within the University administration could be likened to an epidemic, particularly endangering the livelihood of the School of Arts and Sciences. The announcement last week of Provost Stanley Chodorow's upcoming resignation leaves yet another hole to be filled in the academic food chain. SAS has been without a permanent dean since former head Rosemary Stevens stepped down last fall to return to the History and Sociology of Science Department. Physics Professor Walter Wales has taken over on an interim basis since then. And the College of Arts and Sciences awaits a replacement for Dean Robert Rescorla, who will step down at the end of the semester. "The rapid turnover in key administrative positions can only create or exacerbate all manner of instability within a University," College dean search committee member and Music Department Undergraduate Chairperson Norman Smith said, adding that an administration in a state of semi-constant flux has a "demoralizing effect" on faculty and students. The situation has been especially frustrating within SAS, where having an interim dean "constrains decision-making and planning processes within SAS," Anthropology Department Chairperson Gregory Possehl said. When the Political Science Department solicited SAS funds to hire faculty specializing in political theory and minority politics, Wales said it was "inappropriate" to set priorities for the new dean and put the request off, according to Political Science Department Chairperson Ian Lustick. The Folklore Department encountered a similar response from Wales when it was searching for a replacement for Department Chairperson Margaret Mills last month. But explaining those decisions, Wales said it was impossible to please every department, adding that he has tried to "make sure the school moves ahead." While having a new batch of top-level administrators has the potential to disrupt the continuity of College policy, many faculty members expressed confidence that their current agenda will remain a top priority during the transition period. "President Rodin won't appoint a provost who doesn't accept the goals of the 21st Century Project," said Arabic and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Professor Roger Allen, who chairs the Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum committee. FLAC has become "an institutionalized idea," he added. Other initiatives outlined in the College's portion of the administration's Agenda for Excellence, including an emphasis on writing and quantitative skills and a focus on interdisciplinary programs, should also not be threatened, because they are in the final stages of the approval process. Wales said that since Rescorla's successor will be "an internal person," he or she will be very familiar with the school's procedures. Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs Kent Peterman compared running a school to "piloting a barge," adding that "it doesn't turn on a dime." And Rescorla called policy-making a "team effort," adding that he taps the faculty, rather than the administration, for new ideas. But Rescorla said he was worried that the school's "momentum" may eventually run out if a new provost, SAS dean and College dean are not appointed soon. While the University's recent history has been riddled with administrative transitions, Wales -- who also served as interim dean in 1987 and 1991 -- said the present transition is "taking longer" than those in years past. Interim President Claire Fagin and Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson guarded the helm for only a year before the arrival of University President Judith Rodin and Chodorow in 1994. Wales attributed the slowness this time around to the delayed search process and Rodin's "high standards." But Allen cited the importance of a quick appointment, adding that Penn's newfound status as a university with several administrative gaps may deter potential candidates from accepting any one of the three available positions. "The [candidate] wonders, 'Who's making the decisions around here'," Allen said. "Either the administration has been very picky, or several primary candidates have turned the position down," he added. Allen said the latter scenario would not come as a surprise, considering the current SAS budget deficit. "The primary function of an SAS dean is to be crucified on a wall every year and told to cut millions from the budget," he said. "SAS is the budget whipping boy of the University."