No. 2 College House official resigns post

Less than two months into the first year of the University's integrated residential-college system, its No. 2 administrator has stepped down from his position, citing a desire to pursue other interests. Chris Dennis, executive director of College Houses and Academic Services, explained to colleagues through an e-mail yesterday that because the new college house system was successfully up and running, he felt it was an appropriate time to pursue other interests. He will officially leave the position on November 15. The resignation is unlikely to have much of an impact on the college house system, and University officials said last night that they won't fill the void left by Dennis' departure, which they insist was of his own volition. Dennis, 46, who has held a variety of positions in the University's residential living system since 1984, said his decision resulted from a combination of factors, including the fact that his position had diminished in importance. "The discontinuation of the position of executive director coincides with my sense that the job is largely complete," Dennis said, adding that his position became less vital as individual college houses took on more and more of his planning and administrative duties. Dennis' immediate supervisor, David Brownlee, who oversees College Houses and Academic Services, said he will assign Dennis' responsibilities to other staff members. "I will undertake a modest reorganization of the Office of College Houses," Brownlee said, although many of the office's responsibilities have already been devolved to individual college houses. Brownlee said Dennis was not fired by the University, and stressed that "his departure needs to be understood in the context of the system." The decision to step down coincided with the office being reorganized, he said. "Chris' contribution to the college house system was enormous," Brownlee said. Interim Provost Michael Wachter, who oversees the college house project, said he was not closely involved with Dennis' decision and referred all questions to Brownlee. Dennis said that when he leaves his post next month, he will likely take some time off and may eventually return to teaching and writing. He last taught as a Penn English professor in 1984. Dennis said he "most likely" will not return to Penn, and English Department Chairperson Wendy Steiner said he does not have an appointment in the department. Dennis' wife, Vicki Mahaffey, is a tenured English professor. Recent programs Dennis helped to initiate in the college houses included wiring dormitories for Resnet, installing computer labs in each of the 12 houses and the creation of the "Wheel" project, a network of peer academic and computer support in the residences. Dennis also helped recruit and appoint faculty masters and fellows and house deans for the college houses. Some of those faculty members praised Dennis' work in revamping the college house system. Gregory College House Faculty Master Robert Lucid praised Dennis for pushing for faculty-in-residence several years ago when the idea was unpopular. The departure is the latest in a recent series of restructuring and staffing changes to the Penn's residential system. In the past three years, the department has changed names three times, shifted dorm maintenance responsibilities to another department and lost several top staffers.