Lack of OAA director met with skepticism

Penn's Office of Affirmative Action has been without a director since December 2007.

"As is the case in any search, we want to find the right person," said Joann Mitchell, vice president for institutional affairs, to whom the OAA reports.

But the vacancy has been met with a degree of skepticism among Penn's minority community.

"Even if you're trying to find the right person and not rush things, it takes that long to get a college president," said a member of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender community who wished to remain anonymous because of the "volatile" nature of the issue. "It doesn't take that long to get a director of affirmative action."

The source added that while the two associate directors of OAA "work hard," certain responsibilities of the office "have really started falling through the cracks because of this."

Bob Schoenberg, director of the LGBT Center and chairman of a gender identity subcommittee of the University's Diversity and Equity Committee, said his subcommittee has compiled a list of areas where the University is out of compliance with the "gender identity" clause of the University's nondiscrimination policy.

Among other things, grievances on the list include a lack of gender-neutral bathrooms and University forms that only provide "male" or "female" as gender options, he said.

"If there were a director of affirmative action, and if the Office was being vigilant about compliance issues, that certainly would be helpful," Schoenberg said.

But hiring a director wasn't a cure-all, he said, and a "complex set of actions" would be required to bring the University into full compliance with its non-discrimination policy.

United Minorities Council chairman and Wharton and College junior Ezegozie Eze said the vacancy was "sending mixed signals" to both current and prospective students.

"It's like having a university with no president," he added. "It's more symbolic than anything."

Penn Women's Center director Felicity Paxton and La Casa Latina director Johnny Irizarry both said they have not been at Penn long enough to have first-hand knowledge of the issue. Makuu director Karlene Burrell-McRae also declined to comment, and Pan-Asian American Community House director June Chu did not return requests for comment.

The search for a new director began shortly after the vacancy opened up, according to Mitchell. Though the "right person" wasn't found at that time, Penn is now looking "more intensely" and has hired a search firm, she said.

The search firm is currently vetting and screening candidates, she said, meaning any estimate of the number of candidates for the position would be "premature."

Mitchell said she expects preliminary interviews for the position to start in March, after which finalists will be called back. "Our intent is that by July 1st, we'll have a person onboard, ready to lead the office," she said.

Mitchell, who served as OAA director for seven years before accepting a job at Princeton University in 1993, added that she has assumed much of the office's day-to-day responsibility because of the vacancy.

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