The Board of Trustees, the top governing body that gives final approval to Penn's executive hiring and financial decisions, met yesterday to address pressing issues facing the University.
The winter meetings will conclude today with a full board session at 11:30 a.m.
A summary of yesterday's proceedings:
Facilities and Campus Planning Committee:
- Eastward expansion architect Dennis Pieprz presented refined plans for athletic and recreational space based on suggestions from Athletic Director Steve Bilsky.
Central to the plan is relocating the tennis courts in front of the Palestra to make way for open space in order "to invite people to walk eastward," Penn President Amy Gutmann said.
Pieprz also showed plans for building a seasonal bubble to be placed around Franklin Field so that athletes can still use the facility, similar to the one at Harvard Stadium.
- Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Anne Papageorge gave a presentation on Penn's environmental sustainability efforts.
Last year, the University spent $178 million in green-friendly renovations, Papageorge said.
Future efforts will involve material choice, re-use of pavement and storm weather management.
Budget and Finance Committee:
- The University is currently within 0.1 percent of its projected budget, said Vice President for Budget and Management Analysis Bonnie Gibson. However, grants from the National Institutes of Health are down significantly.
This drop puts Penn and other research universities in a precarious position, said School of Medicine Dean Arthur Rubenstein.
Student Life Committee:
- Members of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and the Graduate Student Associations Council reiterated their efforts to merge and reorganize the two student government groups.
Merging will allow for more efficient and equitable budgeting, GAPSA Chairman Lee Shaker said.
Academic Policy Committee:
- University Provost Ronald Daniels gave a presentation on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority and female faculty.
He added that encouraging more minorities to attend graduate school will be crucial for increasing their numbers - which he said are low - in academia
Committee on Neighborhood Initiatives:
- Despite much interest from prospective students, plans for Penn's International Studies High School have stalled due to Philadelphia school district budget restraints, said Nancy Streim, an associate dean for the Graduate School of Education.
- Studies commissioned by the University revealed less abandonment and vacancies in University City since 2002, said School of Social Policy professor Dennis Culhane.
- There's been an increase in drug-related arrests on and around Penn's campus, said Culhane, but officials attributed this to better law enforcement.
- Staff Writers Joe Vester and Jon Meza contributed reporting to this article.
