Stetson Departure | Ex-Dean cancels speech at conference

Former Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson canceled his scheduled speaking engagement at a national admissions conference last weekend, but the event still marked a public appearance from a figure who has otherwise maintained a low profile since his sudden resignation in August.

Stetson was scheduled to participate in a forum on Advanced Placement exams at the National Association for College Admission Counseling's annual conference but decided not to speak.

Stetson still attended the event, and NACAC officials said they did not know when or why Stetson decided not to speak.

Perhaps indicative of the suddeness of Stetson's resignation, the ex-dean was listed on the NACAC Web site as a Penn representative at the conference, held in Austin, Texas.

University spokeswoman Phyllis Holtzman said she did not know why NACAC listed Stetson as a member of the Penn delegation.

Several admissions officials who spoke to Stetson at the conference said they were worried about his health, but there are no indications that health issues led to his resignation.

Steven Roy Goodman, a Washington, D.C.-based educational consultant and author, said that Stetson appeared to have lost weight and that his health looked "precarious."

Lloyd Paradiso, a Philadelphia college consultant, described Stetson as "thin," "gaunt" and "a little distracted."

Goodman and Paradiso said Stetson affirmed their concerns over his well-being, telling Goodman that he was handling some health issues and confirming to Paradiso that he had lost weight.

However, Stetson did not say that those health issues were the reason behind his resignation.

University spokeswoman Lori Doyle did not return a message left on her cell phone asking about Stetson's health.

While Stetson discussed his health with conference attendees, he did not reveal much about the circumstances of his resignation.

Stetson initially announced that he would leave the University in June 2008, but in late August, he abruptly made his resignation effective immediately.

Penn President Amy Gutmann has only said that the move was in the "best interests" of Stetson and the University, and Gutmann and Doyle have repeatedly declined to elaborate on that comment.

At the NACAC conference, Stetson "didn't say a word about what transpired," according Bill Mason, director of college counseling at St. Mark's School in Massachusetts.

Several admissions professionals who attended the conference said they were hesitant to broach the subject of Stetson's resignation with him, instead choosing to discuss general admissions topics.

Conference attendees said that Penn admissions officials at the event were asked about Stetson's departure, and that they told those who asked to discuss the subject with Stetson himself.

Repeated attempts to reach Stetson on his home and cell phones over the past week were unsuccessful.

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