Officials still quiet on Stetson's departure

A month after former Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson abruptly resigned from Penn, those who had close contact with him still continue to refuse comment, having been told by the University not to discuss the situation.

When visited at home and called at home telephone numbers over the past three weeks, every admissions officer has either been unreachable or has referred all inquiries regarding Stetson's departure to University spokeswoman Lori Doyle.

Many school deans and other top-ranking University officials have said they were not told of the circumstances regarding Stetson's departure, which many have noted as extremely unusual.

Doyle said that, as the University's spokeswoman, she is the only official authorized to discuss the issue.

But Doyle has offered little in the way of an explanation for Stetson's sudden departure.

"The reasons for his resignation are private and confidential," she said.

Stetson is widely considered to be one of the most high-profile figures in admissions, having helped orchestrate Penn's rise in visibility in his 29 years as dean.

He announced in July that he would resign at the end of this academic year, but, at the end of August, he abruptly decided to make his resignation effective immediately.

When asked about the reasons behind the date shift, Doyle repeated that the reasons were "private and confidential."

Following the announcement of Stetson's immediate resignation, Penn President Amy Gutmann only said that, due to Stetson's "own best interests and that of the University," it was "best for him to step down now, rather than wait until the end of the academic year."

She would not elaborate on the reasons for Stetson's resignation. Doyle also would not explain how his immediate departure would be "best" for the University.

Stetson did not return calls to his home or cell phone yesterday evening.

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