Newly-appointed college house system leader Philip Nichols thinks Penn administrators might be able to help out Mongolia.
Nichols, who is currently teaching at the National University of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar and will take the reins of the college house system in September, believes the team responsible for the creation of the college houses could work wonders in developing countries.
"I spend a fair bit of time in transition economies around the world," Nichols said in an interview conducted via e-mail.
"When I reflect on what has been done at Penn with respect to the transition in housing, I sometimes think that the best thing for the transition economies would be to send over the team of [University President Judith] Rodin, [Provost Robert] Barchi, [Outgoing Director of College Houses and Academic Services David] Brownlee, [Kelly Writers House Director Al] Filreis and associates."
Nichols, a Legal Studies professor and Stouffer College House Faculty Master, will become faculty director of college houses and academic services after Brownlee steps down this May.
When Brownlee leaves, his position will be divided into two separate positions -- director and faculty director of college houses and academic services. A national search will be conducted for the director post.
Nichols said he admires the work that has already been done, but he plans to devote much of his time as faculty director to figuring out how best to make the college houses work within a structure that includes a troubled dining system and aging dormitories.
"Dining remains a puzzle," Nichols said. "I went to Harvard [University], and I live in Stouffer when I am in the United States, so I sometimes approach dining from the perspective that in-house dining is a vital component of housing... but I also was a [Graduate Associate] at Duke [University] during graduate school, and I know that there are other ways to do things."
Currently, the only college houses equipped with dining halls are Hill College House and Kings Court/English College House. Stouffer College House had its own dining hall until last summer, when the University shut it down following a decline in demand for residential dining.
Addressing the problem of fashioning a successful college house system out of a collection of buildings not designed for that purpose, Nichols stressed the need for innovation in dormitories not traditionally known for a sense of community.
"The high rises receive a lot of criticism, but the people who live there have done some really creative things and have supported strong communities," Nichols said. "Because we do not have unlimited mountains of money, we need to be creative with all of our facilities."
Nichols has received accolades from his fellow faculty masters, especially Brownlee, who is also faculty master of Harnwell College House.
"Phil Nichols is an extraordinary teacher [and] leader [and a] very good friend," Brownlee said on Sunday. "He's a very popular choice and boy, am I grateful to him."
And Deputy Provost Peter Conn praised Nichols in an e-mail statement yesterday.
"Both in his teaching and in his service as faculty master, Phil has earned the universal respect and affection of faculty, students and staff," Conn wrote. "In my view, Phil, who will bring exceptional creativity, energy and vision to his new assignment... is the ideal choice for this job."
