The Year in Reivew 1997: JANUARY

Following up on University administrators' Agenda for Excellence plan, each of Penn's 12 schools released plans describing their staffing, funding and capital project needs for the next ten years. When not working on implementing the new agendas, administrators kept busy consolidating several security contracts and signing a $4.6 million contract with the Spectaguard Security Corp., which took over all campus security operations. The Division of Public Safety also moved many University Police operations, as well as the Special Services Unit, into a temporary mini-station at 40th and Walnut streets -- where they will remain until construction at the new Public Safety Headquarters at 4040 Chestnut Street is completed in January. On Superbowl Sunday, 315 women received bids from the Panhellenic Council, while the InterFraternity Council issued about 530 bids. But while most fraternity brothers organized pledge activities, IFC executives engaged in negotiations with administrators over whether chapters could charge admission to their parties. Citing a Pennsylvania law, the University prohibited the Greeks from doing so. While fraternities threatened to bar non-Greeks from house parties, citing potential budget deficits from the loss of door fees, then-Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta maintained that the University could not alter its stance. January was also a big month for donations. Wharton alumnus Jon Huntsman -- a former University trustee -- gave $10 million to fund the International Studies and Business Program, while University alumnus Paul Kelly gave the Writers House $1.1 million. And Wharton alumnus Donald Trump made his first-ever Penn donation -- more than $100,000 to the Penn Club in New York City. And the search committee charged with finding a replacement for former College Dean Rosemary Stevens began meeting with the hope of filling the position before the summer. -- Randi Rothberg