Portraits of the Agenda for Excellence

In 2 1/2 years, Rodin's master plan has made strides but still has a ways to go. While administrators invoke the Agenda for Excellence to explain the seemingly disconnected projects springing up all around the University, the strategic plan often arouses nothing but blank stares. Labeled a "viable blueprint" when released by University President Judith Rodin in 1995, the nine goals and six academic priorities comprising the agenda function as the underlying logic for most of the academic and financial decisions affecting the University community. Although the agenda seeks to turn Penn into a high-tech, globally oriented, academic and research powerhouse armed with sufficient financial support, the plan has not been without speed bumps, disagreement and confusion. Those same goals and priorities, after all, have been invoked to justify justify controversial measures like outsourcing, a new retail complex and Chinese President Jiang Zemin's protest-ridden visit to campus last October. And the document remains an enigma to many of the students and faculty members who may benefit from it. "I don't know of anybody who's read it and understood it," English Professor Paul Korshin said. Additionally, students ranging from freshmen to seniors pleaded ignorance when questioned about the overall effectiveness of the agenda. But as Penn nears the midpoint of the five-year plan, administrators say progress is steady with all 12 schools reaching their annual benchmarks. So far, so good? As highlighted in the Agenda, some of Rodin's goals include the adoption of cutting-edge technology, greater investment in master's programs and an international scope for the University -- all neatly packaged under the Agenda's overarching goal of positioning Penn at the forefront of higher education. Although Rodin insisted that the University set "qualitative" rather than quantitative goals each year, deadlines are fast approaching with progress lagging on several key initiatives. Under the "Humanities" priority, one of six announced 10 months after the initial agenda, the University plans to build a Center for Humanities to foster research in humanistic disciplines. School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston said SAS has already raised $2.1 million to fund the project, with construction scheduled to begin next year in an undetermined location. But another initiative, designated as "American and Comparative Democratic and Legal Institutions" and aimed at strengthening the Political Science Department's meager offerings in American politics, was recently dealt a huge blow with the resignation of Professor Marissa Golden. Nevertheless, the recruitment of political science faculty members remains a "major priority," Rodin said, noting that Penn plans to secure a donor to contribute between $10 million and $12 million to the initiative. According to Preston, SAS has already made job offers to three to five senior faculty members in political science, possibly beefing up the department as early as this month. And while administrators continue to tweak last year's priorities, they are also attempting to balance a plate crammed with the "Urban Agenda" and "Information Science, Technology and Society" priorities being handled this year. The committee on the Urban Agenda -- an initiative designed to solidify the University's connections to its surrounding community through public service and research -- only received its charge from Rodin last month. But technology initiatives have been given a firm boost with Interim Provost Michael Wachter's recent announcement of "distance learning" programs that incorporate e-mail and video-teleconferencing. While Rodin admitted that "most of us with elite brand names are not doing [distance learning] in degree-granting ways," she insisted gradually implementing the program over time will serve to safeguard against cheapening a Penn degree. Also, the University is playing a major role in the development of Internet Two, a three- to four-year White House plan that seeks to connect universities by improving the research side of the increasingly commercialized Internet. Administrators will take a closer look at the "Health Science, Technology and Policy" and "Management, Leadership and Organizations" priorities next year, according to Rodin. She added that by only focusing on two priorities a year, the administration won't be "stretching everyone so thin." A report card Rodin described last year's progress on the agenda as "astonishing," citing extensive facilities renovations and construction, increased amounts of funding for research and a curriculum she describes as increasingly "globalized." Several "deferred maintenance projects" have come to fruition within the past year, including the completion of initial renovations to Logan Hall in January. Additionally, the Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories opened their doors in November, completing the first phase of the three-stage Institute for Advanced Science and Technology program. The labs support research in chemistry and chemical and medical engineering. Meanwhile, new degree programs crisscross the academic landscape. The University recently implemented new master's degree programs in telecommunications and environmental studies and joint degree programs in biotechnology, bioengineering and bioethics. Additionally, the University started a submatriculation program between the Law School and the Wharton undergraduate division last fall. The Law School recently issued its stamp of approval on similar programs with SAS, the School of Nursing and the School of Engineering and Applied Science. In accordance with the second goal of the Agenda and the 21st Century Project -- the brainchild of former Provost Stanley Chodorow -- undergraduates finally gained easy access to faculty, departmental and external research opportunities last fall through the Undergraduate Research Resource Center. Additionally, Penn saw a 2 percent increase in federal research funding this year, which represents an 8 percent climb from 1993. A large part of the increase may be attributed to the University reaping a total of $217 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health last month -- propelling it to a third place ranking in NIH university funding. Going 'global' Another Agenda buzzword is "global." Both the Agenda and the 12 schools' strategic plans highlight the importance of shrugging off an America-centric view in favor of a more comparative approach to study. Rodin stressed a three-tiered approach to instill a global outlook in students, including study-abroad, recruitment of international students and joint research initiatives with foreign universities. Recognizing the merits of exploiting a global economy, the University last fall instituted the Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum program -- an interdisciplinary approach to placing foreign language study in a real-world context. Within the past year, Rodin and several school deans journeyed to countries around the world in an effort to strengthen Penn's ties to foreign universities. Additionally, the Korea Foundation donated $2.5 million to the University last year for Korean studies. The award, supplemented by an additional $2.5 million from SAS, will fund several professorships in Korean Studies, Associate Dean for Arts and Letters Rebecca Bushnell said. Agenda for everything? But some say non-academic projects, indirectly justified by an all-encompassing agenda, may relegate certain academic initiatives to the back-burner. For example, Rodin approved construction on the $73 million Sansom Common complex in an effort to enhance nighttime retail sales and foot traffic. When fully completed next year, it will house six retail shops, a 256-room luxury hotel and a spacious new bookstore on the 3600 block of Walnut Street. And within two years, the $69 million Perelman Quadrangle project will yield a new student center by linking and renovating Houston Hall and several surrounding buildings. Korshin suggested that planners deliberately devise broad goals so they "can't be held accountable for things they don't do, and can point to others to justify the agenda." While he acknowledged that retail projects contribute to the on-campus "ambiance," he added that "a whole generation of students can pass through Penn and never sit in a decent classroom." But Rodin said the agenda "focuses very specifically" on a small number of initiatives, adding that each school's strategic plan goes even more in-depth.