COLUMN: After four years, benchmarking Rodin's administration

From Steve Schoor, "Shoot First, Ask Questions Later," Fall '98 From Steve Schoor, "Shoot First, Ask Questions Later," Fall '98As students, graduation is a significant event in our lives. It is a time for us to look back over the last four years and think about what we did and how we've changed, as well as to wonder about what will happen in the future. Penn has undergone many changes since Rodin's arrival. You can see the evidence of this in the seemingly omnipresent construction crews. Rodin has certainly left her mark on Penn, and established an administration far different than that of her predecessor, Sheldon Hackney. In some ways these changes have been for the better, and in some ways for the worse. One of Rodin's most significant accomplishments has been to boost the University's image. In the last four years, she has brought the school incredible amounts of national publicity, most notably by being named NBC's Woman of the Year in 1996. As a result of this attention, the University's U.S. News & World Report ranking has gone from No. 12 to No. 7 during Rodin's tenure. And although many people, including the Ivy Council, have criticized U.S. News as being too arbitrary, the value of our $100,000-plus diploma does increase along with those rankings. We should be grateful for Rodin's efforts. Our time in the national spotlight has also led directly to a steady rise in applicant pool quality. Every year the Admissions Office reports that the incoming class has a better profile than the previous one -- something that's good for the University, though the Class of '98 may not be too proud of it. Additionally, although I've seen no direct evidence, I've heard several reports of Rodin being a tireless and effective fundraiser. Rodin has also greatly surpassed Hackney in her public commitment to certain ideals. While Hackney wavered when Eden Jacobowitz was almost expelled for violating Penn's now-defunct speech code in the infamous "water buffalo" case, Rodin has always been a strong supporter of the freedom of speech. This was never more evident than in the spring of 1995 -- her second semester at Penn. The Student Activities Council acted like a lynch-mob when it decided not only to reject The Red and Blue's request for increased funding, but to eliminate the magazine's funding altogether after an article angered many students. Following the decision, Rodin publicly declared that no student publication should be denied funding based on content, and that freedom of speech must be cherished. Those words led to revised SAC by-laws and the reinstatement of funding for The Red and Blue, both virtually without dissent. Even these accomplishments, however, cannot overshadow the faults of the Rodin administration. One low-point was the handling of the proposed student center. Although Penn is a great school, the lack of a student center is still a glaring weakness. Before Rodin's arrival, various students, faculty members and administrators worked on a plan to build the Revlon Center, which would fulfill many of the needs on students' wish lists. But when Rodin came in, she scrapped plans for the center, instead announcing the creation of the Perelman Quadrangle, which amounts to little more than the renovation of four old buildings with no new space being added. While student groups had been eager to see what they would gain in the Revlon Center, they are now forced to struggle to keep what they had in those four buildings. Additionally, while Hackney was know for his willingness to talk to students, Rodin has several times promoted poor relations with the student body. This was most apparent February 21, 1996, when she uttered the infamous words, "Get a life" to then-Undergraduate Assembly chairperson Lance Rogers. Rogers had brought several students to University Council to voice their concern over changes to the University's Judicial Charter. After the meeting, Rodin showed she didn't appreciate his effort. When Rodin received criticism for her apparent unwillingness to talk to students about various issues, she responded by holding a town hall meeting at Chats on January 29, 1996. At that meeting, students asked questions dealing with a variety of issues, such a security, the Perelman Quad and Greek life. This was said to be the first of many such meetings, held every five or six weeks. Unfortunately, it has now been 2 1/2 years without a repeat session. Granted, Rodin has made numerous public appearances where she was willing to answer questions, such as at Arts House, the Newman Center and at the Women in Leadership Series. However, in none of these events would it have seemed appropriate to ask any probing questions. Penn has been a great place to spend four years, and Rodin has done a lot to improve it. In the future, however, she should make more of an effort to not only talk to students, but to value their opinions. Hopefully, then, Penn's next four years will be even better.