Stetson Departure | Campaign hits, but questions remain

The University's capital campaign kick-off this weekend is arguably the most important event in Penn President Amy Gutmann's tenure.

But as the tents go up and officials prepare to reveal their multi-billion dollar goal for the campaign, the University remains demonstrably less public about another turning point from this semester: the abrupt departure of former Admissions Dean Lee Stetson .

And some say that this weekend, however focused on Penn's positive achievements, will welcome even more questions about what exactly happened.

"I would think that people who have known Lee for a long time and [are] coming back to campus might be asking a lot of the same questions we are," Business Public Policy professor Bruce Allen said. "Though it's not on our front burners right now, we would love to read what happened."

In the meantime, other events have drawn additional attention to Stetson's resignation.

Various alumni received a letter from Stetson as late as last week that extolled the Class of 2011 and announced Stetson's resignation for June 2008.

The letter, the Dean's Admissions Newsletter for September 2007, came well after Stetson's actual resignation from the post on August 29.

University spokeswoman Lori Doyle said she believed that the letters had been sent in August and did not know why alumni received them so far after Stetson resigned.

This summer, Stetson announced to much fanfare and praise that the class of 2012 would be the last class he admitted - he would retire on June 30, 2008.

But by the time students began showing up to school, he was gone.

On the morning of August 29, admissions officers found a voicemail from Stetson waiting for them on their phones, saying he would not be coming in to work that day and had resigned.

Later that day, someone came into Stetson's office to clear out his belongings.

The only word from the University has been President Gutmann's statement that Stetson's sudden departure is in everyone's "best interest."

As early as the day before the abrupt resignation occurred, there was no indication that anything was out of the ordinary, and Stetson spoke to The Daily Pennsylvanian about an unrelated topic.

The admissions office has since closed ranks, with Interim Dean of Admissions Eric Kaplan refusing to allow admissions officers to talk to the DP without the condition that the reporter will not ask about Stetson's departure.

All such inquiries are directed to Doyle, who will only say that the reasons for Stetson's leaving are "private and confidential."

Even most of the University's trustees do not know why Stetson left, and many are angry at being left in the dark.

"I damn well better get some better information," one trustee told the DP.

Even now, almost a month and a half after Stetson's sudden resignation, people are still scrambling to catch up.

The Harvard Summer Institute on College Admissions Web site still lists Stetson as a Dean of Admissions and also lists him as a faculty member slated to teach next summer. The summer institute would not respond to a request to confirm if Stetson would keep his teaching commitment.

In September, both Almanac, Penn's official journal of record, and The Pennsylvania Gazette also published glowing, but erroneous, praise-filled articles announcing Stetson's retirement in June 2008.

The difference in tone between the original articles and the later corrections is stark.

At the National Association of College Admissions Counselors conference at the end of September, Stetson was still scheduled to give a talk as Dean of Admissions at Penn.

While Stetson did attend the conference, he declined to fulfill his commitment to speak on a panel.

Sidebars | Recap of Stetson coverage. Officials: Penn's handling of Stetson departure odd

When it comes to managing the public relations fallout caused by Lee Stetson's departure, Penn has been ignoring standard practices.

Crisis management experts say the best way to defuse a crisis is full disclosure and Penn should be up front with the reasons behind Stetson's departure.

Not coming forward risks prolonging the controversy.

"The rule in any kind of issue that becomes a crisis is that you try to tell as much as you can as often as you can," said Anne Klein, president of public relations firm Anne Klein Communications Group Inc.

The University's refusal to explain Stetson's departure may be creating a larger story for the University.

"The problem is that sometimes [refusal to comment] becomes the story," Klein said.

- Anthony Campisi Search for Penn's new dean of admissions underway

The search for Lee Stetson's permanent replacement is underway.

A consultant from Witt/Kieffer, an executive-search firm, has been chosen to aid Penn in the process of selecting a new dean of admissions.

The committee that will advise Penn President Amy Gutmann also met last week and is currently developing a position profile that will list the skills and qualities that a new dean should possess.

Gutmann did not specify if Penn would consider both internal and external candidates for the position, only saying that the University is "going to look for the most qualified candidate."

Penn expects to appoint a new dean by the end of this academic year, Gutmann said.

A date has not yet been set for the advisory committee's next meeting.

- Emily Babay Stetson's status markedly different from tenured profs

From the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences to the dean of the Law School, job security is virtually guaranteed.

Lee Stetson didn't have that luxury. Unlike other top academic officials, such as University deans, Stetson wasn't a tenured faculty member.

Tenure gives professors protection against summary dismissal.

Because of this, even former Wharton professor Scott Ward kept his job after admitting there was enough evidence against him to convict him on sex crime charges in a trial in his 1999 trial.

Stetson, however, was an at-will employee for the University - he had no employment contract and could resign whenever and for whatever reason.

Along the same lines, barring discrimination restrictions, Penn can lay off an at-will employee at any time for any reason.

- Anthony Campisi

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