Gale leaves faculty master post

Thomas connelly was named to replace Gale at Community House. At last, the 3 1/2-month soap opera that was Community House has seemingly run its course. Interim Provost Michael Wachter announced yesterday that Music Professor Thomas Connolly will become the college house's faculty master, replacing Political Science Professor Stephen Gale, who has overseen the house for the last four years. In April, Gale said that the University was succeeding in "pushing" him out of the house, which is one of four college houses located in the Quadrangle. He submitted his resignation to the provost on April 16 but withdrew it the next day, announcing that he would reapply to head the house for another term. The focal point of the controversy was the University's decision not to renew the contract of former Community House Assistant Dean in Residence Diana Koros. The selection committee charged with selecting this fall's 12 house deans -- positions in the college house system that will replace the current administrative fellows and ADRs -- cut Koros from the candidate pool early on. Each of the other six assistant deans applying for the house dean positions were among the 25 finalists chosen in April from among the 100 applications received. Gale, interpreting the dismissal as a personal slight, complained about having "no say whatsoever" in the future of his own house and decried the lack of "collegial discussion and consultation" in the dean-selection process. "It is hard to escape the news that something is going on with respect to Community House -- something very odd," Gale wrote in an April 21 Daily Pennsylvanian guest column. "But unlike other controversies that I have witnessed in my 25 years on Penn's faculty, this time I am totally in the dark about what is going on." Wachter said that Gale, at some point, voluntarily withdrew from the candidate pool for the faculty master position. "It was certainly his decision to resign," Wachter said. "He resigned essentially to focus on his other University commitments." Gale did not answer repeated phone calls over the last two days, but a source close to the staff-selection process insisted that Gale would not have resigned voluntarily. Connolly's appointment fills the last vacant faculty master position. Since coming to Penn after earning a doctoral degree in musicology from Harvard University in 1973, Connolly -- an Australian citizen and specialist in medieval music -- has served as chairperson of the Music Department and as faculty fellow of Van Pelt College House. "Tom is a terrific choice for the Community and another wonderful example of Penn's finest faculty providing leadership in our 1998 comprehensive college house system," Wachter said. Connolly is unsure whether the recent controversies will impede his transition into community house, but he admitted that "it could be a problem." "I respect [Gale] and and I don't know what this is all about," he said. "The University insulated me from all of this." "I will do my utmost to be available to students and try and make the house really work," he added. Connolly, 67, will move into the Quad with his wife Margaret, who recently completed a post-doctoral teaching fellowship at Villanova University, and his 13-year-old son Stephen.

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