Looking at Rodin's true role at Penn

In a Daily Pennsylvanian survey about a year ago, 81 percent of Penn students said they thought the University administration could do more to make itself available to the undergraduate population. And while University President Judith Rodin appears to have taken notice in recent months, members of the Penn community -- from students to faculty to even the administration itself -- continue to struggle with what the term "accessible" really means on a large urban campus. Rodin admits that interacting with the student body has become a top priority of hers -- and she has made some small strides over the past several months to make this more of a reality. At the beginning of the year, Rodin hired a recent Penn graduate as one of her top assistants. She has opened her home to students on several occasions, and has tried to increase her presence in college houses across campus. Yet while Penn has seen Eisenlohr Hall turn into a haunted house and a winter wonderland over the past year, some students remain convinced that Rodin is an administrator bogged down by the demands of fundraising and other job requirements that have little to do with students. "There was only one instance during my freshman year when she toured the residential houses, and that was the only opportunity I got to interact with her," College senior Zeeshan Amin said. "In my experience, I would have to say [that Rodin is] not very accessible," College sophomore Stephanie Hertz added. However, many dismiss charges of inaccessibility, instead wondering why students even feel the need to see their president in the first place. "I think it's more important in terms of accessibility for students to come and meet people like me," said John Richetti, chairman of the English Department. "Her job is not to schmooze with students -- that's my job." Classical Studies Professor and former department chairman Ralph Rosen agreed with Richetti's assessment. "To me, she's the CEO," he said. "There are very few issues that I can think of that I would need to go to the president for." Last October, Rodin dressed up as Morticia Adams and welcomed students into her Walnut Street residence for a Halloween party. In December, she held a winter holiday study break, again welcoming students into her home. While some students quickly dismissed Rodin's efforts, many have also applauded her attempt to reach out. "At first, I was going to say [that Rodin is not accessible], but then I realized all the opportunities I've had to meet her," Wharton sophomore Alejandro Maldonado said. Max Cantor, a College and Engineering sophomore, said that Rodin and Provost Robert Barchi have both made considerable attempts at reaching out to the student body, but that students should realize that interacting with them is not their main function. "People forget that Rodin is the CEO of one of the largest health systems in the state," he noted. "Their complaints are issues that would perhaps be better addressed by [College] Dean [Richard] Beeman." According to former Penn president Martin Meyerson, campus development and improving the quality of faculty have occupied the lion's share of Rodin's time in office. "She put a tremendous effort into improving the physical aspect of the University of Pennsylvania," he said. "She's helped to attract very good people to the University." Yet Rodin's perceived inaccessibility may stem from lack of student attempts -- or even student need -- to reach her. Both Hertz and Lin said that while their contact with the president had been non-existent, they had never really tried to contact her on their own. Other students display a similar ambivalence towards meeting the president. "I'm not really sure [if Rodin is accessible]," Engineering sophomore Thomas Leri said. "I've never tried to reach her." But if Rodin's job has been dominated by fundraising and managing the Penn Health System, it is indicative of the changing nature of the University president in general. "I think it's become a more complex job," Rodin said. "What is harder is to become more contemplative on speaking out on every issue." Yet Meyerson added that, when he was president, he did not allow fiscal responsibilities to take over his job. "I also saw to it that [fundraising] was not my overwhelming concern," he said. Meyerson, who served in the position from 1970 to 1981, said that the presidency has changed along with the University itself. "[Modern universities are] growing more prosperous, and that prosperity has been used in different ways," Meyerson said. However, Meyerson went on to say that lack of administrative accessibility was a complaint that he often heard while president. Once, he spent the better part of a night with residents of a dorm, and at the end of the evening, they told him that he was not available to students. "This particular evening, I had been there for a long time -- it was getting near midnight, and a couple of them asked me 'Why are you not more accessible?" he said. Rodin shared Meyerson's sentiments that student interaction provides one of the greatest rewards of academic life. "I don't know why I ever gave [up being a professor]," she joked.