In the day following her nomination as successor to University President Judith Rodin, Amy Gutmann has received nothing but praise from those on the presidential search committee and her future administrative colleagues.
However, whether Gutmann is "the kind of leader who is capable of sustaining the momentum Penn has today" -- as Chairman of the University Board of Trustees and search committee head James Riepe said -- will not be evident until she takes office.
At first glance, Gutmann appears to be a strong choice for Rodin's successor. Both women served as provost at Ivy League universities -- Rodin at Yale University and Gutmann at Princeton University -- before coming to Penn.
Yet, Gutmann's experience at Princeton -- largely spent teaching -- outwardly does not seem to mesh well with Penn's needs.
Gutmann has served in her current post for only two years, but her administrative experience does extend beyond her stint as provost. From 1995 to 1997, Gutmann served as the dean of faculty at Princeton, followed by a year as academic adviser to Princeton President Harold Shapiro.
However, she has never managed an institution this big or complex.
Contemplating the upcoming transition, Undergraduate Political Science Chairman Henry Teune noted the unique challenges facing Penn.
He described Penn as a "three-ring circus," with three major problems requiring the constant attention of administrators: Penn's low endowment to student ratio, its large Health System and its urban setting.
The search committee's Web site provided a list of Penn's challenges that served as guidelines during the search process.
"Managing a large, complex, decentralized organization" is listed as the top priority, followed by "operating a major academic medical center as an integral part of the University."
Princeton with fewer than 7,000 students and an operating budget less than $1 billion hardly compares with Penn's more than 20,000 students and an operating budget which surpassed $3.5 billion for the fiscal year 2003.
Martin Meyerson, who served as University president from 1970 to 1981, noted additional challenges Gutmann will face.
"I think one of the great changes in higher education is a financial one," Meyerson said. "We're finding ourselves faced with tougher money questions than we've had for some time."
Princeton's nearly $8 billion endowment more than doubles Penn's, allowing a much greater depth of resources and level of financial security.
In leading a university of Penn's size and financial standing, Gutmann will be faced with challenges she has never had to confront at Princeton.
Unlike Princeton, Rodin's Yale much more closely resembled Penn.
Yale has a health system and several professional schools, but Teune noted that Rodin's experience as provost there did not necessarily translate to more Penn-specific preparation than Gutmann has today.
"Yale is not in a big urban area, either, although it's in New Haven," Conn., Teune said.
But Yale undertook improvement initiatives in New Haven similar to Penn's, attracting retailers and reducing crime around the campus while Rodin served as provost.
Princeton, N.J., presents no such problems.
Riepe, however, asserted that Gutmann has the experience to deal with an urban school like Penn.
Riepe cited the fact that "she was born in New York" and that "her husband is a professor at Columbia" University.
"Her political science work has brought her academically into many, many urban problems," Riepe added. "Many of her writings deal with that."
Still, Teune emphasized that becoming Penn's president would present challenges for anyone. A president must grow while in office, he said.
Gutmann seems to agree.
"I'm looking forward come July to beginning a new chapter of my education in this electric and excellent place called Penn," she said.
Gutmann's education is sure to be a rigorous one. Besides dealing with Penn's Health System, continuing to revitalize West Philadelphia and increasing the endowment further, Gutmann will be faced with an institution with 12 graduate schools coming from a university with a decidedly undergraduate focus.
No matter how well Gutmann is prepared for the presidency, Penn is sure to present her with new challenges and opportunities to improve both herself and the University.
"She's going to have to learn," Teune said. There will "be a lot of people around her still" to help with the learning process.
As summer approaches, Rodin will have a few months to impart upon Gutmann at least some of her wealth of experience as Penn's president.
"We'll have a very active transition plan and we'll meet frequently during that period," Rodin said. She added that her goal was to "have a seamless hand-off ... [so] that she can really start without missing a beat."
