College house personnel get set for premiere of program

Undergraduate students returning to on-campus residences this semester will find a number of new faces leading them into the college houses of the 21st century. Alongside the 12 faculty masters -- one for each of the University's college houses -- and the accompanying faculty fellows, the University has named the dozen house deans that will be responsible for both the administrative and academic support within each of the houses. The college house plan -- announced last October -- calls for the organization of the University's dormitories into 12 college houses with increased staffing and support services. The house dean position replaces the administrative fellow and assistant dean in residence positions in many of the houses. "No team of leaders could bring together more talent and experience than the new house deans," Director of College Houses and Academic Services David Brownlee said in announcing the appointments Brownlee said that "well over 100" applications were received for the 12 open slots, for which the University conducted a nationwide search. Five of the new house deans -- Sonia Elliot of DuBois College House, Jane Rogers of Goldberg College House, Tracy Feld of Hill College House, M'Hamed Krimo Bokreta of Kings Court/English College House and Deborah Yarber of Spruce College House -- previously held ADR or administrative fellow posts at Penn. Others, including Hamilton College House Dean Roberta Stack and Community House Dean Rick Cameron, held other posts within the University's residential system. Although several of the other house deans are new to Penn, administrators insisted that their unfamiliarity with campus will not be a problem. David Fox, associate director of the Office of College Houses and Academic Services, said the recent arrivals will bring "new blood and new vision" to campus. And Brownlee emphasized that all of the deans -- regardless of time previously spent at Penn -- underwent several weeks of intensive training this summer to ready them for their new positions.