A flurry of committee meetings filled the first full day of the University Board of Trustees' fall meeting, during which the board's 55 members debated issues that ranged from the potential demolition of the Penn Tower to the weaknesses of freshman housing options.
Students' needs were high on the trustees' list of priorities.
The Student Life Committee emphasized the need for more cohesive freshman housing on campus. Freshmen who do not live in the Quadrangle, Hill College House or King's Court/English House can feel "lonely" and "isolated," according to Trustee and Committee Chairman Alan Hassenfeld.
But the solution for freshmen excluded from the major first-year dormitories is not clear. The committee debated options ranging from excluding upperclassmen from the Quad to building new dorms on campus.
"The current facilities are still not adequate," Provost Ron Daniels said.
Hassenfeld set February as the deadline for a concrete plan.
Senior Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Services Omar Blaik presented the Neighborhood Initiatives Committee -- which also met yesterday -- with a list of current construction projects.
And on that list was one of Blaik's long-term goals: the demolition of the Penn Tower.
Officials want to replace it with a building "more integrated with the fabric of the city," Blaik said.
The Academic Policy Committee discussed a number of changes to the current undergraduate advising system, including the potential pairing of graduate students with undergraduates.
