Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(11/19/91 10:00am)
Doctoral student Cheng Chang traveled thousands of miles across the globe to study mathematics at the University. Chang is one of hundreds of Asian students who leave their homeland to study at the University. But across the nation, there is a growing concern that there are "too many" international students in American graduate schools. By educating so many international students, many professors and students believe Americans are losing out on educational opportunities on their home turf. · In mathematics and science departments, international students, specifically Asians, make up a greater percentage than in other University departments. Asian students said they come to American schools, and specifically the University, mainly for their academic quality. Chang said he studied mathematics at the undergraduate level in China, and chose the University because of its "excellent" math department. First-year Physics PhD student Naoya Hata, who comes from Japan, said he was interested in studying the elementary particle theory, which is more difficult to do in Japan because of the more popular mathematical approach taken there. But Hata also said he left his country for a change of pace. After receiving both his bachelor's and master's degree at the University of Tokyo, he said he needed a break. "It was long enough," Hata said. "I was getting bored after six years in the same place." Other students had their own reasons for coming to the University. Second-year Physics graduate student Geun-Seop Nee said he decided to leave Korea because there was "more of a chance to learn . . . about a different culture, about international relationships," on top of academic reasons. Most Asian students said that they are not sure if they will remain in the country after they graduate or if they will return home and live with the rest of their families. They said the overriding concern is getting the best job possible. "I'm not sure if I'll stay here . . . it depends wherever there's a job," Hata said. But Nee, who did his undergraduate work in Seoul, said he would like to return to Korea, but may stay here longer to build his resume. And many said they are more concerned with simply making it through school. "It's not the best place to get food . . . [it is] expensive, too," Hata said. Chemistry Professor Stanley Opella, who works with graduate students, said that many people forget the fact that international students are not only coming to a different school, but a different country. "It is often forgotten that these students had to prepare themselves academically, culturally, and personally," Opella said. · Many graduate group chairs and professors said they regard international students only in a positive light. Many professors said that they enjoy working with the Asian students because they are generally hard workers. And, contrary to what many people think, professors said they are not concerned with whose places Asian students could be filling. According to Chemistry Vice Chairperson George Palladino -- whose department's graduate program is over 25 percent Asian -- international students are simply filling the void left by an inadequate American elementary school program in math and science. Palladino said somewhere between sixth grade and high school, Americans lose interest in science and math. He added that the problem could only be solved at the collegiate level once it was addressed in primary education. "Across the board there is a shortage of qualified and interested American students in math and the sciences," he said. "Immigrants and international students are offsetting that." Yet in a society where Donald Trump is more famous than most college professors, students said there is a certain stigma associated with staying in the academic world, and a financial burden to bear as well. Palladino said the glamour and cost-benefit rewards of other fields are difficult to compete with. As a result, the math and science fields in the U.S. often lose out. Opella said he thought international students were a "big plus" for the University. He added that by having students from all over the world, it stretches the University's influence to a worldwide area. Mathematics Graduate Group Chairperson Ted Chinburg, whose department takes about 50 percent of its students from other countries, also said the large number of international students was good for the University, even if they chose to return to their home country. "It encourages a pipeline between Korea and us," said Chinburg, speaking of Korean students who return to their homeland after they graduate. "We have had more applications [in the Math Department] than in past years because of that connection." Professors also said they felt their disciplines were not adversely effected by students who choose to return to their home country. "People in my field all over the world can contribute as much as they can here," said Opella, "There's only really one scientific community. There's no strong national boundaries." Physics Professor Terry Fortune, whose department is about 18 percent Asian, also said that physics is an international field. But Fortune said that although international students make a significant contribution to the University, the students come out ahead in the bargain. "Because we give them full support financially, I believe the net flow is from us to them," said Fortune. And although Fortune said he did not think there were any detrimental effects in quality or in a financial sense, he said as finances get tighter within the University, that might have greater influences.
(04/24/91 9:00am)
Student health insurance premiums will increase over $200 next year to $930, in by far the largest increase of the past six years, Student Health Director MarJeanne Collins said. The decision, which will mainly effect graduate students, effectively ends a year-long debate on the issue which has been a main point of contention for the graduate student leaders. Collins said the large jump was due mainly to the escalating costs of claims, but added that students will also be receiving additional benefits from the more expensive insurance plan. She said the only alternatives to raising the premiums would have been to reduce benefits or increase the deductible -- choices that both graduate students and administrators did not care to do. Since graduate students make up 80 percent of the over 5500 students on University health insurance, steps were taken to involve them in this year's decision-making process. Graduate Student Associations Council President Michael Polgar said last night various graduate student leaders have been meeting with the Student Health insurance administration since the fall and that this week's announcement culminated that process. As a result, this year's insurance plan will also allow students leaving the University to convert to their own individual plans. The University is also switching health insurance companies for the second year in a row, this time from Accordia to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maryland in order to reduce premiums. According to Collins, a similar plan submitted by Accordia was over $1000. She said the average insurance claim by students has increased by over 100 percent since 1985 -- jumping from $386.76 in 1985 to this year's $792. "HUP is an on-the-frontier hospital," said Collins. "Where there are advances, they are using them." Collins also blamed the high premiums on the national health care inflation rate. Graduate students both criticized and praised the new insurance policy with some saying that students were not adequately consulted. Incoming Graduate and Professional Students Assembly Chair Michael Goldstein said last night he was disturbed by the high cost of the premium and blamed University administration. "People aren't concentrating on the issue partially because those who are making the decisions are not those that get saddled with the increasing premiums," said Goldstein. But Polgar said that while he was disturbed with the high cost, it was "the best of a difficult situation." "The policy is obviously very expensive, and the expense reflects the high cost of medical care, the fairly high level of coverage, as well as the relatively small risk pool," Polgar said. Goldstein said he felt students were consulted too late in the process and were left no option but to take the offered plan. Besides the $50,000 base plan, a $100 yearly deductible, as well as a plan that has the insurance company pay 80 percent of a claim with students paying 20 percent, the new policy also includes $250,000 catastrophic coverage and allows for 30 days inpatient hospitalization at full pay in any member hospital nationwide inluding less expensive Philadelphia hospitals. The new plan also includes a list of contracted providers, which are physicians and specialists who agree to accept insurance payment as satisfying 80 percent of the charges.
(04/18/91 9:00am)
Spring Fling isn't just for undergraduates anymore. Today, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly is sponsoring a "Springtime Reception," being held at the Institute of Contemporary Art aimed at an older crowd. With wine, other beverages, and assorted appetizers on the menu, GAPSA is hoping to bring graduate students together and make students more aware of the activities available for graduate students. According to outgoing GAPSA Chairperson Susan Garfinkel, the reception is part of GAPSA's ongoing goal to increase social interaction between the different graduate schools. "It's also a chance to get into the 'Spring Fling mode,' " Garfinkel said. The program will have several events aimed specifically to engage the graduate students, with one highlight being a jazz quartet composed of Wharton MBA students, according to GAPSA Vice-Chair for Activities and Special Projects Elizabeth Burgess. "Because they're graduate students, it's appropriate to get them involved," said Burgess. The reception was planned over the last four months by GAPSA's Social Committee, which also planned the 250th Anniversary Party held this past fall for graduate students. The committee, which was composed of representatives from all 12 graduate schools, had first discussed holding another party, said Elizabeth Burgess. "We decided the best thing to do would be to go with a reception," said Burgess. "It's a little less formal, more flexible, and much more convenient." "It's an opportunity for GAPSA to get the 12 graduate schools together and collaborate," said Burgess. "It should be an enjoyable event." Fliers were sent to graduate students through their departmental mailboxes and posters were hung announcing the event, which is open to all graduate and professional students and their guests. The reception will begin at 5 p.m and run until 7:30 p.m.
(04/12/91 9:00am)
The windy weather didn't stop over 50 teaching assistants from flocking to College Green yesterday. Or from bringing along more than 740 students. Yesterday and today mark the second annual Teaching Awareness Days, called "Class in the Grass," an event sponsored by the Graduate Student Associations Council to highlight the contributions graduate students make to the University community. The Days kicked off at 10 a.m. with a number of teaching assistants bringing their classes outside. According to the registration sign-up sheet, Romance Languages teaching assistant Gleef Doerr, who teaches a French 142 class, was the "first one on the Green." Graduate students said they were pleased with how the first day of the two-day event went. Last year, roughly 1000 students and 100 teaching assistants participated in the event, with more holding class outdoors on Friday rather than Thursday. Outgoing Graduate and Professional Students Assembly Chairperson Susan Garfinkel said the day's success was due to a number of different factors, including the good weather. "I imagine there is still momentum from last year's event and more people know about it this year," said Garfinkel. "It's becoming an established event." The GSAC Executive Committee sent letters to all graduate students at the beginning of the month, informing them of the event. GSAC also had a table set up yesterday, with newsletters and other literature about graduate student government, as well as the new proposed graduate student health insurance plan. "Free beer" coupons for the Fine Arts Happy Hour tonight were given out to participating graduate students as were as a variety of buttons publicizing the event. Both TAs and undergraduates said they were pleased with the event, with differing opinions on the impact it would have. "I think it's a great idea, but I question if the administration will pay attention to it," said College junior Jennifer Arbittier, a student in Cultural Studies TA Judith Filc's class. "While the purpose is so the community will realize what graduate students do, I don't know if it will help." College junior Jamie Altman, also Filc's student, said he thought the day would accomplish its goal and make the University community aware of graduate students' contribution. Some graduate students also said they felt the day was not political enough and had become "too bland." According to the sign-up sheet, the Romance Languages department had more participants than any other department. Yesterday's good weather is expected to continue today with the forecast calling for mostly sunny skies with highs approaching 60.
(04/11/91 9:00am)
People on College Green today and tomorrow may be soaking up something besides the rays of April sun. They may be soaking up part of their $15,000 education. The Graduate Student Associations Council is kicking off their second annual Graduate Teaching Awareness Days, dubbed "Class in the Grass," on College Green today. Weather permitting, GSAC has urged graduate students to take their classes, recitations and office hours outside for the next two days. According to GSAC Vice President Elizabeth Hunt, the graduate student organization has even thrown in an incentive, offering "free beer" coupons for the Fine Arts Happy Hour tomorrow to graduate students who participate. Graduate student leaders said they hope to make the contributions of graduate students known to the University, along with making students aware of issues pertinent to them. "It's a good way to increase graduate student involvement and awareness about the issues GSAC is dealing with, to show both the rest of the community and ourselves what we're dealing with," outgoing Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson Susan Garfinkel said last night. The idea for the days originated last year in a GSAC subcommittee designed to formulate actions to aid graduate students in achieving their goals in debates with the administration. Hunt said that the days are also important to make graduate students visible to the entire University community. "The days are about increasing campus-wide awareness of the role graduate students play in University life," Hunt said. "We want to make the campus community aware of research assistants, [Writing Across the Univeristy] Fellows, as well as teaching assistants." According to GSAC President Michael Polgar, there will be a registration table where graduate students can sign in for the event and receive materials for the day. Polgar said he hopes even more than last year's approximately 100 teaching assistants and 1000 students will be on the Green throughout the two days. Graduate student leaders will also be handing out information about GSAC and graduate student-related issues, along with buttons commemorating the event. Polgar said he thought one of the main causes of concern would be next year's proposed health insurance premium for graduate students. In case of inclement weather, the event's raindate is April 18 and 19. However, the forecast for today is sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 60s.
(04/08/91 9:00am)
The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly unanimously elected Wharton graduate student and current GAPSA Vice-Chairperson for Nominations Michael Goldstein as its next chairperson last week. Unlike GAPSA elections in past years, this year more than one candidate ran for the GAPSA chairperson-elect position. However, GAPSA School of Social Work representative Celeste Yeager officially withdrew her candidacy at the start of Thursday's meeting, saying that last night that her plans for next year, personal and academic, were "up in the air." According to current GAPSA Chairperson Susan Garfinkel, the tremendous amount of time required to be chairperson accounts for its unpopularity among graduate students, many of whom are already overburdened with work. "I feel my personal studies have suffered this year," Garfinkel said. "The chair needs to be in a position to have the flexibility to spend the time with GAPSA and to also want to do it." Garfinkel added that one of the issues for the upcoming year will be to decrease the time commitment the chairperson must make and to get the administration to take on more responsibility for graduate student programming. According to Yeager, her candidacy, along with the open forum held before the election, helped Goldstein and GAPSA members focus on both candidates' expectations. "I think the process of having someone run against him has made him more clear in his focus and more accountable to his constituents, has made GAPSA more clear about next year, and has made members more clear about leadership," Yeager said. Goldstein, who first came to the University as an undergraduate in 1982, has served on the University Council, the Trustee Committee for Student Life, and the Safety and Security Committee since coming to the University as a graduate student in 1988. He also served as GAPSA vice-chairperson for special projects last year. Goldstein said his largest concern for next year is to continue the interaction between graduate schools. He said GAPSA should also work on lowering health insurance premiums, on getting Escort Service to go down to Center City because of the large number of graduate students living there, and on getting graduate student opinion into the racial harassment policy. Goldstein said he was pleased to have been elected, saying it is a product of his long ties to the University. "You can't be here this long and not be attached," Goldstein said. "I am pleased and honored that the graduate students of what I think is the finest University in the nation gave me this opportunity. It's a little bit scary, but I'm looking forward to it." According to Garfinkel, because of GAPSA bylaws, the chairperson must be elected at the meeting prior to the election of other executive board members. The elections for the remaining seven positions will be held at the GAPSA meeting at the end of the month and installed in early May.
(04/08/91 9:00am)
The University named Patricia Conway, a founding partner of one of the nation's leading architecture and interior design firms, the new dean of the Graduate School of Fine Arts Friday. Although the selection must still be confirmed by the Trustees Executive Committee at its meeting on April 26, administrators said last night they are pleased with the decision. Provost Michael Aiken and President Sheldon Hackney chose Conway from a short list submitted to them by the dean search committee. Conway, who was unavailable for comment last night, is currently president of the design firm Kohn, Pedersen, Fox, Conway Associates, Incorporated, which is also planning the campus center. But Hackney said yesterday the decision to nominate Conway as dean was unrelated to her involvement with the campus center, and added she will relinquish her involvement to other members of the firm of her own accord. "She has been working on that project, but she is not the primary designer," Hackney said. "She is now going to step back and no longer be involved in the project." The University has been searching for a new dean since GSFA Dean Lee Copeland announced last year he would step down from leadership of the school. Copeland, who said last night he will take a year-long "scholarly leave" after his term ends in June, said he was "delighted" to hear of Conway's selection. He said after his leave, he will decide whether he will continue teaching at the University or to return to practice architecture and urban design. The dean also said running GSFA is difficult because of its broad range of programs, from fine arts to urban design to government administration. "Any dean's responsibilities include being able to manage and nurture that complexity, facilitate the energies of the faculty and students, and provide leadership and vision," he said. Conway has a background in both design and planning. She received an M.S. in Urban Planning from the Columbia University School of Architecture, where she was a Mellon Scholar and also spent a year as a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. "She has an interesting background because she has a planning degree but has also spent most of her career in design, so she combines the two major thrusts of the school," Hackney said. "She should be able to integrate them very well." Conway will take over her post July 1, after spending some time with Copeland so she can become acclimated with the University and the GSFA. The GSFA currently serves 624 full-time and 282 part-time students in nine different programs. The dean-designate has also been the recipient of numerous professional awards, including the National Environmental Planning Award and Interior magazine's Designer of the Year. Hackney also lauded Conway's past leadership abilities. "She listens very well and has a nice way of learning very quickly and figuring out which way would be the optimum direction for both the school and her firm," Hackney said.
(04/05/91 10:00am)
The University will use the Andrew Mellon Foundation Grant for terminal-year dissertation students and summer grants, School of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Donald Fitts said yesterday. Although there was some confusion on the part of graduate department chairpeople yesterday, Fitts emphasized that the grant will be used according to the foundation's guideline. "I pay the bills, so obviously I know where every penny is going," said Fitts. Mellon's guidelines, which stated in part that "no funds will be available to students in their first year," were released early last week, but department chairpeople said this week they planned to use the money for first-year students. But Fitts said the $600,000 the University received this year as the first part of a five year grant will only be given to students entering the final year of writing their dissertation. These students will receive a 10-month stipend of $10,000. Students are to be first nominated from their home departments, which include the Classical Studies, English, History, Music, and Romance Languages departments. The nominations will be then sent to a faculty committee consisting of independent faculty from each department. Finally, the nominees are approved by Fitts. According to Fitts, there will be 30 to 35 graduate students receiving the year-long fellowship in the fall. The purpose of the foundation's grant is to reduce student attrition and to lower the number of years graduate students spend in completing their doctorate. Students who have completed their second year of graduate school in one of the five departments are also eligible for a $2000 stipend. The stipend is given so students can spend the summer working on their dissertation proposal, instead of working to support themselves. Fitts said roughly 40 students will receive the summer stipend this year. The grant will also affect several incoming students who have been offered Benjamin Franklin Fellowships. According to Fitts, the fellowship, which includes a $12,000 stipend and paid tuition, is a medley of different resources. "It is a five-year offer, which is a combination of fellowships and teaching assistant fellowships, on the condition that they [the selected students] remain in good academic standing," Fitts said. However, money from the grant will only be used towards the termination year of the fellowship and the summer after the students' second year, Fitts said. Because the grant is issued on a yearly basis, the money has not been formally issued to the University yet. But the foundation said in a statement that Mellon officials "expect to maintain the same general level of commitment to the universities over the subsequent four years."
(04/04/91 10:00am)
The Andrew Mellon Foundation recently gave the University $600,000 as the first part of a five-year, $5.4 million grant to help speed doctoral candidates through the pipeline to becoming professors. The University plans to use the funds for graduate fellowships and stipends in the Classical Studies, English, History, Music, and Romance Languages departments. But the specific use of the funds is in dispute, with nearly all department chairs directly contradicting School of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Donald Fitts yesterday. The department chairs' plans for the funds also do not follow several of the stipulations set by the Foundation. Several University graduate chairs say the grant will be used for incoming students and will be a five-year fellowship. Yet the foundation's announcement stated, "no funds will be available to students in their first year." Fitts, however, disputed assertions that the grant would not be used as the foundation intended last night, saying most of the money will be used for 10-month fellowships of $10,000, given to students in the last year of their dissertation. "The bulk of the grant will be used for terminal-year dissertation fellowships," Fitts said. Fitts also said a smaller amount of money would be used for $2000 summer stipends, to be given to an undetermined number of students who have completed their second year of graduate school. This would allow them to use the summer to work on dissertation proposals -- time that in the past has not been utilized by many graduate students. Fitts said the University will give out as many fellowships as possible with the $600,000, but said he did not know how many each department would receive. But other University administrators say the grant will be used differently. History Graduate Chairperson Walter Licht said yesterday the grant will be used in part to pay for Benjamin Franklin Fellowships. According to Licht, these fellowships were offered to eight incoming graduate students in the History Department. Licht said the fellowship will cover full tuition and a $12,000 stipend for five years. But this plan contradicts the foundation's requirements. The foundation's announcement stated, "no individual will be eligible for more than a year, a term, and a summer of support in the course of a graduate career." Licht said that by giving incoming students the fellowship, it will be easier for students to obtain their doctorate in five years, which has taken an average of eight years in the past. According to Licht, students will not have to teach their first year and will be able to concentrate solely on their studies, ultimately starting their dissertation in the third year instead of the fifth. "We love them [graduate students], but there comes a time when we have to cut the umbilical cord," said Licht. Licht also said every History graduate student who has completed their second year will be eligible to attend the summer workshop with the $2000 stipend. Music Department Graduate Chairperson Jeffrey Kallberg also said the money would be given to some entering students at a rate of $1000 a month for 12 months. Kallberg said the prospective students he chose to nominate for the fellowships were the best in the applicant pool. "This year there were four students who were the cream of the crop," said Kallberg. "I talked to Don Fitts and he said 'Go ahead and make offers to those four.' " According to Kallberg, the fellowship is guaranteed for the students as long as they do well academically. Kallberg also said students in their last year of writing their dissertation would be funded, although he was not sure how much money they would receive. The foundation awarded the grant to the University and eight other schools to reduce the number of students dropping out of graduate school and to lower the number of years the average student spends working towards a doctorate. According to the announcement released by the Mellon Foundation early last week, the University was chosen because it attracted a high number of Mellon Graduate Fellowships recipients in past years. Other department heads also detailed their plans for use of the monies. English Department Graduate Chairperson Maureen Quilligan said there will be nine five-year graduate fellowships in the English department, which will include full tuition and a $12,000 stipend. Quilligan also said there will be 11 to 13 $10,000, 10-month fellowships to students in their final year. Romance Languages Department Graduate Chairperson Lance Donaldson-Evans said eight five-year fellowships of above $10,000 have been offered to prospective students, along with full tuition. According to Fitts, a data base of University graduate students over the past 18 years was compiled to help choose where the money would be used most effectively. Fitts said the five departments have undergone revisions over the past few years to make obtaining a doctoral degree in five years more feasible. The University has has had time to experiment with funds from the foundation before. Last summer the University received a $50,000 pilot grant from Mellon. Most of the pilot money was given to the History Department to implement a summer workshop where students could work on their dissertation proposals. Licht said the program, which gave five students $2000 for the summer, was a huge success. "We had five students who knew what their dissertation topic would be and had even done some research," said Licht. All Ivy League schools except Brown University and Dartmouth College received a $5.4 million grant from Mellon. The other three schools involved in the program are the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan.
(04/03/91 10:00am)
If you want to learn the lambada, don't rent The Forbidden Dance. And if you want Mexican food, hold off on going out to eat. At least until Saturday night. According to Festival Latino de Penn Planning Committee Co-Chairperson Isabella Casillas, the week is a chance for the University community to learn about its Latin American members. "The purpose of the festival is to spread the Latino culture to as many people as possible," Casillas said. The name of the week was changed into Spanish this year, after being called the "Latino Festival" since its inception in 1982. Zenaida Rosado, another co-chairperson of the Festival, said organizers felt the English title was contrary to the spirit of the awareness week. "The festival is based on culture," said Rosado. "A name in English defies everything, when the culture is based in Spanish." Rosado added all of the events are in English, "so everyone can attend." This year was also the first in which the group funded a supplement in The Daily Pennsylvanian. According to Casillas, the supplement gave Latino students a chance to express themselves through poetry and prose, as well as outlining the events of the week. The culmination of the week will be the "Fiesta Latina," which will take place Saturday night at the Christian Association. The event will feature two live bands, Minas and Orquestra Panama. In preparation for the event, Latin American dance lessons will be held tomorrow night at McClelland Hall at 8 p.m., where participants will be able to learn to dance the salsa, merengue, samba and lambada from a professional dance instructor. Organized by a number of different Latin American organizations on campus, the week begins tonight with "Literature, Language, and Destiny in Translation," a presentation given by Rosario Ferre, a renowned Puerto Rican writer who has taught Latin American literature at several universities. According to Casillas, Ferre will be speaking at Bodek Lounge at 8 p.m. about what is lost when literature is translated into another language. Casillas said organizers chose to concentrate this year on presenting as many regions and backgrounds of Latin America as possible. Organizers are also hoping the week will help dispel negative Latin American stereotypes. "Maybe some of the prejudice will be eliminated," said Rosado. With the exception of the Mexican Dinner, which is $7, all events are free of charge.
(04/02/91 10:00am)
The 114 students in Assistant Law Professor Michael Schill's Property Law class wandered slowly into class on a Friday morning. Some came in talking together, others laughing, others just walked in silently, but all were carrying a thick red book entitled Property. Professor Schill began his 65 minute class on schedule, and his students quieted quickly. Across the long tables covered with heavily highlighted books, the students listened attentively. Yet unlike in Professor Kingsfield's class, of Paper Chase infamy, Professor Schill's class was not one where students feared their teacher. In fact many of the Law School's 220 first-year students said that pursuing their graduate degree is much more fun and often less stressful than they expected it to be. · The University's "One-L's," as first year law students are colloquially known, come from all over the country with the hope of one day being a star attorney, judge or law professor. About 20 percent of the nearly 4900 students that apply to the Law School each year are accepted, according to Law School Dean Colin Diver. Upon matriculation, the class is divided in half to make class sizes more manageable. Each group then follows the same course schedule throughout the year. First-year students are required to take 36 credit hours, including Professional Responsibility, an intensive two-week course given in January as an introduction to the legal profession and ethics. All first-year students are required to take the same classes, including Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contract Law, Criminal Law, Labor Law, Property Law, and Torts. Students are also required to take one elective. Though most Law students said that they feel academic pressure, most said that the Law School is not academically cut-throat. While most students said that they are not involved in a study group, they share their notes with other students to make sure everyone has mastered the material. "It's pretty mellow here except during finals, when people are on edge," said first-year student Marc Carrel. Contract Law Professor Elizabeth Warren said while students work hard, they do not try and get ahead of each other and instead help each other. "It makes me proud and happy, but don't let anyone kid you -- it's a lot of hard work," Warren said last week. Unlike undergraduate courses, which are often based on a variety of papers and exams, all grades in first-year Law School courses are based on a single exam given at the end of the semester. These exams usually last four hours and consist of several hypothetical cases, called fact patterns. Diver said that professors base their classes on discussion and role playing, and not solely on the traditional, Socratic method. "It is still a very powerful and intense experience," Diver said. "Some still find it full of anxiety, but very few people in the end fail to find it is an enlightening experience." All first-year exams are based on a curve: the top 20 percent receive a grade of "excellence," the next 40 receive a grade of "good," while the last 40 percent receive a grade of "qualified." The system is designed to relieve some of the pressure often associated with the first year of Law School. But Warren said students can still fail, and one or two exemplary students may receive a grade of "distinguished." Because students are graded anonymously through an elaborate process, class participation rarely counts, Professor Schill said. Diver added that about six students leave, for various reasons, while 95 percent eventually graduate. · In order to ease the transition to Law School and mitigate some of the stresses of pursuing a law degree, the school has implemented several programs. According to Diver, to help first-year students adjust, a brief orientation to the school and its resources is held at the beginning of the year. Diver also said that there is a Legal Research and Writing program, a full-year course where students meet in small groups to work on problems and learn to write in legal jargon, to help students overcome any problems they may encounter in their first year. Professors said to avoid overwhelming the first-year students, who are not familiar with the textbook's legal jargon, the assignments throughout the first semester are not lengthy. Assistant Professor Schill, who graduated from Yale Law School in 1984, said he only assigns one or two cases a night first semester, equal to approximately 10 or 20 pages of reading. Yet Schill and Warren were both quick to point out that students must attend class having fully absorbed the material they are responsible for having read. "It's not a lot of pages, but a lot of hard thinking," said Warren. Like undergraduates, first-year law students all have their own study habits and schedules. Most students said that they spend over 70 hours a week and a minimum of 3 or 4 hours a day with their books. "It's intense," said first-year Law student Richard Aldridge. "It's an awful lot of work and very interesting, but as the year goes along, it gets a little easier because you learn the ropes and where to spend your time." First-year Law student Cornick said that law school can be exhausting as well as psychologically demanding. "It's not just a mental experience, but in terms of endurance, a physical one as well," said Cornick, who graduated from Rutgers University seven years ago. "It's like running a marathon that's never going to end." Most students said their professors are not like the overbearing John Hausmann of Paper Chase fame. In fact, most said they like their professors. First-year student Donna Deal, who did her undergraduate work at Yale, said she did not think the professors were particularly intimidating. "It's not like Paper Chase, although it varies from professor to professor," said Deal. "There are none that really try to embarass their students or make them look stupid." But many law students said they manage to integrate fun into their hectic and often stressful work schedule. Some said they are active in University-wide organizations, and most participate in school activities. In addition, many law students said they work-out several times each week at Hutchinson and Gimbel gymnasiums. Nonetheless, according to University Counseling Director Ilene Rosenstein, law students in general are under more stress than the average graduate student. Rosenstein said eight to 10 percent of the people treated at University counseling services last year were law students. She said that law students are more prone to hypertension, heart disease, and smoke and drink more than other graduate students. But she added that the University was trying to be sensitive to the law student's stress level. She recommended that law students set their priorities and stick to them. She said it is important students have a support group and realize other people are going through the same experience they are.
(04/01/91 10:00am)
Teaching assistants' tempers are rising over the University's announcement that their stipend level for next year will be less than the fellowship stipend level. Set late last month by School of Arts and Sciences Dean Hugo Sonnenschein, the stipend was increased by $330, making the new level $8,530. The stipend was increased by the same four-percent increment as the proposed University faculty and staff salary increase. The fellowship stipend, set in February by Sonnenschein at $8,600, is $70 more than the TA stipend. Graduate students said last night they were especially disturbed by the difference between the two stipends, which are $8200 for this year. In the past, fellowship stipend levels have been traditionally higher than those of teaching assistants. Yet the University has increased fellowship stipend levels by less than TA stipends in the past few years, making them equal. Gretchen Hackett, the Graduate Students Associations Council's vice-president for academic affairs, said last night the $70 difference seems symbolic of the University's priorities. "Even though they used the standard four percent increase, the $70 seems to point out they think there should be some kind of difference between TAs and fellows," Hackett said. GSAC Newsletter Editor Julie Pearce also said she was upset by the $70 difference between the fellowship and TA stipend levels. "$70 is not something I would complain about, but it's the principle of the difference," said Pearce. "Because we have to work for our money, we are worth less." Hackett was also quick to note the similarity in wages between the two groups is only on paper. She said the taxes TAs have to pay make their take-home pay significantly less. According to Hackett, TAs are required by Philadelphia to pay a five percent wage tax along with a state income tax, while fellows only pay federal income tax. Last year, Hackett said she paid $203 for the wage tax and $86 for the state tax, $289 more than fellows must pay. "Even though there are problems with the budget, I still think the University could find [the $70 difference] somewhere, in the interest of keeping tempers cool," said Hackett. Pearce also noted the effect the proposed health insurance premium for next year would have on graduate students. The new premium is $956, up from this year's $704. "I'm happy that they increased [the stipend level], but after taxes that increase will not even cover the proposed increase in health insurance," said Pearce.
(03/25/91 10:00am)
The teaching assistant stipend for the upcoming year in the School of Arts and Sciences will be $8,530, up $330 increase from this year. SAS Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Donald Fitts said Friday the stipend level will increase by four percent, the same as the proposed faculty and staff salary increase for the upcoming year. The TA stipend, which is set by SAS Dean Hugo Sonnenschein, was determined late last week, Fitts said. According to Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson Susan Garfinkel, the fellowship stipend level has been substantially higher in the past than the TA stipend. Over the last few years, the TA stipend was raised more than the fellowship stipend to even out the two figures. This year, both stipends were $8,200. Garfinkel said she was disturbed the administration chose to make the fellowship stipend higher than the TA stipend. The GAPSA chair said she felt by making the fellowship stipend higher than the TA stipend, the University was saying those graduate students who have to work for their money are less important. "I wonder why there is an artificial distinction between the fellowship stipend and the TA stipend," Garfinkel said. "Such a distinction has the appearance of being symbolically petty." Graduate Students Associations Council President Michael Polgar said he was also disappointed by the new TA stipend level. According to Polgar, for the first time in three years, the University did not increase the stipend level by $500 or more. Polgar also said the percentage increase was less than the nationwide cost-of-living increase. "I know some teaching assistants who did not sign up for Dining Service because they could not afford it," Polgar said.
(03/25/91 10:00am)
Some graduate students expecting to receive fellowships may be skating on thin ice come September. In the University's proposed budget for the 1992 fiscal year, announced last Wednesday, the fellowship pool will be frozen at this year's level of $6.5 million, causing the elimination of at least 12 new fellowships. According to Deputy Provost Richard Clelland, the pool, which has steadily increased since 1980, should have increased to $7 million. The University's pool is divided between all schools with PhD programs. The schools include Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Wharton, Fine Arts, Annenberg, Nursing, Social Work and Biomedical Graduate Studies. SAS Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Donald Fitts said last week a freeze in the University's graduate fellowship pool will result in the loss of 10 fellowships for incoming students in the School of Arts and Sciences. Fitts said SAS receives enough money from the pool to pay for the equivalent of 170.7 full fellowships. He added the fellowships are often split in half between students doing their dissertation. Fitts said because of the current rate of inflation, SAS will be able to fund only 160.7 full fellowships, 10 less than this year. The 10 fellowships will be eliminated from those given in the past to incoming graduate students, Fitts explained. Wharton Graduate Vice Dean David Reibstein said yesterday he was unsure how the frozen pool would affect Wharton graduate students. Reibstein added it was unclear to him whether or not Wharton received any funds from the pool. Engineering Associate Dean of Graduate Education Wayne Worrell said yesterday he had hoped for a $50,000 increase in fellowship money for Engineering students. Engineering will receive $472,000 next year, as they did this year. Worrell said he expects the number of fellowships offered to incoming students to drop by anywhere from two to five fellowships. Because of other funds used to supplement the pool money, it is impossible to know exactly how many fellowships will be awarded, Worrell added. According to Worrell, 18 to 40 fellowships were awarded this year. Next year, Worrell said, only 16 to 35 fellowships will be available. Social Work Dean Michael Austin said he had expected the fellowship monies to increase from this year's $25,000 to $37,000. Because the pool is frozen, there will be no increase. Austin said because the fellowships are distributed in differing amounts, he does not know how many fellowships will be cut out. Nursing Director of Graduate Studies Florence Downs said her school will make up the difference between the money received from this year's pool and next year's. Downs said the Nursing School currently receives $70,000. Next year the the school will receive $60,000. According to Downs, the Nursing School currently sponsors six to eight fellowships and will do so again next year. These fellowships are available to all doctoral students, not only incoming students. "We will do our best to see that students are supported at the same level as they were before," Downs said yesterday. University administrators said they were upset by the lack of funds for the 1992 fiscal year. "Graduate student support has always been low," Fitts said. "We have been working to increase it, but because of the state budget crisis, we have suffered." Fitts would not say exactly how much money SAS currently receives from the pool. Graduate Students Associations Council President Michael Polgar said the frozen pool will hit incoming international students particularly hard. If first-year students cannot be teaching assistants because they are not proficient in English, Polgar said they have less options available to them. Graduate and Professional Students Assembly Chair Susan Garfinkel said lessening the number of fellowships would make the financial situation difficult for some graduate students. "When you have $16,000 worth of tuition, rent to pay, and you need to eat, it's really incredibly hard," Garfinkel said last night.
(03/22/91 10:00am)
The School of Arts and Sciences standard stipend for teaching assistants for the 1992 fiscal year will be $8,600, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Donald Fitts said yesterday. The stipend is $400 more than last year's, which was set at $8,200. The funding usually increases $200 to $500 annually, Fitts said. The associate dean said there was no one factor that led to the $400 increase in the stipends, which are officially set by School of Arts and Sciences Dean Hugo Sonnenschein. "It increases by what we think we can afford," Fitts said. "We try and make it a little greater than the inflationary standard, and we also watch what the competition is doing." But graduate student government leaders said they were disheartened last night by the stipend level. Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chair Susan Garfinkel said she was upset the University did not increase the stipend by at least $500 as it has done for the past two years. The SAS stipend was $7,700 in 1990 and $7,000 in 1989. Garfinkel also noted that the proposed student health insurance for the upcoming year is approximately $950, 11 percent of a graduate student's stipend. Graduate Students Associations Council President Michael Polgar said he was disappointed the University had not given the graduate students the $10,000 stipend they had requested in previous years. According to Polgar, the University formed a committee on doctoral education two years ago which had concluded that a reasonable stipend level was $10,000. "It's better than nothing," Polgar said of the stipend increase. Individual departments may choose to supplement the stipend with their own funds, while other departments split the money so they may accommodate more students. In past years, the Biology Department has paid its teaching assistants $12,500, one of the highest stipends, while the Folklore Department, which splits its stipends among students, has one of the lowest.
(03/20/91 10:00am)
Graduate students and the School of Arts and Sciences have reached an agreement on how to clarify teaching assistants' job requirements. The Graduate Student Associations Council, SAS Dean Hugo Sonnenschein and SAS Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Donald Fitts are currently working to implement a graduate student compact in the school for next September. The compact would state what tasks graduate TAs are expected to perform when aiding a professor. Currently, duties are unspecified and a number of graduate students have complained that their workload is often excessive. According to GSAC President Michael Polgar, the deans verbally approved the compact at last month's meeting between the GSAC Executive Board and the SAS deans. GSAC Vice-President of Academic Affairs Gretchen Hackett said the compact, a loose contract, is currently a single-page document. Hackett said the first half of the page is devoted to check-off boxes for the graduate student's actual job title and the exact compensation they will receive. In the second half of the document, the faculty member and graduate student can write in the major job responsibilities expected of the student. The compact also states that the cumulative work week of the graduate student can not exceed 20 hours. Polgar said the students and professors decided during the meeting that a second page of the compact, a list of suggested duties the student might be asked to perform, be incorporated into a cover letter to be sent out with the compact. The cover letter has not yet been completed or approved. Fitts said he felt that although he has not yet seen a cover letter, there was a general agreement in the way the graduate students will proceed with the document. Hackett said she was pleased with the outcome of the meeting but stressed that without the cover letter, the compact is not an effective tool. "The cover letter is an integral part of the compact," Hackett aid. "The compact is a flexible document and without the cover letter, it's not clear what it means." "I am confident [the compact] will pass, but we still have to hash out the wording of it," Hackett emphasized. Sonnenschein said he was pleased with the current condition of the compact and thought the departments would find it attractive. Polgar said the document, when implemented, will not be mandatory. "We have not suggested that it be required but instead that it be a source of protection for graduate students and a method of clarification for faculty," Polgar said. According to Hackett, the compact would be signed by both the student and the faculty member.
(03/19/91 10:00am)
Statistics Professor David Hildebrand has been nominated to take over as the Faculty Senate chairperson for the 1992-1993 academic year. The Faculty Senate Nominating Committee earlier this month selected Hildebrand as its choice for the position, and nominees are normally elected without opposition. However, individual faculty can nominate additional candidates by compiling a petition with at least 25 signatures by today's deadline. If no petitions are filed, Hildebrand will take over as chairperson-elect position in May. If another candidate is nominated, the Senate will hold an election. Hildebrand said he was stunned to learn of his nomination. "It's a mixture of being flattered that people think I can do the job and concerned about my ability to do it," Hildebrand said last night. "I guess this proves that flattery will get you everywhere," Hildebrand said, referring to his acceptance of the nomination. Hildebrand came to the University in 1965 as a graduate student and has remained here since. He has served on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee in the past and currently moderates University Council meetings. SEC members applauded the nomination last night and said they were pleased by the committee's choice. SEC Chairperson Louise Shoemaker said last night she was pleased with the decision. "I had not heard [Hildebrand's] name come up beforehand, so I was just really delighted when I found out," Shoemaker said. "It's an excelllent choice. He's very familiar with both the Senate and the University Council." Current Senate Chairperson Almarin Phillips also said he was happy with the nomination. "I am optimistic about the future of the Faculty Senate with [Hildebrand] at the helm," Phillips said. "I anticipate that if he is elected, he will make a very good chair." Shoemaker said since Hildebrand was such a good choice, she would be surprised if there was a write-in candidate. Along with Hildebrand, the SEC Nominating Committee also named candidates for three committees and for at-large members. Shoemaker said she thought the University's financial situation would be a major issue in the upcoming term. The University is currently facing a potential budget deficit and could lose several million dollars in state funding. "The difficult fiscal situation is certainly going to give the Senate a lot to do," she said. Hildebrand said he felt faculty retirements and replacements would be an issue that would require thought and decency. He also said he plans to listen to all sides of the issues. "I've been told that it's not smart to go in riding the white horse and to have all sorts of items on the agenda," the nominee said last night. "Much of what has to be done is to represent all sides of the faculty."
(02/26/91 10:00am)
First used in 1915 by the Germans in a battle against the French during World War II, chemical weapons were later internationally outlawed at the Geneva Convention. But this treaty, signed by nations from around the globe, has not stopped some countries from violating international law and using them at different times in history. And, although Iraq has yet to use the weapons in the Persian Gulf war, Saddam Hussein has used them in the past and the dark specter remains. According to Pharmacology Professor Emeritus George Koelle, a nationally renowned expert in chemical warfare, Saddam's chemical arsenal would be fully effective in the desert, perhaps even more effective than usual because of the high temperatures in the region. Koelle said that Iraq has nerve gas and vesicants, which cause severe blisters, at its disposal. The Iraqi's most popular form of vesicant is mustard gas, he added. If Iraq did use chemical weapons, the U.S. would not be in violation of the Geneva Convention if it retaliates with them. But Strategy and Policy Professor Brian Sullivan, of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, said he felt the U.S. would, in most cases, not retaliate against a chemical warfare attack. "Because the president and Congress would find it repugnant, even if we suffered casualties [in a chemical warfare attack], there are many other ways we could harm Iraqis in retaliation," said Sullivan. Koelle said Iraq would be more likely to use nerve gas because doses as small as one milligram can be lethal. Nerve gas, which can be absorbed through both the skin and the respiratory system, starts to incapacitate the respiratory system upon contact. People who come in contact with the gas must be treated immediately by the antidote drug atropanine and a reactivator, either pralidoxine or toxigonin. Soldiers carry these drugs in the form of injectors, Koelle said yesterday. Mustard gas, which is actually a liquid, takes several hours before becoming effective, Koelle said. A higher dosage is used than for nerve gas. Nerve and mustard gas can be spread through mines, artillery, or any other type of projectile, Sullivan said. However, mustard gas lingers for months while nerve gas is only effective for a few days at most. When skin is exposed to vesicants, serious blisters develop. These can only be treated with an oxidizing agent such as hypo-chloride, Koelle explained. However, when absorbed through the respiratory tract, it is highly painful and victims develop a type of pneumonia. Koelle said there are treatments only for the symptoms caused by the gas. "There is no drug therapy, no cure," the professor emphasized. "People either die or eventually get over it." According to Sullivan, allied soldiers are all equipped with rubber suits and gas masks to protect them in the case of chemical warfare. Sullivan said although the soldiers have the equipment, it does not guarantee that there will be no casualties in chemical warfare. "There's no way to fight a war where you can guarantee that your soldiers won't be wounded or killed," said Sullivan. "War is chaotic. War is destructive." Both men also said that physical effects of chemical warfare aren't the only difficulty soldiers may face. The safety precautions soldiers must take often present health hazards of their own. "The [protective] clothing causes body temperatures to rise, and the gas mask impairs individuals' overall efficiency," said Koelle. Sullivan also cited psychological effects as another difficulty the soldiers must overcome. "[Poisonous] gas causes panic in human beings," explained Sullivan. "There are psychological reactions that certain people have in dealing with certain types of weapons."
(02/21/91 10:00am)
Last spring, HIV/AIDS Awareness Week was tentatively planned to take place this week -- 12 months after last year's events, which were sporadically attended. But the event isn't being held this year, and now more and more people are asking why. The answers as to why planning for the week never got off the ground, however, are not clear, and several University officials gave differing and sometimes conflicting reasons yesterday. Student Health Educator Susan Villari said that the decision to cancel the event was made last semester by Student Health staff, who have traditionally taken a leading role in organizing the week's events. She pointed out that a former Student Health official, Chris Lyman, co-chaired last year's HIV/AIDS Awareness Week planning committee. But Student Health Director MarJeanne Collins said yesterday that the week could not have been canceled because it was never planned. "When Chris [Lyman] left, we talked about things that we would carry forward, and the week was just not one of them," she said yesterday. "There was no turnover, no plan, no discussion that it would be done." But Villari said the week was not organized due to the time it took to find Lyman's replacement. It is also unclear which University office was supposed to organize the week. Assistant Director of Student Life Programs Robert Schoenberg, who has co-chaired the planning committee for the week in the past, said he knew the week was not being organized, but was told almost a year ago by Vice Provost of University Life Kim Morrisson that HIV/AIDS education was the responsibility of Student Health not Student Life. And Alcohol and Drug Education Coordinator Jo-Ann Zoll said Student Health would be the primary initiator of the event. But Student Health Director Collins said last night that HIV/AIDS education was never soley the responsibility of Student Health, adding that it was to be a collaborative effort with several offices. Morrisson declined to comment on the matter. Some University officials said they thought Student Health was organizing the week, and when they found out that it wasn't being organized, it was too late to organize any substantial events. Schoenberg added he didn't believe he needed to take steps towards planning the week, because he thought the responsibility had been given to Collins and her staff at Student Health. "If Dr. Collins decided at some point that the week was not going to occur, I wonder why she didn't let any of the people who had been working on it [in the past] know," Schoenberg said. Collins defended her decision last night saying that on-going programs could be a more effective use of funds. "Obviously if I personally decided the week was the most important vehicle, than I would have taken the ball and run with it," Collins explained. The director said she felt that new programs, such as peer health education, a city-wide AIDS resource guide, and the implementation of HIV/AIDS education into the University's curriculum would be more effective than the annual awareness week because of low attendance in many of the programs run in past years. But Zoll said she was very upset that the week did not take place this year saying that a lack of attendance would be a main reason for running the week. "I consider apathy one of the main reasons why we need to do the program," she said. "You can't expect your constituents to come forward and ask to be educated on any number of issues, including HIV/AIDS awareness." Collins said that Student Health receives no specific funds for the awareness week, nor sets aside any money specifically for HIV/AIDS Awareness Week. But according to Villari, in past years the funds for the week were taken from money earmarked for health education. She added that those funds will now go towards peer health education which topics include acquaintance rape and sexual health education. "My focus is to make sure that peer health education is maintained and to keep workshops on-going throughout the year," Villari said. Specifically, she said that some of the funds wil be given to Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape, and Facilitating Learning About Sexual Health, two student groups.
(02/19/91 10:00am)
Even though the University has sponsored an HIV/AIDS Awareness Week for several years, this year officials have decided not to hold the week because of a lack of interest in last year's events. Instead, Student Health representatives say they are trying to find a more effective way of educating University students. In past years the week, sponsored primarily by Student Health, included speakers, panels, forums and programs centered around educating the University population about Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, as well as "safer sex" practices. However, according to Student Health Director MarJeanne Collins, the event was not planned this year because of a lack of attendance at last year's activities. "AIDS Awareness Week was done as a collaborative effort between Student Health and a number of different organizations," Collins said last week. "At this time last year, the feedback I received from the planning group was that it was not panning out, that there was a fairly abysmal turnout." Collins added that AIDS/HIV awareness may be better served in a different forum. "There comes a time when you have to ask, 'Is this a useful effort?' " Collins said. "Not that it isn't, but it needs to be incorporated into an ongoing event." But former Student Health Counseling Coordinator Christine Lyman said yesterday she had thought the program would continue. "At last year's wrap-up meeting, we tentatively identified when the week would take place [this year] and discussed how we would change things, what we would continue, what went well and what didn't," Lyman said yesterday afternoon. "There was never the presumption that it would not continue, never any situation where it was discussed that it would not be planned." Instead, Lyman said there were plans to organize the week sometime in the fall, so different people would help plan and other organizers had a chance to rest. Kate Webster, who replaced Lyman in December, said nobody stepped forward in the fall and there was not enough time for her to plan events herself when she arrived. "I would hope [in the future] there would be some program around February that would approach HIV infection awareness," Webster said. "Whether it will be a week or not, I don't know." Assistant Director of Student Life Programs Robert Schoenberg said he was upset that AIDS Awareness Week was not planned this year. "At one time, the University was ahead in AIDS education," Schoenberg said last week. "I was very disappointed that HIV/AIDS Awareness Week is not going on this year." Collins said although there was no Awareness Week this year, she would have discussed possible activities with anyone who had approached her. "I still don't understand if the groundwork of the planning was laid, why it was never done," Collins said. "No one ever came to me to say 'Look we'd like to go ahead with this'. . . I was never approached by anyone." Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson said yesterday she felt the attempt to educate students should be ongoing and fully integrated with the University. Morrisson said the week was not planned this year because of the planning committee's evaluation of last year's week and because of Lyman's departure. According to Collins, Student Health is currently working on an AIDS resource guide. Collins said although she had originally hoped the guide, which Lyman began compiling, would be published by the end of the fall semester, publication is behind schedule because Webster was not hired until December.
