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(11/05/93 10:00am)
The School of Arts and Sciences Board of Overseers has come to town. The group, comprised of SAS alumni from around the country, are discussing the future of undergraduate education at the University during their two-day visit, which began yesterday. SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens said the visit is filled with work-intensive meetings centered on the school's strategic plan for the next seven years and the SAS fundraising campaign. "I think we are going to see some lively discussions about directions and options for the school," Stevens said. "It will be interesting to hear their opinions about the priorities we've set and whether they feel the resources we have delineated seem realistic." Stevens is interested in hearing from members of the Board of Overseers who face problems in their work environments similar to the problems she faces. "We have people who work in Wall Street, Hollywood, real estate and law," she said. "And many of them are dealing with analogous questions in different spheres. "How you read the environment in higher education is in part how one reads the economic environment, demographic environment and even the political environment." Yesterday, the board heard from Stevens, who updated them about the Strategic Plan which was released last month and her plan for disbanding three of the school's 28 departments. They also ate dinner with faculty, students and staff in the Rosenwald Gallery of Van Pelt Library. Today's meetings will take place at the University's Center for Judaic Studies at Fourth and Walnut streets. A joint effort between the Annenberg Institute and the School of Arts and Sciences, the center is the only one of its kind in the United States. College Dean Matthew Santirocco will lead the main discussion about what the College will be like in the year 2000. Fundraising, public relations and the budget will also be discussed today. Stevens said the Board of Overseers has a major role in SAS. "They are our sounding board and advisory board," she said. "It is extraordinarily important to the school in terms of overall policy."
(11/04/93 10:00am)
SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens may be set on closing three School of Arts and Sciences departments, but faculty groups are not giving up hope that she will change her mind. The Pennsylvania Division of the American Association of University Professors is the latest group to announce opposition to the process Stevens used in reaching her decision. In a letter in this week's Almanac, AAUP Pennsylvania Division President Elsa Ramsden –Espeaking on behalf of the division's executive committee – expressed concern with the "lack of due process" used by the dean to recommend the elimination of the Religious Studies, Regional Science and American Civilization departments. "What we are concerned about it that faculty responsibility is being usurped by the administration," Ramsden, who is also an associate nursing professor at the University, said last night. Ramsden's group also urges faculty to express their disapproval to Stevens. The organization's response follows a similar condemnation made last week by University AAUP President Morris Mendelson in Almanac. "The University of Pennsylvania Chapter of the AAUP strongly urges that the faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences insist that they be allowed to exercise their rights and responsibilities in the matter of restructuring the institution," his letter reads. Mendelson, an emeritus finance professor, said last night that the AAUP took up the issue of faculty involvement after a complaint was filed by a faculty member. AAUP Policy stipulates that: "The decision to discontinue formally a program or department of instruction will be based essentially upon educational considerations, as determined primarily by the faculty as a whole." But, University Policies and Procedures, which conforms to AAUP standards on most policies, doesn't have a policy for department closings. The closest thing is a 1991 letter from then-Provost Michael Aiken which says: "Deans should make his or her recommendation only after a careful study, a dialogue with involved faculty, and a thorough discussion in a meeting of the standing faculty of the school." Stevens has insisted that the process used to arrive at the cuts has been thorough. She said the cuts were proposed after an evaluation involving 100 of the school's nearly 480 faculty members. Many SAS faculty still do not believe the process was fair. At a faculty meeting last month, they voted to recommend further review of two of the departments by outside committees before Stevens forwarded her recommendations to Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson. Mendelson's letter urges the Faculty Senate to support the faculty's rights, and Faculty Senate Chairperson Gerald Porter said his group is studying the matter. The Faculty Senate Committee of the Faculty, chaired by Economics and Law Professor Alan Auerbach, will look at the issue and report back to the entire senate for action. Porter said the Senate Executive Committee met yesterday morning and approved a statement calling for faculty involvement on a continual basis on matters involving their departments. Porter thinks "the faculty in those departments should have been brought into the consultative process long before the decision was announced." He added that he is looking to move quickly on this issue. Mendelson said whatever happens in this particular case, his group will seek to add its policy on closing departments to University Policies and Procedures. "What we'd like to create is a situation such that this will never happen again," he said.
(11/03/93 10:00am)
Editor's note: To add perspective to the planned elimination of three SAS departments, The Daily Pennsylvanian offers a closer look at each department. Today: Religious Studies With six faculty members and only a handful of majors, Religious Studies Department Chairperson Ann Matter admits her department is small. But, she says, despite its size, her department has a long history of excellence at the University and has produced world-renowned experts in the field of religion. Recently, however, the fate of religious studies as it stands has been put into question. Citing a desire to "streamline" education in the School of Arts and Sciences, Dean Rosemary Stevens proposed to eliminate the department and two others effective June 1994. If Stevens' proposal is approved by the University Trustees in January, the Religious Studies Department – whose origins at the University date back to 1791 – could be turned into an interdepartmental program based in a number of SAS disciplines. "Fields are not always best or necessarily served through the structure of a specialized department," Stevens stated in a September letter to SAS faculty. "The programs of the Religious Studies Department at both the graduate and undergraduate levels are inadequate reflections of the strength of interest in religious studies across the school," she continued. Matter, and a number of other faculty members, have disagreed with Stevens' conclusions. Rather than simply critiquing Stevens' decisions, Matter explained what she sees as the role of her department in the University's academic environment. "What's really interesting about this department is that it has grown up in a secular university with a secular approach," she said. "Because Penn has never had any religious identity to affirm, it has been able to move more freely in the study of religion without particular denominational concerns." Stephen Dunning, religious studies graduate group chairperson, wrote in a letter published in this week's Almanac that the department's educational approach is methodological. "Religious Studies at Penn is nationally known for the rigor in methodological analysis that we expect from all of our students," he wrote. "From this we expect students to gain both an ability to assess the suitability of various methods for diverse tasks and a heightened realization of personal preferences and how those will impact upon their scholarly intentions." Religious Studies Professor Robert Kraft said his department provides students with an education that focuses on the core perspective of religion through an array of course offerings which touch on the fields of anthropology, philosophy and sociology. He added that these courses specifically look at religious motivations, justifications, mindsets and expression. College senior and Religious Studies major Felicia Scales said because religion is connected with these other fields, it is important to study them in the context of religion. "Religion is so interwoven into people's lives that you can't escape it," Scales said. "Taking classes in other departments enhances what you learn about religion." Matter said although there are only a few religious studies majors per year, nearly 500 students enroll in the department's classes each year. And the graduate program, which is one of 32 in North America, receives over 80 applications for a class of between three and five. "We're not the biggest, we're not the richest and we're not the most famous," she said. "But, our history is one I'm proud of." The department has not only given non-religion majors a comprehensive look at a phenomenon which affects the human experience, but has taught graduate students who have gone on to teach at universities across the country, including Yale, Princeton and the University of Chicago, Matter said. She added, though, that she feels that by disbanding the department, the University is moving away from traditions of the past that have been at the University since its founding. Barbara DeConcini, executive director of the American Academy of Religion, the major learned society in the field, echoed Matter's sentiments in a letter to Stevens. "By eliminating your department of religion you are about to jettison a heritage which reaches back to the beginnings of this century, a heritage which helped establish Penn as one of the preeminent institutions in this country," wrote DeConcini, a professor of religion and culture at Emory University. While Dunning said in Almanac that he did not doubt Stevens' sincerity, he asked whether her predecessors would put such a premium on the study of religion. "She fails to realize that her successors (and perhaps even some of her own associate deans) may not be so committed," he wrote. Matter said last week that her cause is not "a battle about winning and losing." "What we're interested in doing is protecting the future of our field at Penn," she said. "What concerns us about the administration's proposal is that they haven't thought about that."
(11/02/93 10:00am)
College freshman Sabrina Lowe knew what she was getting into when she came to the University. And, because of this, the first half of her first semester at the University has met her expectations. "It really hasn't been too bad," Lowe said. "Midterms were sort of a wake up call, but classes have really only involved taking notes and reading." Lowe is one of a group of freshmen who The Daily Pennsylvanian is following through their first year at the University to better understand their experiences. She and other freshmen agree that getting adjusted to the University has not been as hard as they thought it would be. Wharton freshman Riley McCormack said despite his enrollment in the Joseph Wharton Scholars program, he has found the University's academic environment to be surprisingly relaxed. "Coming into an Ivy League school, I expected to be swamped with work, but its been a lot of fun," he said. "There has been plenty of time for other stuff." Having too much time on his hands, though, has created some distractions for Engineering freshman Eric Tsai. "I manage my time horribly," Tsai said. "Time just seems to slip away. I like my classes luckily." To succeed, Lowe said, students must learn to manage their time effectively. "If you sit back, you get lost in the shuffle," she said. "You have to take the initiative." Wharton freshman Felix Estrada said even if students take the initiative, they can still get lost in the shuffle. He placed some of the blame on the faculty advising system now in place for freshmen. Freshmen are only required to see their advisors twice during their first year, and for many that is the extent of their contact. "You're just thrown in there," Estrada said. "No one tells you what to do and in such a big school, you can get lost academically." Tsai said if students know where they want to go, they can find the right person to talk to. For students like Lowe, who do not yet know their course of study, Tsai's words are of little solace. "If you already know what you want to do, there's an advisor for you," she said. "But there's no one for the undecided students. Freshmen are neglected in that sense." Estrada agrees: "Freshmen are alienated and don't have enough say." Estrada and McCormack can go to the JWS office for advice, but for Lowe, scheduling an appointment with her faculty advisor can be tedious. "I gain a lot speaking with upperclassmen," she said. College freshman Timothy Durkin said faculty advisors need to do a little more than say, "I'm here if you need me." "They need to make more of an effort to interact throughout the year," he said. The students in the group were impressed, though, by the intellectual abilities of their fellow students. As far as faculty go, though, Estrada said they can be deaf to students' opinions. "The faculty care about Penn's image and that we're 16th in the U.S. News poll," he said. "They don't care about student's opinions and that's why we are where we are."
(10/28/93 9:00am)
Sammy brothers sick of trekking across campus to go to class can soon enroll in a College course which will be taught in the comfort of their own living room. The College of Arts and Sciences, in a joint effort with the fraternity, will offer a pilot course taught at the Sigma Alpha Mu house beginning next semester. And College Dean Matthew Santirocco said Tuesday night that if the course is a success, the College hopes to expand the program to other Greek houses next fall. "We have tried over a number of years to bring the learning experience into the student living environment," Santirocco said. "We have done this in the residences and now we are making a bold effort to expand it to the Greek houses." Taught by law school professor Frank Goodman, the course – "Free Speech and Free Press: The Supreme Court and The First Amendment"– will be part of the University's Living-Learning program. Open to all students, the course will emphasize the casebook method of legal scholarship, but also will explore the history and philosophy of the subject. Santirocco said the College's decision to offer the course stems from discussions with Greek leaders which began over the summer, and a formal proposal submitted by Sammy this fall. "The fraternities are eager to demonstrate their commitment to the intellectual enterprise, and we're eager to facilitate their efforts to do this," he added. Sammy brother and College senior J.R. Scherr, who spearheaded the effort for Sammy, said he is very excited about the opportunities that the course will provide. "Such a significant portion of the student body lives in fraternity and sorority houses," Scherr said. "And, the course is really a way of addressing their needs." According to Scherr, non-Greek students as well as fraternity members will benefit from the class. "[The course] will help to integrate fraternity members and non-fraternity members, and this is beneficial," he said. "The stereotype of fraternities as being only disruptive [will be] dispelled." He also said students will benefit from the intimate, cozy setting of a fraternity house, which will foster an environment for better and more valuable conversations. Santirocco said the course is "so uniquely Penn," and added that the subject is especially appropriate given the problems which plagued the campus last spring. "This course is yet another way of keeping the discourse going and doing what we do best, educating people on the issues," he said. "We educate much better than we write speech codes." Santirocco said he sees four major reasons for the course: to further facilitate the fraternity's intellectual experience, to link learning and living, to respond to student interest, to keep the conversation about free speech going and to realize the goal of "One University." Other courses in the College deal with the First Amendment and freedom of expression from different angles, but Goodman's will focus on law – an area where he is known to be a national expert. Scherr said if the pilot program is a success, he hopes it will be expanded to encompass other classes and other houses. "The future of the fraternity system lies in a collective effort," he said. "You can't abandon academics and expect to survive in the long run." Students should be aware, however, that class enrollment is limited to approximately 15 students – and several of those spots are being reserved for Sammy brothers. Students can enroll in the course, Political Science 198, section 303, which is held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 4:30 p.m., through PARIS.
(10/27/93 9:00am)
Dean ignores faculty vote School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rosemary Stevens said yesterday she will not re-evaluate the fate of the Religious Studies and Regional Sciences departments, even though the SAS faculty voted last week to urge her to do just that. Citing a need to avoid further delay in the implementation process, Stevens said she hopes to forward her proposals to Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson within the next week. "After careful consideration, I see no purpose in delaying," she said. "We would learn very little from the formal process of internal and external review that would change the basic proposals and, meanwhile, delay could be very deleterious for faculty and students." In an advisory vote last Thursday, the faculty urged Stevens to postpone making her recommendations to Lazerson until internal and external review committees look into the proposed cuts. Faculty voted against a review for the American Civilization Department, also slated to be disbanded. Since last month, when Stevens announced her proposal to disband the American Civilization, Regional Science and Religious Studies departments, she has been bombarded with requests to postpone or rescind her proposals. But, Stevens said, she sees change "as a forceful lever for invention." "I believe that the process of analysis has raised questions on all sides and it's now time to move ahead," she said. Many University groups have disagreed with this contention. The Undergraduate Assembly, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and University chapter of the American Association of University Professors have all taken a stand against the cuts. Stevens said that, to some degree, this reflects a misunderstanding of the proposal. She has repeatedly said the changes will not affect undergraduate education. Current course offerings would remain the same if the proposals are enacted, she said, and interdisciplinary programs, like International Relations, would take the place of the departments slated for elimination. "I believe that the process of analysis has raised questions on all sides and it's time to move ahead," she said. But departments affected by the cuts have expressed dismay about Stevens decision. "I told her it's a big mistake," Religious Studies Chairperson Ann Matter said. "I think this will set the course for the destruction of the study of religion as a discipline at Penn." Matter added she has not given up hope that the Religious Studies Department will be saved. "We still are talking to [Stevens]," she said. "We are hoping that she won't go ahead with this proposal as it is." Stevens said she hopes to obtain approval by the University Trustees – who have the final say on the proposals – by January at the latest. She added that task forces are already being formed to work with faculty members from the affected departments to make arrangements for their transfer to other departments. Regional Science Chairperson Stephen Gale said he had not heard about Stevens' decision, but added he is not surprised by it. "In the process of deliberation and consultation, a faculty vote is considered to be pretty important," he said. "It is rare that a dean would specifically counter a vote by the faculty." Matter said she has developed two alternatives to disbanding the Religious Studies Department, but to date neither has been accepted. "What is particularly disastrous about this proposal is the idea of splitting up the faculty and putting them in all different departments when creating a program," she said. Her alternatives include merging the department with another department or putting the department, as a small group, within a larger department. Matter said her cause is "not a battle about winning and losing." "What we're interested in doing is protecting the future of our field at Penn," she said. "What concerns us about the administration's proposal is that they haven't thought about that." Gale said he would not be surprised if faculty members leave the University after the cuts take effect. He said what has kept them here is the ability to work together within a department. He added that the whole process has been "distressing." "It is distressing that the process in this case has been so far removed from what is considered a form of collegiality," he said. Stevens said she is interested in hearing faculty suggestions on implementation and wants to get moving on her proposals. "Very good questions have been brought up which would effect the implementation in a good and creative way," she said. "If you're going to do something, do it."
(10/26/93 9:00am)
If you're looking for the biggest bang for your buck, you had better look somewhere else. The University was conspicuously absent from two national ratings of the "best buys in education" released this month. In Money Magazine's 1994 Edition of Best College Buys Now, which outlines the 100 best universities based on tuition and academic qualities, the University is nowhere to be found. Rather, Yale, Princeton, Harvard and Columbia universities, along with Dartmouth College, join the ranks of number one – New College of the University of South Florida. U.S. News and World Report, which placed the University last in the Ivy League last month in its 1994 College Guide, does not even mention the University in its Best Buys issue released earlier this month. The rankings were devised based on "sticker price" – the U.S. News quality ranking divided by the total of tuition, fees and room and board for the 1993-94 academic year. Interim President Claire Fagin called the rankings "nuts." "It's nuts," she said last night. "Clearly we should've been there. It's unfortunate." But the University can find solace because it was listed in U.S. News as a "Runner-Up" in the discounted tuition rate category. This rate takes into account financial aid and grants that entering freshmen receive. The University still ranked beneath its Ivy counterparts in this category, though. Money has a category specifically dedicated to "costly schools that are worth the price," and the University did not make the list. "A total of 68 schools charge more than $17,000 in tuition and fees," the magazine states. "But, only 16?scored high enough in our value analysis to justify their lofty prices." Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Columbia and Dartmouth were mentioned, along with other competitor schools such as Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Money's value analysis weighs faculty resources, faculty development, core faculty, library resources, student services budget and admissions criteria. Fagin said prospective students and their parents will wonder why the University was not listed. But, she added, the magazines probably based the ratings at least partially on the size of the University's endowment, which she says is considerably smaller than those of its Ivy competitors. "I think we provide students with an education which is of tremendous value," she said. "I haven't seen anything to doubt this, or else I wouldn't be here." College Dean Matthew Santirocco echoed Fagin. "The goal of 'One University' and our ongoing attempts to realize it sets Penn apart in a very positive way from all our other competitors," he said. He said the University's intellectually-entrepreneurial, research-orientated, internationally-based and urban nature set it apart. "We simply have a product that is particularly attractive and certainly different than that offered by the other Ivies," Santirocco said. "It will appeal to a very special type of student." Fagin said the rankings are "puzzling." "To say it's not annoying and aggravating and disappointing, that would be stupid," she said. "But I can't say I understand it."
(10/22/93 9:00am)
The faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences voted last night to urge Dean Rosemary Stevens to postpone making her recommendations to disband two of the schools 28 departments. But a similar proposal regarding the fate of the American Civilization Department went down to defeat in a close vote. The faculty called for external and internal review boards to study the Religious Studies and Regional Science departments. Passing 40 to 21 and 37 to 18, respectively, the motions urge Stevens to charge these committees and wait for their results before releasing her proposals to Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson, Interim President Claire Fagin and the University Board of Trustees. The motion for similar review boards for Am Civ was voted down 25 to 23. Votes on the merger of the Astronomy and Physics departments and the placement of the Slavics Department into receivership were not taken. The vote on these motions, postponed at last week's faculty meeting, followed a lengthy discussion yesterday on the substantive issues surrounding the cuts. Stevens, who opposed the review boards because of potential delays, would not comment on the votes. But, Parliamentarian and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Donald Fitts said last week that the vote is only advisory to Stevens and she is not required to follow it. "I want to think about the comments that were made," Stevens said after the meeting. "There were a wide variety of suggestions and I thought it was very important that we have extra time to discuss the substance of the proposals." Undergraduate Am Civ Chairperson Melvyn Hammarberg said he has a mixed reactions about the votes. "I was very pleased with the votes for Religious Studies and Regional Science and I was disappointed in the vote for American Civilization," he said. "This vote allowed the faculty to exercise its authority in the situation without having to take a direct strong stand against the dean." Hammarberg added he is unsure if the dean will follow the faculty's recommendations. "I have no idea what she will do," he said. "Clearly these are only advisory votes. I think the dean is in a position where she needs to examine her recommendations and I think the faculty has given her the time to do it." Associate Art History Professor David Brownlee said he is not surprised by the votes. "I think it was a useful meeting," he said. "The vote was more or less what I expected. The activities of this afternoon reflect the fact that we place a great deal of importance on making our opinions clearly understood." Hammarberg said he sees no need for his department to "fight on." "I don't see any reason for us to have to fight on," he said. "The moves are really in [Stevens'] court. There are really no moves for us to make at this point. She asked for guidance from the faculty and she received that guidance." The faculty meeting, which attracted about 75 faculty members, was mostly dominated by comments on the substance of the plan. Faculty members raised issues ranging from how the cuts fit into the dean's overall vision for SAS to ways in which faculty committees, chosen by the faculty, could look at the proposals and make recommendations. The most emotional address of the afternoon came from Regional Science Chairperson Stephen Gale, who spoke about his department's students and reputation. "The substance is real," Gale said. "I don't think you've looked and I don't think you've dreamed and I don't think you've built. I think you've slashed, and I think you've slashed to the ends of the curve, without thinking of what benefits the University." Stevens, who listened to the faculty members' criticisms for over an hour, said there is no easy way to make decisions which affect SAS and its faculty. "We have been engaged in this planning process over the past 18 months specifically to try to grapple with some of the questions about what it is we are as a School of Arts and Sciences," Stevens said. "It has not been an easy process for anybody." Another group of faculty, representing the entire teaching pool of the University, opposed the cuts, as outlined in a letter dated Wednesday. The University chapter of the American Association for University Professors "strongly urges" that SAS faculty "insist that they be allowed to exercise their rights and responsibilities in the matter of restructuring the institution and that their demand be supported by the Faculty Senate," Emeritus Finance Professor and AAUP President Morris Mendelson wrote in the letter. This criticism is only one of several levied against the proposals. Others include two requests for Stevens to postpone her decisions by the Undergraduate Assembly and Graduate and Professional Students Association.
(10/15/93 9:00am)
She describes herself as outspoken, accessible, honest and fair. And yesterday, before a packed audience at Irvine Auditorium, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno spoke of issues of significance to her – working together to solve problems and justice for all. Reno, the convocation speaker at the dedication of the Law School's Nicole E. Tanenbaum Hall, was also awarded the University's Medal of Distinguished Achievement by Interim President Claire Fagin and Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson at the ceremony. Reno's speech centered on the role of lawyers in society and touched on her own experiences. One of her main messages to students was "unlock the law." "Now is the time," she said. "It is the time to recognize that we face a crisis in the law, a crisis where too many people in America have no sense of the splendor of the law." But Americans can only appreciate the law if they understand it, Reno said. "We ought to be able to design laws that are not phrased in alphabet terms, and Roman numerals, and 4d's and 5a's," she said. "We should be able to devise laws that people can easily understand, that serve the people, and that enfranchise them." Although Reno spoke of the roles lawyers must play in society, she also discussed the role law has played in her life. "It was 30 years this June that I graduated from law school," she said. "And in these 30 years, the law has provided me with the greatest adventure that one can have." When she embarked on her career in law, she said, she made two promises to herself. "The first was that I would try never to do anything that I didn't enjoy doing and the law has made that possible," Reno said. "The second promise I made to myself was that I would never let the law ground me. "I would always remember that there were rivers to explore and mountains to climb and books that had nothing to do with the law to read, and most of all, a family to cherish and to spend time with so that the law did not consume me." The majority of Reno's prepared speech dealt with how lawyers must adapt to the needs of an ever-changing society. "Lawyers must trust people," she said. "They must devise laws that serve people rather than limit them. And they have to create laws and procedures and processes that enable people to be self sufficient." Reno also talked about facing the problems of society straight on, and of working to provide a better life for "the children of America who see no hope." "Too often lawyers say 'that's not my problem'," she said. "It's everybody's problem in America. Lawyers must join forces with doctors, with social workers, with teachers and everybody who really wants to get involved and make a difference." During her speech, Reno complimented the Law School for representing three messages important to her – it supports what is right, it emphasizes public service and it places a premium on the interdisciplinary study of law. Law Professor Lani Guinier, who introduced Reno, said the attorney general stands on her principles. "I was delighted to be able to introduce her," Guinier said. "She is a woman of principle. She represents the best in the federal government." Guinier, who met Reno the day after she was sworn in, worked closely with her while her nomination for assistant attorney general for civil rights was pending. Alvin Shoemaker, chairperson of the University Board of Trustees, echoed Guinier's sentiments. "She brought out the best in all of us by challenging us to be the best we can be," he said. "I thought it was fabulous." Myles Tanenbaum, who headed the Campaign for Penn Law, and father of Nicole Tanenbaum – who died of leukemia at the age of 16 and is the namesake for the new building – said students can learn a lot from Reno. "I thought it was so appropriate for law students to understand what the role of law is and how it applies to the real world," he said after the convocation. And law students appreciated Reno's candidness and down-to-earth approach. "It was very inspiring," Law student Dominick Answini said. "She encouraged people not to look at the law degree as a way to make money, but as a way to serve country and community."
(10/15/93 9:00am)
The University Trustees Academic Policy Committee took up an issue yesterday that has engulfed the campus in debate – the proposed elimination of three departments within the School of Arts and Sciences. But as expected, the group did not vote on the proposals which would disband the American Civilization, Religious Studies and Regional Science departments. The proposals, released publicly three weeks ago by SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens, would also merge the Astronomy Department with the Physics Department and place the Slavic Language Department in academic receivership. The Trustee committee heard from Stevens yesterday as she addressed the reasons behind her plan and what she considers the strengths of the plan, and answered questions about how she reached her decision. Before the proposals can be implemented next June, the full Board of Trustees must give its approval, pending the recommendation of Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson and Interim President Claire Fagin. "I certainly appreciate that change is difficult," Stevens told the committee. "But, I really feel very, very good about these moves." She said her recommendations not only capitalize on the strengths of the school, but also allow for the emergence of strong interdisciplinary programs for the study of religion and American civilization. As the Trustees listened attentively, Stevens answered questions about the overwhelmingly negative faculty response to the process she used to arrive at the decision. "To some extent, consultation is a proxy to 'let's not do it,'" she said. "I can't imagine going to the departments and saying, 'Hey folks, we're thinking about closing you down, what do you think about it?'" Stevens said she is very interested in hearing what faculty have to say, but added she has not been convinced to change her recommendations in any substantial way so far. Committee Chairperson Donald Langenberg said when cuts were imminent at the University of Maryland, where he is chancellor of schools, he told faculty to come up with other suggestions for change. "The board said that's what will be done unless you can come up with something better to do," he said. "All of a sudden, there was a flood of creativity." Stevens further quelled the committee's fears by saying students would not feel the effect of the changes. Undergraduates, she said, would still be able to major in the fields of the eliminated departments. Lazerson, who will not release a recommendation until Stevens officially submits her proposal to him, said the changes look "like a real stroke of genius even though they are painful." "While this is a current hot topic, we are likely to see conversations like this in other schools over the next few years," he added. Trustees seemed impressed by Stevens' "courage." "I thought [the presentation] was very enlightening," Term Trustee Bruce Mainwaring said. "I know a lot better now some of the background." Stevens, however, faces a tougher sell to faculty and students. The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly passed a resolution Tuesday criticizing the administration's handling of the cuts and the Undergraduate Assembly voted to ask Stevens to postpone the cuts, asking her to meet with student leaders to explain her rationale. Am Civ Undergraduate Chairperson Melvyn Hammarberg said he thinks the Trustees will hear all sides of the story before they vote. "I certainly think it is important that the Trustees hear the concerns of the faculty and the concerns of the departments that are affected," he said. "I have every reason to believe that they will." The Trustees may vote on the recommendations during their next visit to campus, in January.
(10/13/93 9:00am)
Former University Provost Eliot Stellar, who oversaw the creation of the School of Arts and Sciences and implementation of the "One University" concept, died yesterday of cancer. He was 73. Stellar, who served as provost from 1973 to 1978, was chairperson of the Medical School's Anatomy Department at the time of his death. Since 1954, when he joined the University faculty as an associate professor of physiological psychology, Stellar played a major role in implementing many of the University's current policies and programs. Interim President Claire Fagin called Stellar's death "a terrible, terrible loss." "He was one of the greatest scientists and human beings I have ever met," she said. "I personally owe him a great deal. It is a tremendous loss to Penn, to his field, to the nation and, most of all, to his family." Under Stellar's leadership, the University Scholars program was established. The program, which Stellar headed for more than 15 years, gives undergraduates the opportunity to submatriculate into graduate schools while enrolled at the University. "He was the most wonderful man I have met on the Penn's campus," said University Scholars Coordinator Susan Duggan. "I found him easy to work for, wonderful to work for, and extremely intelligent. I've never heard anyone say a bad word about him." A specialist in eating disorders, Stellar wrote at least three books, including Eating and Eating Disorders, which he co-authored with Emeritus Psychology Professor Mickey Stunkard. Stellar, who received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his graduate degrees from Brown University, is also known for spearheading the establishment of informed consent in the medical profession – which requires that individuals understand and consent in advance to their use as subjects in studies. "He was user-oriented in the best of senses," former University President Martin Meyerson said last night. "That meant he was student-oriented, faculty-oriented, patient-oriented and it meant that he was always oriented to the well-being and protection of his subjects." Meyerson, who nominated Stellar to serve as provost and worked alongside him, said Stellar was "saintly." "One of the greatest joys in my career was working with Eliot Stellar," he said. "He was a friend and a mentor to all of us at Penn – students, faculty, staff and administrators." In academic circles, Stellar's name is associated with genius. From 1987 until 1990, Stellar served as president of the Philadelphia-based American Philosophical Society, an intellectual society founded by Benjamin Franklin. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, serving as a member of its Institute of Medicine and Human Rights Commission and of the American Academy of the Arts and Sciences. Stellar received honorary degrees from Johns Hopkins University, Emory University and Tianjin Medical College in China. Last month, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Psychological Science by the American Psychological Association. Among Stellar's many contributions to the University was his choice of Lee Stetson as admissions dean and his efforts to expand University recruitment. University Chaplain Stanley Johnson called Stellar an "innovator and a conciliator." "He was renowned for his ability to get things done," Johnson said. "He had an amazing ability to bring people together." Fagin said a University-wide memorial service will be held for Stellar in November. Stellar, of Ardmore, is survived by his wife, Betty, and two children, James and Elizabeth.
(10/13/93 9:00am)
Nearly 150 faculty members in the School of Arts and Sciences gathered to listen to and debate Dean Rosemary Stevens' proposal to restructure the school yesterday afternoon. After over an hour and a half of emotional exchanges between Stevens and faculty members, the meeting was adjourned until next Thursday. The meeting – the first SAS faculty gathering of the year – was called in order to give faculty members the opportunity to discuss Stevens proposal to disband three of the school's 28 departments. Discussion, however, did not center on the proposals themselves, but rather on how Stevens arrived at her recommendations to disband the American Civilization, Regional Science and Religious Studies departments. The plan also would merge the Astronomy Department with the Physics Department and place the Slavic Languages Department in receivership. In her opening remarks, Stevens addressed some of the complaints that faculty members have raised in the three weeks since she made her plans public. "Make no mistake about it, decisions to eliminate departments do place strain upon collegiality," Stevens said. "But they are the sort of decisions that we must make as a school and that deans are entrusted to do." But, when given an opportunity to speak, several faculty members said Stevens violated procedures outlined by former Provost Michael Aiken on the discontinuation of a department. The procedures state that "the dean should make his or her recommendation only after a careful study, a dialogue with involved faculty and a thorough discussion in a meeting of the standing faculty of the school." Ann Matter, chairperson of the Religious Studies Department, said in her five years as chairperson, she hadn't "had any whisper of a hint" that her department was in trouble. "We're all educators and we know that you don't fail a student before giving the student the chance to do better the next time," she said. Murray Murphey, chairperson of the American Civilization Department, passed out two resolutions before the meeting began, which cited Stevens' alleged failure to comply with the provost's procedures as reasons to postpone officially making the recommendations. The resolution must be approved by Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson, Interim President Claire Fagin and, finally, University Trustees before taking effect. The Trustees are not expected to vote on the measure at their campus meeting Thursday, and most likely will not take action on the issue before January. When one of Murphey's resolutions was moved and seconded, Parliamentarian and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Donald Fitts said it "asked the dean to do what the dean is already doing." He then ruled the motion out of order. After faculty members broke out in a chorus of cynical laughter, Philosophy Professor James Ross proposed a resolution calling for an external review of each of the departments slated to be cut before the recommendations are carried out. Stevens, who said this suggestion would injure the momentum of the process, reiterated numerous times throughout the meeting that she has been listening to faculty members' views. "Consultations have been taking place practically non-stop during the last three weeks," she said at one point. "The recommendations have been discussed with members of each of the departments concerned both collectively and individually. We have been listening to all points of view." Before a vote could be taken on the matter, Stevens announced that the meeting had to be adjourned due to a room conflict – an accounting exam. History Professor Michael Zuckerman said nothing was accomplished at the meeting. "It was a farce," he said. "There was no shadow of concern by the administration for what the faculty thinks." Stevens, who thought the meeting was "very interesting," said she, too, was upset with the way the meeting ran. "I was a little disappointed that there was so much talk about the process," she said. "I'm glad we have the opportunity for further discussion next week. I want to make sure everyone's views are expressed and heard." After the meeting, Stevens said she still was not persuaded that her recommendations should be modified. She added, though, that if the faculty ultimately passes Ross' resolution, she would take it under advisement.
(10/12/93 9:00am)
School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rosemary Stevens will address faculty members' concerns about her proposal to reorganize SAS at a school-wide faculty meeting today. The meeting, at 4:30 p.m. in Stiteler Hall room B-6, will be Stevens' first public response to concerns about her decision to cut the American Civilization, Regional Science and Religious Studies departments. Stevens has proposed to replace the Am Civ and Religious Studies departments with interdisciplinary programs similar to those in place for Biological Basis of Behavior and International Relations. Faculty members said they plan to question the process the dean used to reach her decision at the meeting. But no faculty vote will be taken on the issue. "We're hoping that the issue of how these decisions were made without any consultation can be discussed in the open rather than in private, like has been going on for the past three weeks," Religious Studies Chairperson Ann Matter said. Stevens said attendance at faculty meetings has traditionally been low, but added she hopes many faculty members will attend the meeting – the first of the year. "This is an opportunity for discussions about actions that affect departments and the school as a whole," she said. Stevens also will announce her decisions on departmental faculty requests and discuss her recently-proposed strategic plan for the 21st century. New departmental faculty will also be introduced at the meeting. Regional Science Chairperson Stephen Gale said he does not think anything will come out of today's meeting. "By and large, in public meetings like this, what you get is a modest discussion of what some of the reasons might have been," Gale said. He added that faculty members tend to hold issues "close to their vests," saving heated discussions for private meetings. Response to Stevens' proposal to "streamline" the educational structure of the school has been overwhelmingly negative. Letters from faculty members in similar departments around the country to the ones affected have been streaming in to Interim President Claire Fagin and Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson's office. Faculty in each of the affected departments have also written letters to Almanac explaining their reservations. Fagin, who must make a recommendation about the proposal before University Trustees vote on it, said she has not arrived at a decision. She added it would be "premature" to comment on the plan until it is reviewed by SAS faculty and Lazerson. Fagin said letters sent to her office will be taken seriously, but she added they should have been addressed to Stevens, who formulated the proposal. Fagin will not attend today's meeting. Donald Langenberg, chancellor of the University of Maryland system and chairperson of the University Trustee's Academic Policy and Planning Committee, said his committee will not take action on the proposal at the Trustees' meeting this week. He said the earliest time a vote could be taken is in January – at the Trustee's next meeting – once Trustees have the opportunity to review the proposals. Matter said the prospect of changes in Stevens' proposal depends on the mindset of the deans – Stevens and Associate Deans Richard Beeman, Frank Warner and Matthew Santirocco. "I think that the change will have to be in the mind and the heart of the deans," Matter said. "I hope the faculty meeting will convince them that their faculty have serious concerns about their proposals." Stevens said she hopes everyone has a chance to speak at the meeting, adding she has been listening to faculty members' concerns since she submitted her proposals three weeks ago. Stevens hopes a clear presentation of the recommendations goals and rationales will reassure faculty members that the action is necessary. "I think change is difficult for everyone who is concerned to accept," she said. "I really think, though, that change is going to work well."
(10/08/93 9:00am)
They came. They ate. They learned a lot about the University. A group of 44 national and international high school counselors visited campus this week as part of a four-day trip to the Philadelphia area. The visit was sponsored by the Four School Program – a group consisting of Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore colleges and the University. Hailing from as far away as Germany to as nearby as Washington D.C., the counselors stopped in Philadelphia on their way to the National Association of College Admissions Counselors conference in Pittsburgh. Admissions Dean Lee Stetson said the group arrived on Sunday and had made visits to the three other schools in the program before coming to campus. "Our thrust is to broaden their understanding of the intellectual community in and around Philadelphia," he said. After arriving on campus, the group ate lunch at the Palladium, and listened to a keynote speech by College Dean Matthew Santirocco about the intellectual environment at the University. That was followed by a campus tour, discussion groups with current undergraduates and a forum with admissions officers. Santirocco told the counselors, as they ate their strawberry pastry dessert, that the most unique aspect of the University is the enterprising spirit of the students. "We are at the sort of school where anything is possible," he said. "This is the legacy of Ben Franklin. He is a role model for students' intellectual curiosity and entrepreneurship." Debbie Dostert, a guidance counselor from St. Stephen's School in Rome, said he agreed with Santirocco. "From my personal experience, I think Penn is one of the most international universities," she said. "There are so many possibilities to create a program which touches on many areas." Stetson said the main purpose of the Four School Program is to encourage students at the four Philadelphia area schools to study at each other's institutions. He said, though, that this is the third such joint program that brings high schools counselors to visit the University. "Many of [the counselors] are already aware of Penn, but some have had no exposure to us at all," Stetson said. "I hope they look for more students in their high schools who would be a proper match for Penn and that they encourage them to reach for us." The counselors' food, lodging and bus transportation to Pittsburgh has been paid by the four schools. Regional Director of Admissions Amy Abrams, who planned this event, said she hopes new relationships with counselors will lead to increased interest in the University. "This really allowed counselors to make the campus come alive in their minds," she said. Tony Maher, a counselor from the Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, Wash., said the presentation was very "comprehensive." "I've never been here before, but I think Penn is a great place," Maher said. "There is a huge variety of offerings and I like the richness of cross-registration possibilities [with the Four School Program]."
(10/07/93 9:00am)
School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rosemary Stevens is unlike any of her predecessors. Some say it is her integrity; others call it a collegial spirit characterized by openness. But all agree that Stevens is bold, direct and decisive. Since she assumed the post in the summer of 1991, replacing current University of Chicago President Hugo Sonnenschein, Stevens has faced unique problems and provided decisive solutions. Given her history of solving tough problems with even tougher solutions, recent moves by Stevens should not come as a surprise. Only six months into her deanship, Stevens boldly recommended and enacted a hiring freeze of tenure track faculty for two years due to concerns about the recession. The move was made, not because the school was in a desperate situation, but rather as a precautionary measure, Stevens said at the time. As economic conditions worsened, Stevens asked all department chairpersons to consider reducing their budgets by 10 percent, only a year after proposing her hiring freeze. "The bad news is that the School of Arts and Sciences, like most schools in the University, must scramble to balance its budget," she said at the time. The financial situation has gotten worse, and not better, causing Stevens to urge faculty to be more innovative and entrepreneurial in their use of resources. Last month, as part of this effort to "streamline" the organizational structure of the school, Stevens cut three of the SAS's 28 departments, promising interdisciplinary programs in their place. While many faculty members expressed stinging criticism for the proposal and the process used to reach the proposal, almost all believe some structural change was necessary. "I don't expect faculty to stand up and cheer and be delighted about the closing of the departments," said Associate SAS Dean Richard Beeman, "But faculty realize that these decisions have to be made." Stevens self-characterized process of evaluating problems and offering solutions is lauded as being one of thorough review and consideration. Decisions which cross her desk are based on consultations with faculty members, a review of evidence, the needs of different fields, the leadership of the school and the well-being of the faculty. "I don't expect everybody to agree with me all the time," Stevens said last night. "But, it is absolutely essential that faculty and students know what we are trying to do." Even those upset with Steven's decision to cut the American Civilization, Religious Studies and Regional Science departments, agree she is a person of good will who is open about her plans. Ann Matter, chairperson of the Religious Studies Department, said she felt Stevens was "misinformed" and "misguided" about her department. "She's a very decent person who is doing what she thinks is right. I think very highly of her, but I think the process [used by Stevens to cut the departments] is wrong." Matter said she is upset that neither she, nor members of her department were consulted about the changes before they were proposed. On top of her desire to be open with faculty and students, Stevens' knack for reality and planning for the future has been recognized and praised. As chairperson of the committee which wrote the school's strategic plan released last week – called "Priorities for the Twenty-First Century" – she attempts to shape the school in every way to the year 2000 and beyond. Beeman said the reason Stevens understands the needs of the faculty and the needs of the school is that she is a longstanding member of the faculty in the History and Sociology of Science Department. "Rosemary has been a member of this faculty for many years, so if there is one thing that everybody knows about her, it is that she is looking out for the faculty," he said. Stevens said she is not motivated by any interest in becoming provost or president, following the pattern set by her predecessors Michael Aiken and Sonnenschein. When her five-year term as dean is over, she hopes to return to her loves: "teaching" and "research." "I'm enjoying doing this," Stevens said of her position and the challenges involved in problem solving. "I feel very fortunate that I am having this opportunity to serve the school in an administrative capacity."
(10/07/93 9:00am)
Undergraduate and graduate students are being asked to sign on the dotted line. A petition drive, begun by a group of American Civilization graduate students, is now underway to protest School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rosemary Stevens' decision to disband three of the school's 28 departments. The petition expresses disapproval with Stevens' proposal to disband the American Civilization, Regional Sciences and Religious Studies departments. It is addressed to the University's Trustees, who are scheduled to take up the issue when they visit campus next week. "As a world class university, we need small departments like American Civilization, Regional Science and Religious Studies," the petition reads. "Large departments are unable to offer us a coherency of ideas and thought across boundaries. Disbanding these departments would mean sacrificing the quality of our education." Am Civ graduate student Rachel Batch said students from many different departments are carrying the petitions. She added that students feel they had no say in a decision that could affect their studies at the University. "The students don't really have a voice in this matter, and we just thought this would be a way for a group to get together to say what our feelings are," Batch said. "We are the ones who are going to be affected by this." The petition drive, which began Monday, has collected at least 200 signatures, said another Am Civ graduate student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The student said the group who wrote the petition had two rationales. "One was to create a venue for students to be able to voice their opinion about the loss of three small departments," she said. "And since Dean Stevens doesn't seem to be concerned about students' opinions about their education, we thought the Trustees might be." Murray Murphey, chairperson of the Am Civ Department, said he is not directly involved with the petition drive. He added, though, that he supported the students' efforts. "I think every little bit helps," he said last night. "I think that it may have an effect on the fate of the ultimate proposal." The proposal, before going into effect, must be approved by the Trustees, based on the recommendation of the provost and president, and following a faculty meeting to discuss the proposal. A faculty meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, and so far neither Interim President Claire Fagin nor Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson has publicly made their views on Stevens' proposal known. College sophomore and Am Civ major Andrew Krakowski said he hopes students' efforts will be recognized by the Trustees. "We're trying to find out if we can get a say in what's going on," said Krakowski, who has written letters to five of the key administrators, including Stevens. "Right now, we're not getting a vote. We're the ones being affected and we're not allowed to do anything about it." Am Civ Professor Melvyn Hammarberg said that, regardless of the outcome, the students are to be commended for taking the initiative. "If education is about anything, it is about forming your own ideas and acting upon them," he said. "I am very proud of the students."
(10/04/93 9:00am)
It attempts to do the impossible – expand and create new programs in the wake of budget limitations. But according to the authors of the School of Arts and Sciences' Strategic Plan, released last week by Dean Rosemary Stevens, the plan is realistic and will set a model for other schools to follow. Called "Priorities for the Twenty-First Century," the plan is designed to serve as the backbone of the school until the year 2000. College Dean Matthew Santirocco said the plan sets goals for the school, which he called "doable." "The school is setting up very specific goals and prioritizing them," he said. Santirocco, who chaired the Task Force on Undergraduate Education, added that the programs outlined in the plan can be divided up into those that are funding-dependent and those which require creative use of available resources. He said that the school's "number one priority" is financial aid. "The school alone cannot raise the amount of money necessary to guarantee that we will always have what we have now – the best and the brightest," Santirocco said. "The school cannot go at it alone, it needs help. The University must come to realize that it is not only a school responsibility, but a University responsibility." SAS Associate Dean Frank Warner said the plan is honest, pointing to tables showing the financial difficulties the school faces. "We tried very hard to make it as realistic as possible," he said. "Table One of the report is a very candid and realistic assessment of budget prospects for the next seven years." Table One states that for Fiscal Year 1995, the school will work with a $4.28 million deficit, taking into account operating expenses and financial aid obligations. This deficit shrinks, but persists into Fiscal Year 2000, based on projections. "In contrast to some plans that come up with balanced bottom lines, this plan shows that we have some real challenges ahead of us," Warner said. "We are quite open and frank about the challenges we face." Stevens, who chaired the committee that authored the report, said the plan is prudent and "uses resources which the school expects to have." "The basic recommendations about education are both exciting and definitely achievable," Stevens said. "Indeed we have already made some moves and we will continue to enhance our undergraduate and graduate education programs within the genius of our faculty." Stevens said the school has already embarked on programs which are not resource intensive, including a broad-based review of the General Requirement, the introduction of a new joint-degree program between the Wharton School and the College and the establishment of a teaching resource center. She said, however, that facilities-related questions are much more difficult to answer. "We will complete the work being done on Logan Hall and move back departments which we are now located on Market Street," Stevens said. "Facilities are far less important than faculty and educational programs. "We do need to keep a very close eye on our facilities and continue aggressively to raise money so we can move ahead as quickly as possible," she added. Santirocco said a lot of the proposals in the Strategic Plan do not require exorbitant amounts of money. "It takes a lot of money to renovate a lab, but how much does it cost to address the General Requirement?" he said. "When it comes to undergraduate education, there are a number of issues that don't cost that much money and that would have an enormous impact on the quality of a student's education and experience at Penn." He said these programs require a redeployment of resources. One of these is a research program, which aims to provide research opportunities to all undergraduates who want them. Rethinking programs, such as study abroad, faculty advising and declaring a major cost nothing at all, but can make a big difference in the lives of students, Santirocco added. Stevens said the success of many of the programs depends on the next phase of Penn's Campaign – which has raised more than $1 billion to date. "For the College, how much of that is used for activities and financial aid has not been clearly defined," she said. "I think that's one of the major jobs for a new president – to define priorities across the University, and specifically, to place the issue of financial aid as an important University goal in terms of long-term fund-raising." Warner doesn't think the goals are "high in the sky." "I really believe it is quite realistic," he said. "There are goals in terms of the type of faculty we want, the type of support we want to give the faculty and the quality of the graduate and lifelong education we want to give. We didn't put things in there that are high in the sky." "With cooperation of the faculty and good planning with regard to financial resources, we will achieve what we set out to," Warner said.
(10/01/93 9:00am)
In the sharpest criticism yet of School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rosemary Stevens' proposal to cut three of the school's 28 departments, American Civilization Chairperson Murray Murphey called for students and faculty to actively protest the cuts. In a statement, Murphey called the recommendations to disband the American Civilization, Regional Science and Religious Studies departments "a betrayal of the commitments that Penn made to its students when they came here to study in these fields." Stevens' decision, he said, "shows that Penn is indeed the bottom of the Ivy League." Murphey challenged the cuts of the departments on seven grounds – which range from the method in which they were imposed to their potential effects. Stevens said she will continue to listen to faculty and consult them about the changes. "I am having a lot of consultations right now with all departments in the school and with numerous individuals, including those in the departments of American Civilization, Religious Studies and Regional Science," Stevens said. "I will continue to consult widely and listen." Murphey first questioned the proposal based on the way it was done. "This action marks the end of collegial government at Penn," the statement reads. "Not one of the departments affected was consulted about these plans, and several had no prior indication that such an action was pending." According to University statutes, a dean's recommendations regarding curriculum changes may be approved only by the Trustees. But Murphey said this matter concerns the entire faculty of the school. He added that despite protests from all the departments cut, Stevens has refused to consider any changes. Stevens, on the other hand, said she will listen to the concerns of the faculty. "As always, I am listening and flexible," she said. "At the same time, the recommendations have not been taken lightly. These recommendations are an attempt to find optimal organizational structures for the intellectual outlets of the school." Stevens plans on replacing the American Civilization and Religious Studies departments with interdepartmental programs, similar to the International Relations and Biological Basis of Behavior programs currently in place. Murphey said the rationale for this action is "dishonest." "The truth is that some of these departments already have distinguished reputations, and that some of them are now among the most 'efficient' in SAS according to the dean's own measure of efficiency," he said. "It is simply not true that efficiency or distinction in these fields will be improved by destroying these departments." But the harshest criticism Murphey lodged, was that "this action shows that Penn is indeed the bottom of the Ivy League." "Every Ivy League school has a religious studies department; we will not," he said. "Yale and Brown have American civilization departments; we will not. All of them have astronomy departments; we will not. The real question is not whether we are the bottom of the Ivy League; the question is whether we qualify as Ivy League at all." Stevens said she respects Murphey's right to express his opinion. "I believe in open expression and Professor Murphey is entitled to his views," she said. "He and I have been talking and disagreeing about the future of the American Civilization department since my first day as dean." She added that she would not comment on the specific points Murphey raises. Murphey's final critique was that the cuts "devalue the degrees which have been awarded to the graduates of these departments." "Already the students are asking whether they ought to transfer elsewhere," he said. "This action is a betrayal of the commitments that Penn made to its students when they came here to study in these fields. It is also a betrayal of the commitments Penn made to the faculty who came here to work in these fields. And it is a betrayal of the mission of this university." A faculty meeting is scheduled to discuss the cuts on October 12, but the plan is not subject to a faculty vote.
(10/01/93 9:00am)
Report charts path until 2000 After spending nearly a year and a half reviewing undergraduate and graduate education, the School of Arts and Sciences released its Strategic Plan yesterday, which sets broad goals for the next seven years. The 57-page plan – complete with appendices, charts, graphs and summaries – outlines how the school, which faces severe financial constraints, plans to use its resources most efficiently. Called "Priorities for the Twenty-First Century," the plan is designed to serve as the backbone of the school until the year 2000. If all goes according to plan, by the turn of the century, College undergraduates will have unparalleled research opportunities, and nearly a third of them will spend at least a semester abroad. The plan also calls for changes in the University's physical layout, from an "SAS Precinct" in the center of campus to a new building to house the Psychology Department. Dean Rosemary Stevens, who chaired the group which authored the plan, called the report "wonderful, extremely thoughtful and exciting." "This is an essential context for looking at the decisions about departments and this is really a very large effort involving a large number of faculty in the Arts and Sciences," she said. The report revolves around what it calls the four missions of the School of Arts and Sciences: · to provide the best undergraduate education in the world · to ensure that the next generation of scientists, scholars and teachers are well prepared for their future roles · to pursue wisdom and advanced knowledge through scholarly research in the humanities, and the social and natural sciences · to sponsor academic-based community service programs and volunteer work which are viewed nationally as a model. Unlike reports of the past, this plan comes at a time when the school already has been forced to cut spending in all of its departments. The strategic plan set out two aims which address these circumstances. The first is to achieve greater educational quality without budget increases; the other is to look for greater, more creative and often-overlooked academic opportunities. Another repercussion of the budgetary constraints is a plan to keep the number of faculty members, which ranges from 480 to 490, steady for the remainder of the century. New appointments will focus primarily on assistant professorships. The number of standing faculty has dropped from 528 in 1974 to 497 in 1987, and to 475 this year. "An important, positive trade-off for this dimunition," the report says, "was the School's commitment to provide faculty salaries competitive with peer institutions." Stevens said some of the big "question marks" stemming from budgetary limitations will be overhead costs, the rate of growth of student financial aid and facilities planning and financing. For instance, for the school to meet the increased demand for financial aid, it will have to raise an additional $4 million per year over the course of the next four years. "The message right now is that we are in a period of trade-offs," Stevens said. "Since we are an educational institution, everything possible must be done to make sure we don't trade against our research and teaching." The Strategic Plan also proposes to: · increase undergraduate enrollment modestly each year, from 5,830 today to 6,000 in fiscal year 1998 · increase faculty participation in advising at all levels in the College · simplify the process of selecting a major by extending faculty advising through the sophomore year instead of just freshman year · establish a Teaching Resource Center, which will offer mentoring programs for faculty and work to improve the teaching skills of all faculty and teaching assistants · increase the number of multi-year graduate fellowships, while maintaining the ability to provide adequate student stipends · develop an integrated program to evaluate the progress of students to help shorten the time to degree · increase the number of students in the College of General Studies by at least 10 percent from the current base of 600 students · increase the number of students participating in study abroad programs to 35 percent · create an SAS Precinct – a long-range campus master plan – which would geographically place SAS at the core of the University. Stevens said the research for the plan began in the spring of 1992, when a set of task forces were charged and a supervisory Planning and Priorities Committee was formed. Nearly 100 administrators, faculty members and staff served on 11 committees working on different aspects of the plan. Last fall, Stevens also asked each department to prepare a five-year plan stressing the intellectual strengths and directions of the field. "Emphasis was placed on the fact that we all had to plan very creatively within our best steady state," Stevens said. In March 1993, the faculty discussed the plan at a faculty meeting. After modifications were made during the summer and early fall, the plan was approved by Interim President Claire Fagin and Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson before being released. "We have tried to produce a realistic report," Stevens said. "This is both an attempt to have a realistic budget going out seven years and a very acute awareness of the pressures on the academic budget of the school." Stevens said she thinks this plan offers organizational flexibility and a look at undergraduate education for the future. "We are very special because of where we are and what we are," Stevens said. "We wish to be leaders, not only in providing undergraduate education, but in articulating the best forms of undergraduate education for the future."
(09/30/93 9:00am)
Student input to be sought The College of Arts and Sciences has begun a review of the General Requirement, which promises to leave no stone unturned and no voice unheard. College Dean Matthew Santirocco said the distribution requirements, which were created in 1987, are going to be the target of a major review which looks at curriculum aspects and general policy concerns. The General Requirement currently consists of 10 courses that must be distributed among six sectors and a seventh category, called "Science Studies." The Committee on Undergraduate Education and the Curriculum Committee for the School of Arts and Sciences will be charged with researching the performance of the General Requirement. The two committees will work through the fall and spring semesters, in hopes of submitting a report, complete with recommendations, by spring. Santirocco said student input will be a major source of the committees' data. Issues ranging from whether a history major should be required to take the history/tradition distribution to whether more than one freshman seminar should be counted toward the requirement will be considered. Curriculum Committee Chairperson Larry Gladney said that when the requirement was created, the College mandated a review after five years. "We're going to be seeing how well the coherence of the sectors have maintained over time," he said. "We may suggest that sectors be rearranged or reassign the courses within the sectors." Gladney said the curriculum committee will review all aspects of the requirement in order to produce a comprehensive report for the faculty on how the committee will proceed. Student groups, ranging from the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education to the Undergraduate Assembly, will be asked for their input, Santirocco said. He added, though, that he wants input from unaffiliated students as well. "Now is the real chance for student input to make a difference," Santirocco said. "Is it intelligible to the students? Do they understand the shape of it? Is there an intellectual coherence? I want to know all of these things." The newly-created Dean's Forum – an Internet newsgroup which allows College students to communicate directly with the dean – will help Santirocco reach even more students. "I want to give the committees a huge stack of student input to factor into their consideration," Santirocco added. Jonathon Pitt, a College senior and president of SCUE, said he is glad the administration is undertaking the review, but added he believes there are major flaws in the General Requirement. "It's a system which does not work right now," Pitt said. "I praise efforts that are aimed at revamping the requirement, at changing the requirement, and at trying to give more backbone to it, to have the requirement make sense." He added that SCUE has undertaken its own study of the requirement, which will be released in the next month. "The General Requirement is a system with little, if any, philosophical justification, and which makes little, if any, intellectual sense in its current form," he said. "The decision to put certain courses on the sector lists seems to be backed by administrative and political aims, and not by a sound educational philosophy." Santirocco said that in addition to wanting to hear students' opinions, he wants them to understand the requirement and its purpose. To this end, he designed a brochure this summer, which students can pick up at the College office, explaining the goals and history of the recommendation. "[The General Requirement] is designed to be assembled into what may be pictured as an intellectual scaffolding around the vast and varied enterprises of the University," the brochure states. "From the vantages offered by that framework, students can develop an overall acquaintance with landmarks of human intellectual achievement and the varied shapes of modern scholarship." Santirocco is also encouraging all College departments to participate in the review and to look internally at the courses they offer for the requirement. Committee on Undergraduate Education Chairperson David Brownlee, an associate professor and graduate chairperson of History of Art, said his committee will try to determine how to make the General Requirement more workable and adaptable to the changing character of the University over time. "One of the things we need to look at is whether there are ways to administer the requirement in a way which gives it more shape and maintains the integrity of the sectors," Brownlee said. He added that nothing is beyond review. "There are no questions that are off limits," he said. "But there is some consensus that there should be some form of a general requirement, so I'd be surprised if there would be much debate over its existence."
