Rodin axed as Trustees turn to Fry, major consulting firm

It's the classic saga of the dog that bit its own tail. For more than two years, University President Judith Rodin has hailed outsourcing as an effective management strategy for a University struggling to compete with its Ivy League foes. But next semester, Rodin may join hundreds of outsourcing casualties in the unemployment line -- with her back-stabbing Agenda for Excellence in hand. In an attempt to boost efficiency, streamline the administrative order and cut costs, Penn's Board of Trustees approved a measure to outsource the University presidency to Big Six accounting firm Coopers and Lybrand, Executive Vice President John Fry announced yesterday. Fry, who worked as a consultant for the firm before venturing to the University in 1995, insisted that the "extra perks" he will reap from the deal had "no bearing" on his decision to submit the outsourcing proposal to the Trustees. "The fact that they're letting me occupy the President's office and upping my yearly salary to seven-figure status is not the issue at hand," Fry said. "By not outsourcing the presidency, we are clearly doing a disservice to the students and faculty." According to University officials who requested anonymity, Fry will assume the presidency on an interim basis until Coopers and Lybrand can identify a candidate to fill Rodin's shoes. Fry declined to comment, noting only that the firm will submit a candidate for Trustee approval by August. At a Trustees' emergency session yesterday, minus Rodin, Fry cited "that woman's fruitless efforts" to raise the University's low $2.8 billion endowment for undergraduate financial aid, and proceeded to chastise Rodin for her "ridiculously expensive" office renovations. Although last year's renovation costs were never released, officials estimated that construction and furnishings totaled in the hundreds of thousands. "The climate was tense," Trustee Andrea Mitchell said. "The sister didn't have a chance against John and his fascist, dictatorial old-boy consulting firm." Categorizing her tenure as a "management nightmare," Fry noted that Coopers and Lybrand will retain control over all aspects of the presidency, including fixing the president's salary, approving academic initiatives and acting as the University spokesperson. "Shelling out over $450,000 a year for a president's salary is ridiculous," Fry said. "This way we'll be able to distinguish the gold-diggers from the people genuinely concerned about Penn's future." Additionally, Coopers and Lybrand will pay the University $40 million up- front for helping it start its new subdivision, Coopers and Lybrand Higher Education Services. According to Fry, funds amassed from the deal will be fed back into some "essential, academically-relevant" initiatives, such as the $73 million Sansom Common retail complex and the $69 million Perelman Quadrangle project -- which will create a new student center by linking and renovating Houston Hall and several surrounding buildings. Although Rodin said she was disappointed by the "shocking" chain of events, she added that she "should' have seen it coming." In an unprecedented move to get the ball rolling, Penn recently signed an agreement to outsource facilities management to Dallas-based Trammell Crow Co. Citing Goal 3 of the Agenda -- which commands the University to "manage its human, financial and physical resources effectively and efficiently to achieve strategic goals" -- Rodin said the Agenda serves to justify administrative restructuring "at all levels." She added that she hopes to land a job as chief executive officer for Aetna Inc. -- a "mere step away" from her current position as a director on the insurance company's board. College senior John La Bombard said he was "just glad" that Penn didn't outsource "my penis." And Fry bid Rodin a fond farewell. "I'd outsource your grandmother if it means escaping a University deficit," Fry said.