Wharton asks for student views

It makes good business sense for a company to listen to suggestions from its clients. On Wednesday, Wharton School administrators did just that, meeting with undergraduates in an open forum designed to establish a dialogue about the direction in which the school is headed. About 20 students attended the event, which was hosted by the Wharton Dean's Undergraduate Advisory Board. Several top administrators, including Dean Thomas Gerrity and Undergraduate Dean Richard Herring, were also present at the meeting. The event, held in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, marked the first open forum hosted by the advisory board this year. The two previous forums last semester were only open to students with reservations. Wharton sophomore and board member Shannon Hennessy cited student demands as the primary reason for the session's new format. The dialogue is designed to "facilitate the needs of the students," she stressed, adding that its main purpose is to "open means of communication." Gerrity began the discussion with a brief "state of the school" address informing students about the issues the administration is currently working on. The Wharton School is "continuing to lead the way as the most outstanding undergraduate program in the world," Gerrity said. To maintain this status, he challenged students and administrators to "advance and advance and advance." Gerrity and Herring proceeded to outline several initiatives which Wharton is undertaking. Projects include a new global analysis concentration, more fund-raising and a lower student-to-faculty ratio. "[We] shouldn't be complacent as to where we are," Gerrity said. Following the administrators' introduction, students had the opportunity to ask questions. Topics ranged from undergraduate advising to international programs to the school's grading policies. One issue referred to throughout the session was how Wharton "fits into" Penn, a question initially posed by Wharton sophomore Ani Ross. Citing the stereotypical perceptions that Wharton students focus solely on business and money, often to the exclusion of all else, Ross asked whether it was necessary "to broaden [the Wharton students'] scope." Administrators responded by emphasizing the school's interdisciplinary approach to learning. More than one-fifth of Wharton students graduate with two degrees, which is "clear evidence of remarkable breadth," Herring noted. Director of Academic Affairs Anita Gelburd concurred with Herring but added that some Wharton students reach their junior or senior years and gain "a certain amount of tunnel vision" -- or a single-mindedness -- regarding their future occupations. To solve this problem, she called on students to maintain a broad perspective over all four years of their college career. Wednesday's forum was the last such event scheduled for this year. Due to the low attendance, the future of similar open sessions is uncertain. "We expected to get more people because we've had more people in the past," said Wharton freshman Adam Buckstein, a board member. Nevertheless, students who attended the session were happy with the results. "It was a good opportunity to ask questions," said Wharton sophomore Neil Amin.