Residents fear loss of Quad house

Community House residents fear the forced departure of Diana Koros may doom the largest Quad college house. Shirley Zilberstein Many residents and staff of the Quadrangle's Community House said yesterday that they fear for the future of the house as they continue to search for answers to why their assistant dean of residence, Diana Koros, was not asked to return next year. In addition to Koros' forced departure, Community House Faculty Master Stephen Gale, a Regional Science professor, said he will decide today whether to stay with the house in the face of what he believes is administrative pressure to push him out. Chris Dennis, director of the Office of Academic Programs and Residence Life, declined to comment on "the status of incumbents in Community House." A committee of students, faculty and administrators who are reviewing applications for house deans -- a new position that will replace the current ADRs in the college house system -- informed Koros April 1 that she was the only one of the current ADRs in the candidate pool not to move on to the next step in the selection process. Koros said she expected to be reappointed for next year and was surprised by the decision. "Since my colleagues were deemed qualified, it's not really clear what was so unique about me," the 35-year-old doctoral student and mother of two said. Koros said the selection committee didn't cite a reason for dropping her from the applicant pool. Earlier this week, residential advisors in the house said Koros was opposed to some aspects of the new residential plan, which they speculated might have been a factor in the committee's decision to drop her from the pool. One RA said Koros wanted to keep more RAs in the house, rather than graduate associates, since the undergraduates are closer to the freshman experience. Koros said she is considering filing a lawsuit against the University, although she would not elaborate on what allegations such a suit would make. Interim Provost Michael Wachter defended the committee's decision, saying that "obviously, with such a strong group of applicants, some candidates will be disappointed." Gale, who has run Community House for four years, says he was "absolutely bewildered" by the committee's decision, one of several factors which have caused him to question the University's commitment to the house. "I think it's absurd that she's not getting her contract renewed," he said. "Diana is by far the best person for the job." Gale added that Engineering Professor David Pope, who heads the screening committee, did not tell him why Koros was denied the house dean position. "Personally, I don't think it has something to do with Diana," Gale said. "I think it's about wanting me out." He added that everything Koros did as ADR was with his consultation, and that if anyone is to be held accountable it should be him. Gale added that Dennis, who serves on the committees which reappoint both house deans and faculty masters, has had a history of conflict with both Community House administrators. In one instance, Gale said, Dennis withheld Koros' paycheck for four months for no apparent reason. Dennis would not comment on the accusation. Gale said he had to "fight [Dennis] all the way" before Koros was finally paid. Koros' termination and Gale's possible departure raise questions about the house's programming plans for next year, which include a "model city" project. Both Koros and Gale have backgrounds in city planning. It also puts the house in limbo at a time when it needs to gear up to attract incoming freshmen, as well as graduate students to serve as graduate associates in the new residential system, several Community House RAs said. But Wachter said he has "absolutely no doubt" that there will be "exceptional faculty and staff leading Penn's comprehensive college house system, including Community House," in time for next year's freshman class. Beginning this fall, the University's dormitories will be organized into 12 multi-year college houses -- including Community House, which will be the largest of the Quad's four houses -- with added programming and staff. Meanwhile, current residents of Community House are rallying in support of Koros, forming the Penn Coalition to Save Community House. The group has placed advertisements in The Daily Pennsylvanian to warn incoming freshmen against living in the house because of the current unrest and "lack of University commitment."

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