As a newcomer to Penn, President Amy Gutmann put forth an aggressive vision for the university she now calls home. In her first year, she told the Penn community she wanted big changes on all fronts.
Now that the foundation for Penn's future has been laid, it is up to Gutmann to begin building. The test of her vision will come in her second year, as she attempts to put those plans into action.
"The second year is where you need to execute," Penn Trustee David Cohen said. Gutmann must "be able to maintain the good will and the credibility [she] created through a strong first year."
In many respects, Gutmann is prepared to put the Penn Compact -- her three-pronged plan for Penn's future that Gutmann articulated in her inaugural address -- directly into action.
To encourage interdisciplinary study, she is doing some high-profile recruiting of professors who will teach across schools. To improve Penn's global presence, she will be traveling throughout Asia this fall.
But one of the most significant goals of her presidency -- the development of the land east of Penn's campus -- will not come until years later.
In 2007, Penn will acquire 24 acres of land between Locust and Market streets purchased from the U.S. Postal Service for $50.6 million. Gutmann has lofty ambitions for the property, calling it a "major transformation" for Penn and Philadelphia.
"The opportunities of the postal lands may be the defining physical elements of Gutmann's presidency," said Cohen, who served as then-Mayor Ed Rendell's chief of staff during the '90s.
But by the very nature of the deal with the Postal Service, Gutmann cannot yet execute those plans.
"If I gave you specific [plans for the property], I'd be jumping the gun. I don't have them, nor should I," Gutmann said. "Making the most of this opportunity is a big challenge."
Since construction on the property cannot yet get underway, Gutmann has charged Provost Ron Daniels and Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli with leading a team that will shape the future of Penn's eastward expansion.
Gutmann said she expects a report from the group -- with specific plans for how the property will be used -- by June of next year.
"These are things that, in a University setting, can sometimes take a decade to get set up," Cohen said.
Crucial to that development, Gutmann said, is maintaining the fundraising momentum she established in her first year.
By all economic accounts, Gutmann's first year of fundraising was a success. Last year ranks as the second most successful in the University's history in terms of money raised.
"The key to fundraising is talking about what matters to the institution," Gutmann said. "The Penn Compact has proven to resonate with this institution."
But in her second year as president, Gutmann is planning to step back and lay the groundwork for an intensive capital campaign.
Currently in its "quiet phase" -- during which Gutmann and other financial administrators will determine which potential donors to pursue -- the campaign will pick up in earnest within the next two years.
While Gutmann said the funds raised will be used primarily for financial aid and endowed professorships, she added that plans for the lands east of Penn's campus are always in the back of her mind.
As Gutmann finishes her first year at Penn, she said she is mindful of the pressure to follow through with her vision. A number of her initiatives, she said, will mean tangible changes for the University.
But making the Penn Compact a reality will extend far beyond her sophomore year.
"The projects and priorities I've put forth are multi-year," Gutmann said. "I think of it as an ongoing set of priorities."
