1000 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(03/15/95 10:00am)
"You go, be a lawyer," Playboy photographer David Chan said gently with a heavy Chinese accent as he ushered out one freshly tanned, short-skirted University student from his suite at the Sheraton Hotel on 36th and Chestnut streets. As Chan escorted her through the door, with his arm swept over her shoulders, brushing against her straight blond hair, he left the student wondering if she might be selected from the 50 or so applicants who want to represent the University in Playboy magazine's spread, "Women of the Ivy League." And when his assistant greeted the next applicant, another short-skirted woman with a darker spring break tan, straighter hair and platform shoes, he welcomed the candidate with the same type of comforting words and gestures that Chan had just used in his send off. According to Chan, creating a relaxed atmosphere for students who have never modeled before -- let alone been faced with the prospect of posing fully or partially nude -- is an important part of college spreads. So yesterday when applicants arrived, Chan, his assistant and his dog Mei Ling (Chinese for "pretty woman") greeted them with small-talk before they were asked to pose in their choice of a bathing suit or "non-wintery" clothing for Polaroid pictures. After her interview with Chan, one student, who did not want her name disclosed, complimented his efforts. "They really made me feel at ease," said the applicant, who like the other two was dressed in a drifty mid-thigh length skirt, heels and a black leather jacket. "I didn't feel like they were lecherous old men." Although she said the "informal" atmosphere dispelled her anxiety, the College senior also credited her laid-back attitude to her Los Angeles upbringing. The University community is unjustly critical of women interested in appearing in the Playboy spread, she said. "I think Penn is an incredibly uptight school in terms of everything," she said. "I think people are much more afraid to do something like this because of what people might think of them, and because there is so much of a backlash against publications like Playboy -- especially in the DP, in editorials and letters to the editor." Chan agreed. Although he said he has already found several students who fit the mold he is searching for -- "sensuous, with smiling eyes" -- he said the number of applicants at the University and other Ivy League schools is diminutive in comparison to state universities and those in warmer weather locations where women are "a little bit looser." "There is a difference, you have more to choose from when 200-300 come in and 40-50 here," he said. "Young ladies from a warm climate are more comfortable with themselves. They look at themselves a little bit better than [in] cold weather." But the difference between "Women of the Ivy League" and women at other Universities does not end with self-perception, according to the applicant interviewed. She said the photo spread will combat the negative stigma attached to intelligent women, particularly those at the University. "It breaks the stereotype of a woman can't be smart and pretty as well," she said. "If I went to a state school, I don't think I would do it. But because I go to an Ivy, I think there is a point to be made. "The Ivy League has a reputation to uphold," she added. "I think this is a good thing and there are stereotypes that will be broken because of this -- especially the bad reputation that women have here."
(03/15/95 10:00am)
Rather than just complaining, students who have a problem with the way the University's student government works will have a chance to vote on at least one proposal for a new constitution on March 28 and 29. A plan to change the way members of the Undergraduate Assembly are elected will also be on the ballot, according to UA Chairperson Dan Debicella, a Wharton junior. The constitutional reform proposal currently on the ballot is the result of a collaboration between UA member and College senior Dan Schorr and former Student Activities Council Finance Committee member Mike Nadel, a College junior and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist. Debicella said that in addition to the Nadel-Schorr plan, he has heard that College senior Seth Hamalian and Wharton senior Eric Leathers have each drafted new constitutions and are currently circulating petitions to put them on the ballot. Leathers could not be reached for comment last night, but Hamalian denied authoring a constitution. He said he only offered advice to others, whom he refused to name, and that they incorporated his ideas into a reform proposal for which he is currently circulating petitions. In addition, College senior Sharon Jindal confirmed that she was circulating a petition to put a constitutional reform proposal on the ballot for an unnamed friend. No details of the new constitutional drafts were available last night and it was not clear exactly how many proposals have been developed. Hamalian said he has not talked to Leathers and that it is possible the two are petitioning for the same plan. The one known reform plan, the Nadel-Schorr proposal, would entirely replace the UA and Nominations and Elections Committee with a new body called the Undergraduate Senate. The Senate would perform all functions currently under the UA's and the NEC's jurisdictions, and would also be responsible for allocating funds to SAC groups. SAC would continue to exist as a forum for recognizing new groups and communicating information among them, according to the proposal. It would have the ability to overturn Senate funding decisions through a two-thirds vote. A "Constitutional Administration Council" would also be created to oversee the operations of the Senate and to administer elections. In order for the proposal to be adopted, it must be approved by a majority of at least 20 percent of undergraduates. Debicella's proposal for electoral reform will also be put to a vote on the election day. It would create 33 geographically-based electoral districts for UA representatives and would move elections to the fall. Under the current system, UA members are elected by school, and eight members are elected in the fall from the freshman class. It is unclear whether the amendment would affect the new Senate, if the Nadel-Schorr plan is adopted. Nadel would not comment on Debicella's proposed amendment.
(03/15/95 10:00am)
As a symbol of their joint commitment to peace, 12 Israeli and Palestinian artists have come together to create "Building Bridges," an art exhibition of more than 30 collages, drawings, paintings and sculptures on exhibit at the Arthur Ross Gallery. By merely exhibiting their art together, Israelis and Palestinians are cutting through barriers and hostility that has historically divided them, according to Lucia Dorsey, one of the exhibit's organizers. "They have been showing together, and just by having contact they are making a statement," she said. Dorsey added that there is a diverse representation of talents in the exhibit, which is augmented by the different materials, styles and subject matters. Sulieman Mansour, a Palestinian artist, used unusual items such as cans, hinges, and mud in his work. "Palestinians used what they had," Dorsey explained. Mansour's sculptures are characterized by uneven surfaces and carved drawings hidden in the back. Khalil Rabah, another Palestinian artist, used an authentic wheat sack in his artwork -- complete with rips and holes. Israeli artist Tamar Getter draws with white chalk on black paper, creating various abstract pieces. Palestinian artist Taleb Duweik uses a myriad of themes in his work, ranging from religion to war. One of his paintings depicts a terrifying scene of prisoners facing armed soldiers from behind a barbed wire fence. The colors are dark and ominous. Another of his pieces, painted in lighter shades, portrays a serene mosque. Nabil Anani, also Palestinian, uses small pieces of painted leather in one of his works. Dilys Winegrad, director of the Arthur Ross Gallery, said in a statement that the exhibit exemplifies the Middle East movement toward peace. "The artists' cooperation and work are a powerful example of how art and culture can forward the cause of peace," he said. "The show in our gallery provides a context for further dialogue among members of the community, both on and off campus." The exhibit was planned to coincide with peace negotiations in Israel, Dorsey said. The show was organized by the Meridian International Center in Washington and will be open through April 23.
(03/15/95 10:00am)
More than 40 members of the University community demonstrated in front of Van Pelt Library yesterday to protest last month's decision of the University's Personnel Committee to deny full professorship to Associate English Professor Vicki Mahaffey, graduate chairperson of the English Department. School of Arts and Sciences graduate student Mike Strong spoke at the demonstration about Mahaffey's accomplishments and her ability as a professor. "Dr. Mahaffey clearly deserves to be recognized as a leader here at Penn for her 15 years of excellent service," he said. In an interview last night, Mahaffey attributed her denied appointment to the equal balance that she maintains between the three criteria considered by the committee -- teaching, service and scholarship. "I think that I've kept my teaching, scholarship and service equal across the board," she said. "But [the Committee's] decision suggests to me that they shouldn't be equal." Rather, the Committee feels "professors should be 'Tuesday/Thursday' professors, and not concern themselves with teaching or service," she added. Mahaffey said her situation also subtly raises a question of gender equality in the promotion process. "For men, [the University] counts teaching and service, but for women they expect it," she said. "For men, they don't expect it." She also criticized the University's promotion system for its lack of accountability. "They didn't give me reasons -- no letters, nothing in writing," she said. "They only suggested that my second book should already have been sent to the press, not only completed, before I am promoted." At yesterday's demonstration, SAS graduate student Matthew Ruben read a letter written by Graduate English Association members which was later delivered to Provost Stanley Chodorow. It requested his office's "support [for] the promotion of Dr. Mahaffey." Chodorow said yesterday that "there are things that [the GEA is] asking me to do that I cannot do, because it wouldn't be appropriate to the [tenure] process." But GEA President Katie Conrad said he and SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens have the power to reverse the Personnel Committee's decision. In an interview yesterday, English Department Chairperson John Richetti said Mahaffey had his support and that of his department. "She's a very smart, brilliant person -- a great person and a great scholar," he said. "She had the nearly unanimous support of the English Department." But upon approval by her department, Mahaffey's promotion was rejected by the Personnel Committee -- which is responsible for all appointments, tenures and promotions. Conrad said the promotion system is "mystified," and added that "you can't pin anyone down." English graduate student Daniel Simpson, who attended the demonstration, voiced the same suspicions as Mahaffey. "There's a clear perception that while the University has the right rhetoric on teaching excellence, publications are given much more weight in the tenure process," he said. Although Mahaffey said she prides herself on her ability to balance the three criteria, she added that she "stands behind the quality and quantity of her publications fully." SAS Associate Dean Richard Beeman said "this case and others raise questions about the criteria for promotion and tenure." Yesterday's demonstration was organized by the GEA.
(03/15/95 10:00am)
Although baring it all for Playboy magazine may seem like a harmless endeavor, a University researcher said taking it all off may actually encourage rape. The number of reported rapes per state correlates with the circulation of pornography magazines in that state, according to Mary Anne Layden, director of education at the University's Center for Cognitive Therapy. "The number of sex magazines sold in a state is the best single predictor of how many rapes there will be in a state," she said. "Along with a few demographic variables, sex magazine circulation can explain 83 percent of the state-by-state variability in the number of rapes." Pornography magazines increase a man's likelihood to rape by altering his view of sexuality so as to increase permissiveness in sexual perpetration, she explained. "These men rate marriage and monogamy more negatively, rate their own partner's physical attractiveness more negatively, and even rate her as a person more negatively," Layden said. This is further evidenced by a study in which 65 percent of college males said they would rape if they would not get caught, she said. Layden said more support for the connection between the regular use of pornography and rape is evident in teenage boys' view of rape. She cited a study that found that of high school males ages 12 to 17, one in three said it is alright to rape a date if she is drunk, two in five said it is alright to rape her if they have been dating for six months and three in five said rape is alright if they plan to marry. According to Layden, common pornography consumption effects the viewer's sexual perspective by its dehumanization of sex. "Sexuality is supposed to be the most intimate physical expression of psychological and emotional intimacy," she said. "It should be the highest, most sacred, the quintessential act of the species. Instead the message of Playboy is that it is the most base act of the species. "Playboy says sex is about body parts, not human beings. It is about breasts and buttocks," Laden added. "It is about rape and strangers and children and groups and violence."
(03/15/95 10:00am)
Vegas oddsmakers may not believe that the Quakers have a chance of winning the upcoming NCAA Tournament -- but don't tell that to the team's loyal fans. More than 250 members of the University community gathered for a pep rally for the men's basketball team at the Palestra yesterday. The excited crowd, mostly composed of students, came to wish the Quakers luck in the National Collegiate Athletic Association college basketball championship that begins this week. The team plays the University of Alabama tomorrow night in Baltimore. Athletic Director Steve Bilsky, surrounded by cameras and flanked by the 14 varsity players, opened the pep rally. His declaration -- "We're looking forwarding to the next six games!" -- was met with wild applause from the crowd. University President Judith Rodin and Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Dan Debicella, a Wharton junior, were also on hand to wish the team luck. The crowd erupted into cheers when men's basketball head coach Fran Dunphy was introduced. Addressing the frenzied crowd, he thanked them for their "phenomenal" support. "Know full well we are appreciative and that we will do our best," Dunphy added. Team guard Jerome Allen, a Wharton senior, also thanked the University community for its continued support. "We want to see you all in Seattle," he said to the crowd, referring to the final championship game that culminates the 64-team tournament. But many students said that even if the Quakers do not make it to Seattle, they still support the team wholeheartedly. "I came out to support my friends and fellow seniors," Engineering senior Brian Marks said. College freshman Mike Price said he was there to "thank them for a great season." "They're all unselfish, hardworking players and they deserve this," he added. Guard Matt Maloney, a College senior, said the rally was good for the team. "I think it's really given us a boost," he said. Dunphy agreed. "This is a nice send-off for the players," he said.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
Former New York Times columnist and best-selling author Anna Quindlen, who gave up her column last December, came to campus February 23 to talk to the University community in a segment of the on-going Annenberg Public Policy series. She took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to chat with Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writers Jorie Green, Lisa Levenson and Ryan Papir. Daily Pennsylvanian: We're wondering how you decided to get into reporting. Anna Quindlen: I really wanted to be a fiction writer -- which seems ironic now -- and I pretty much figured out that you couldn't be a fiction writer and make a living out of it, and certain fiction writers that I knew said, "You know, what you should really do is take a job that would just pay the rent," but had nothing to do with writing, and that didn't sound like such a great idea to me. I was the editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper, so the summer after I graduated from high school I went to work as a copy girl at our local daily, the New Brunswick Home News in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They let me do some reporting in my spare time, and what I found as somebody who had been raised as a really good Catholic girl was that a job in which I got to ask people rude and intrusive questions, and go someplace where I would not normally be able to go was so seductive that the writing part of it was only half the fun, and the reporting was the other half of the fun. So once I got in, I didn't look back -- until last year? DP: Considering how seductive you found reporting, why did you move from news to editorial writing? AQ: Well, first of all, I think the very best editorial writing is founded on reporting. I very rarely did a column that I hadn't done a significant amount of reporting on first?So I never thought of doing a column as giving up the reporting -- although if I had, I might not have embraced it so whole-heartedly. But also street reporting is kind of a young person's game, and after you've covered a certain number of murders, and a certain number of city hall press conferences, and been to the White House press room enough times, hard as it is for you to believe, you think, "Been there, done that." And so one of the reasons that I was anxious to do the column is because it meant movement for me? DP: Can you tell us where you got your column ideas? AQ: Some of them I got from the daily newspaper, just picking it up in the morning. Some of them I got from Page 1, and some of them I got from three paragraphs off the AP Wire that ran at the bottom of some page. Some of them came in fits and starts, so that one of my kids would say something and I'd sort of store it up, and then three months later, there'd be something that would happen in the news and I'd think, "Gee, that reminds me of that thing that Quinn said," and then I'd do the reporting and I'd put it all together but I would be saving string on it over months?I sort of bounced around between those that were inspired by personal things, those that were inspired by political affairs, those that came off the news and those that were just something that I knew about because I'd been following certain areas of American public discourse. DP: At this point in your life, when most people would be thrilled to say, "Wow, now I've got a column, and it's a change and it's something that I've been looking forward to," you've decided to give yours up. Can you give us an idea of why? AQ: Well, I was thrilled, and for five years I had a great time, and I thought I did a real creditable job, but as I said, I think it's real useful to push yourself all the time, that when you've gotten pretty good at something and you feel comfortable with it, that's a real good sign that in a year or two you ought to be looking for something else. And also, finally, I'm in a position to be able to write fiction and make it pay, and I don't know of a serious writer who wouldn't jump at that opportunity? I wanted to get out before other people thought it was time for me to get out. DP: Many aspiring journalists and readers concerned about current issues consider you a role model. How do you feel about this, and who were your role models when you were training? AQ: Well, obviously it's a little daunting, you know, particularly when you're on the train screaming at your kids and you realize that some woman sitting across the aisle knows exactly who you are and exactly how she thinks you ought to be acting, but to the extent that I've tried to make both my work and my family a real priority and that I'm known as a feminist -- which is really important to me -- and as a liberal, I'm happy if people see that as something that mirrors their own interests and concerns, that part of it's fine with me. If some little girl looks at me and says, "I'm for equal treatment for women, too," I say, "Hey, I have earned my place on the planet this month." To the extent that people try to make one woman stand for all women -- that's always made me really uncomfortable -- this time around there was all this second-guessing of the decision that I made about my work, and what it meant for women, as opposed to just saying, "Gee, you know, this is a real quirky one." I'm the first person in the history of the New York Times to ever willingly give up an op-ed page column, just write it off as lunacy and let's get on to other things, as opposed to what it says about women? DP: Turning to the newspaper business generally, how do you think it's changed since you entered it? AQ: I think it's much better. I think stories are better written, I think there's more analysis, I think we offer more of something for everyone than we did when I first got into the business. I first got into the business in 1970, which was still either a very who-what-when-where-why-and-how kind of story, or features so light they practically qualified as "Nerf" stories. I think we have a whole lot more in-between now. We have a whole lot more hard news that has some color and some sense of life and place in it, and we have a lot more feature stories -- but that really tell you something about politics, about art, about the human condition, about the way we live now? DP: You've said that feminism is one of your big concerns, and I think Penn has kind of a unique place in terms of feminism and women because we have the first woman president in the Ivy League. I'm wondering about your opinion -- AQ: About whom we did a hideous piece, which I'm still reeling from. All over the country, women say to me, "Excuse me, but would you have put the piece about the male president of Harvard on the cover of the C section and would it have focused quite so unrelentingly on the way he looked and his marital history?" The answer is no. I thought that piece the Times ran on Judith Rodin was horrid because of the way it was played and because of the spin on it. You know, the Times doesn't do that too much anymore, but when it does do it, because it's such a serious paper, it really stands out. Anyhow, go ahead. DP: I was going to ask about the portrayal of women and the experiences of women in academia, in the workplace, in the public sphere. How have you seen those change? AQ: You mean "All feminists are ugly?" [She laughs.] No, but there still is some of that. I mean -- this is a horrible story to tell on myself -- but about three years ago, I guess, I was on Live with Regis & Kathie Lee, and I get ready to walk out, right? And my hair is bigger than it's ever been before because they do hair and make-up and I was sitting there in the chair thinking, "Whoa! Look out, this is great." And he does this whole introduction for me, "won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, is only the third woman to [have an op-ed column in the New York Times], and we found out today, her book has just debuted on the best-seller list at Number 7," and I walk out, and it's almost like a nervous tic, he says, "You're attractive!" And I said, "You know, I haven't thought about that smart woman, ugly thing since high school." One of the reasons why people still try to wage some last, losing battle against feminism is because feminism isn't a movement now -- it's our lives, it's our daily lives. It's the fact that little girls can be in Little League, and nobody even thinks twice about it anymore? It's the fact that we're at a stage where the president's wife can be smart and able and can get to do things, but we're not yet at the stage where everybody doesn't go berserk about the fact that she's doing things. So we're halfway through what I think it the greatest social revolution in 20th century America, and the fact is that there's still constant backlashes? DP: In general, what's your opinion on the political system in America? AQ: You know, I really feel like we need a cataclysmic act at this point, in some sense, and I think what that means is a major league charismatic leader, but I'm not sure if that's possible given the system of fund-raising and television advertising that we've come to be so dependent upon. I mean, what we see is this really destructive cycle every two, four, six years of "throw the bum out." Except that after "throw the bum out" comes, as Roger Daltry said, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." And it happens over and over and over again?We've engineered this system in which candor and principle are believed to be a road to sure destruction. We don't know whether they're a road to sure destruction or not because nobody's tried them in so long that we don't know what would happen to that candidate. So I think we're in a real bad place politically. And it seems to me?that what we're looking for is an FDR. But where she comes from, I cannot tell you. DP: There's a lot of criticism of the Democratic party because of it's association with Hollywood and it's association with the disenfranchised -- some people say the Democrats have left the middle class. Do you think that's a valid criticism? AQ: I think there's some validity to that criticism, but I would add that I don't think anybody speaks to the middle class right now, and that's the source of some of the stress that we're talking about with American politics. The fact of the matter is that when you look at what their agenda is on the economy and on certain legislative measures, when you look at where their money comes from, the Republicans are still the party of the rich. That has not changed, and any attempt to suggest different just isn't so. But I think the Democrats have found it hard to look at legitimate complaints about ways in which programs for the disenfranchised have been handled in America. The difference, I think, clearly at this point between the Democrats and the Republicans, is that the Republicans want to dismember those programs, and the Democrats want to keep them. What the Democrats have to embrace is the idea of keeping some of them in quite different form and therefore playing off the Republicans?I think the Democrats have to look more at retooling than they have. But I think the chances of them doing that, and doing it successfully, are much greater than the chances of the Republicans successfully representing what I think is deep in the American character: some will to raise the disenfranchised up and help level the playing field. DP: How has being a reporter helped your fiction writing? Has there been a connection between them? AQ: Yes, it's helped it a lot. I think, if you get good at being a reporter, you develop a real sharp eye for the telling detail, the one or two things that really will make the reader feel as if they were in the room or on the street. You also get a real good ear for how real dialogue sounds. I mean, you can tell. I start to write down certain words coming out of people's mouths and I think, "No, no, no, that's a hyped quote. Go back and work on it again." I think those things really, really helped me. I mean, I think I'm a much better fiction writer because of having to be a reporter. And it also develops the sense of discipline in you. I mean, I don't get [writer's] block that much?When you're in the newspaper business, getting blocked is not an option. If you get blocked, you better take the LSAT. You've got to write on demand, and I think that's really helped me in writing fiction?
(03/14/95 10:00am)
Managing the president's home involves many tasks -- but disciplining children and caring for the family dog are not among them, University President Judith Rodin said last night. Rodin's clarification of the house manager's duties comes on the heels of a controversy over a classified advertisement for the position which appeared in campus job listings and in the University publication The Compass. The ad detailed personal and family related requirements supposedly involved in the position. The advertisement said the house manager -- who is a University employee -- would "care for family's pet dog, oversee homework and extra-curricular activities of the President's two teenage sons and handle discipline as needed." This listing led to heated protests from students, faculty and University employees who objected to the idea that the University would pay an employee to take care of the president's family and pet. The job's salary was listed as ranging from $28,800 to $37,600. "The ad itself is in bad taste," Former Economics Professor Michael McCarthy said. "If the job comes out of the University budget, we get into a fuzzy area with something like this." McCarthy said that while the University should pay for a "hotel management type job," personal matters, such as shopping and preparing meals could present problems, he said. But in a statement last night, Rodin said the ad resulted from a mix-up between herself, one of her staff members and the ad writer. And she said that despite the advertisement's wording, the new house manager will not be responsible for Rodin's son Alex Neijelow, her step-son, Gibson Verkuil, or the family dog, Butterfinger. When Rodin moved into Eisenlohr in December, then House Manager Alice Nelson, who also worked with former Interim President Claire Fagin, said her job encompassed "everything from A to Z." "I try to make sure the family is happy," she said at the time. Nelson has since left the University. The advertisement was placed in last week's Job Opportunities supplement, released by the Department of Human Resources. According to the ad, duties also included maintaining all financial records, organizing University events, planning and preparing the family's meals, supervising house maintenance and coordinating office and house calendars. Rodin said she only wanted applicants to know that "two active boys and a big dog share the president's house with me and my husband. "While some people would enjoy working in a home with two boys and a dog, others would not," she added. Rodin said the miscommunication caused "tutoring the boys and animal husbandry" to mistakenly become part of the responsibilities outlined in the ad. "The last thing I would do? is frivolously spend University resources," she said, emphasizing her desire to continue to save money through administrative restructuring. McCarthy said that even if a miscommunication took place, he still questions how the ad writer wrote such an ad, given Rodin's intentions. "It may well be that the ad writer fully understood it but didn't understand the implications of the language," he said. Interim Vice President for Human Resources John Wells Gould said he did not know who wrote the advertisement because of the number of employees involved. "A lot of discussion takes place about the job and how it should be placed in the salary scale," he said. "There's a complicated process." According to Gould, the short passage that appears in Job Opportunities is only a summary of the full job description provided, in this case, by the Office of the President. "The description that comes over provides a basis for what's in the ad but significant changes in the Job Opportunities section could take place," he said. "The possibility for misrepresentation is there." Gould said Rodin could rework the advertisement placed in Job Opportunities, adding that he would rerun it in the next supplement.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
The possible Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority strike may threaten the ability of hundreds of University faculty, staff and students to get to campus this week. But in the event of the strike, the University has developed a contingency plan to deal with the possible transportation woes. If the Transport Workers Union Local 234 and SEPTA cannot come to agreement by 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, the SEPTA workers will strike causing all city bus and subway service to be shut down. And the SEPTA workers have been working without a contract since November 30, 1994. In the event of the SEPTA shut-down, the only form of public transportation that would still be in operation would be the commuter rails which serve primarily the suburbs. One aspect of the University's alternative plan would entail operating free shuttle buses between the campus and strategic points in the Philadelphia area. In addition, transportation service will be coordinated with shuttles from Drexel University. University faculty, staff and students will be able to ride the Drexel buses by showing their PennCards. Currently, proposed routes include running University shuttle buses and vans between Houston Hall and 30th Street Station, 16th and Locust streets and the 69th Street Terminal. According to a prepared statement by the University, buses will leave every half from the proposed locations, starting at about 7 a.m. and ending at about 9 a.m. Transportation leaving the University in the afternoon will also depart from Houston Hall, leaving at about 4:30 p.m. and running until about 9:45 p.m. And buses to 30th Street Station will end at 6 p.m. University spokesperson Barbara Beck said the contingency plan is similar to a plan used for the last SEPTA strike. "Everybody should try to carpool," Beck recommended. The University has also created a voice mail "Rideshare" service to aid individuals carpooling. Dining Service Director William Canney said that although a strike would would strain dining service employees, it would not stop the food service. "We will be open for service," Canney said. "[But] it will be an inconvenience for everyone." Councilwoman Happy Fernandez, chairperson of the city's transportation and public utilities committee, said a SEPTA strike would be devastating to the city.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
and Ryan Papir Undergraduate tuition and fees will rise by 5.5 percent next year if a proposal advanced by administrators is approved by the University's Board of Trustees at this week's annual budget briefing. Tuition and fees for graduate students, averaged across disciplines, will rise 5.6 percent. The jump -- the lowest percentage increase in more than 20 years --would push the total cost of undergraduate tuition and fees from $18,856 for the 1994-95 academic year to $19,893 for 1995-96. But University President Judith Rodin said yesterday that the total proposed cost increase for undergraduates is only four percent, because neither Residential Living nor Dining Services charges will go up. "We all intended to keep tuition increases as low as possible, and we're very pleased," Rodin said, adding that traditionally the University -- compared to peer institutions -- has had the lowest annual tuition increases and the highest hikes in residential and dining contract rates. None of the seven other Ivy League institutions have released 1995-96 budget projections yet, Rodin said. She also said that the suggested 5.5 percent increase is feasible because of three major changes in the University's budgeting process: administrative restructuring as a result of the Coopers & Lybrand report, long-term strategic academic decision-making and "tightening" of expenditures across the University. These adjustments may take on additional importance as the the proposed Commonwealth of Pennsylvania budget -- released by Governor Tom Ridge last week -- does not provide the increase administrators were seeking in the University's $35 million appropriation. While the state budget preserves the current level of funding for the University, it is still subject to change by the General Assembly. Vice President for Finance Stephen Golding said the University's Board of Trustees requested lower tuition hikes several years ago. "The Trustees have mandated that we have a declining rate of increase in our tuition, and we have tried to honor that for the last five to six years now," Golding said. He added that the University also has to consider declining or stagnant revenues from other sources of funding in determining tuition increases. "We're trying to decrease our overall rate of tuition [increases], but we're doing it with an eye toward the other revenues which are not growing at the rates at which they grew a few years ago," Golding said. He pointed to potential cutbacks in federal indirect cost recoveries and unchanged state funding as examples of such funding sources. The Undergraduate Assembly lobbied hard to keep the tuition-and-fees increase for undergraduates below five percent. But UA Chairperson Dan Debicella said last night he thinks the proposed change is "a success." "The administration is probably just being a little too cautious in their revenue assumptions from the endowment, outside sources such as gifts and the like," the Wharton junior said. "[But] I think that it's great that it's so close to five percent. I wish it were under five percent, but we tried our best."
(03/14/95 10:00am)
Spring Fling concert planners have scored a hat trick, announcing last night that rap band The Roots will join Sonic Youth and the Samples for the April 22 show. The Roots are described as a rap band with a "jazz sound," according to members of the Spring Fling and Concert committees of the Social Planning and Events Committee. The Roots' acceptance of the Fling bid on March 2 completed the three- band ticket the committees predicted in late February. Although the SPEC concert and Fling committee chairs said they were satisfied with the current lineup, they said bids are still out to a fourth band for the April 22 Fling concert. "It's in the hands of the band now," Fling Co-Director and College sophomore Melissa Schaefer said. Based in Philadelphia, The Roots is one of the most promising up-and-coming bands, according to Co-Director of SPEC concerts and College junior Mike Parker. "The first rap band that Geffen [Records] has signed -- that means that they are going to be pushed really hard," he said. "Their video is great, their album is well produced -- by the time Fling rolls around they will be one of most popular rap bands." Co-Director of SPEC concerts Vivek Tiwary, a Wharton and College senior, explained that the bands affiliation with Geffen Records on their first album Do You Want More? is a sign of the band's potential success because big names such as Guns 'n Roses, Nirvana and Sonic Youth are are among the label's clientele. "They've received a lot of positive press," he said. "It looks like The Roots are going to take off and we are pretty excited to have them at the early stage in their taking off." Although rap bands frequently use synthesizers, Parker said The Roots perform with a "kit," or standard drummer and a bassist, making their live shows exceptional. The band has also played with Roy Ayers, whom Parker described as "a famous jazz funk musician who plays for The Vibes" on the album Stolen Moments. According to Tiwary, the band fulfills the goal they set to give the University a diversified "package" ticket. "Sonic Youth appeals to crowd that has not been happy with the concerts at Penn, the alternative music crowd," he said. "The Samples appeal to more mainstream-jam orientated crowds. The Roots appeal to rap music and funk fans. "There are three pretty different crowds," he added. "They are all interesting enough in their particular sounds that they have a certain amount of crossover appeal. We feel that all the bands are distinct enough to create an environment with a little something for different music lovers -- but each one is interesting enough to make people stick around."
(03/14/95 10:00am)
Senate Executive Committee members overwhelmingly passed the new procedure for the removal of a dean at their meeting March 1. Under the proposal, which is published in today's Almanac, the University president, provost or faculty members can initiate the process resulting in the removal of a dean. Provost Stanley Chodorow charged the Senate Committee on Administration (SCA) to draft the proposal last fall. If faculty members initiate the dean's removal, they must pass a vote of no confidence at a Faculty Senate meeting. The vote must then "be confirmed by a majority of the standing faculty in a subsequent mail ballot," the policy states. Regardless of who proposes the dean's removal, the policy states that the provost must then appoint an Advisory Committee of "at least five faculty members, a majority of whom shall be from outside of the school." The Committee would "gather information relevant to the issues specified in the charge, including interviews with the faculty and the dean." Within four weeks, the advisory committee must then provide its findings to the president, provost and the dean in question and report its recommendations to the faculty of the school. The proposal can only become part of the Handbook for Faculty and Academic Administrators after Chodorow, University President Judith Rodin and the Board of Trustees approve the draft. Prior to the SCA recommendation, faculty did not have an avenue for voicing their discontent with a dean's performance. The proposal also serves as a check against the power of the provost, who ultimately decides whether the University should fire a dean. "[The proposal] makes sure that there is faculty consultation no matter where the question of the dean began and that the provost has a well thought out report before making a decision," said Religious Studies Professor Ann Matter, who chairs the SCA. By calling for two faculty votes of no confidence, the proposal also ensures that an initiative to remove a dean represents the majority of the faculty, Matter added. "It's an example of faculty governance gone right," she said.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
For good food and great conversation, it appears Chats is the place to be. Or at least the more than 50 students who attended last night's grand opening gala seemed to think so. The new late night hang-out, which is located under 1920 Commons, gives students a place to eat, study or just relax. Don Jacobs, the University's director of Hospitality Services, said the purpose behind Chats is to provide a place for students to get late-night coffee and snacks safely. The cafe, which is open until 1 a.m. on weekdays and 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, offers food from Taco Bell, Vie de France bakery, New Age beverages and Gene's Beans coffees. Balloons, various decorations and several campus a cappella groups highlighted last night's event, as well as a raffle of merchandise donated by students and vendors. Most students had a positive reaction to the opening of the cafe. "Since it's in the middle of campus -- especially on Locust Walk -- it's a nice place to stop by and get something to eat," Engineering freshman Jason Ross said. Others agreed. "Chats is a great place to greatly elevate your social skills," College freshman AndrZs Vidal said. College junior Michael Manolas said he is excited about the new late night hang-out. "So far, from what we've seen, it seems that Chats will be a really good place for students to meet and drink coffee and get together," he said. Jacobs said that if Chats is a success, he would like to open up similar cafes all over campus. "Chats is a great place where you can just sit down, have a coffee and really get some studying done," said College freshman Eduardo Costa. The cafe consists of four distinct rooms -- the restaurant room, T.V. room, smoking room and quiet room -- all of which allow students to study as well as relax. "Chats has been very helpful for those studying -- it provides a nice atmosphere for group studying," said Engineering junior and Chats Student Manager Molly Sullivan. Students can pay for their snacks by opening a Chats debit account or by using PennCards. "I think it will be good because people come in for different stuff and they can still put it on their Penn-Cards so their parents have to pay for it," College freshman Stacy Christian said.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
Five of the University's graduate schools received top-tier rankings in a survey of the nation's graduate schools published in a special issue of U.S. News & World Report, which hits newsstands today. Jumping up from its fourth place ranking last year, the Wharton School's graduate division came in a close second to Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School with a 99.8 percent ranking, compared to Sloan's 100 percent. "We are pleased that Wharton consistently ranks at or near the top of virtually every independent measure and ranking," Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity said in a statement released Friday. The Nursing School dropped from from its first-place slot last year to third place. The Medical School maintained its position at seventh place, and the Law School tied with Northwestern University at 11th place. Last year, the Law School received a ninth place ranking. "We care about being viewed in the top tier," University President Judith Rodin said. "That's the important part of it -- we do want to be viewed as a top-ranked institution." The rankings are based on student selectivity, placement success, faculty resources, research activity and institutional reputation. However, criteria do vary for each area of graduate education. But the various schools do not take the rankings as seriously as prospective students do, Rodin said. Law School Dean Colin Diver attributed the Law School's significant increase in the number of applicants that matriculated last year to its high ranking in U.S. News & World Report. "The result is that we don't look as good [this year] because we have more students," Diver said. "It shows how sometimes you get victimized by your own success." The criteria used in the rankings are also questionable since formulas change from year to year, Diver said. This was the first year U.S. News & World Report surveyed graduate schools of education, and the University's Graduate School of Education tied for 10th with the graduate education school at the University of California at Los Angeles. "I thought what a coup for Penn," University spokesperson Barbara Beck said. "And then when you think of a new dean, Fuhrman from Rutgers, coming in for Penn, I expect them to be in the top five next year if not number one in the country." Several concentrated programs received national recognition -- including the Medical School's programs in women's health and pediatrics, which placed in the top three. "That we are consistently ranked in the top 10 in this nationwide survey attest to our enduring commitment to excellence," Medical School Dean William Kelley said. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences improved slightly from 33rd last year to 31st place this year. Although graduate schools of arts and sciences are not evaluated, individual departments are. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Department of Economics was rated eighth and the Department of English placed ninth. "If you take a look at that [the rankings] in the whole you have a group of graduate schools that are a superb academic training ground," Beck said. According to Rodin, the University will continue to establish its own academic standards. "If we set our mission and goals clearly and then set a set of strategic goals to get there we will be very successful and that's what I want to see the schools in the process of doing," she said. Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writer Lisa Levenson contributed to this article.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
Other student injured in crash One University student was killed and another seriously injured in a head-on car collision in the Florida Keys early last Sunday morning. The accident claimed a total of three lives. College junior Justin Koppel was killed while driving his car with Wharton junior Scott Weisblum and Michael Zablotsky, a Miami Beach resident, Assistant Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel said yesterday. Sylvia Plante of Bucks County, Pa., the driver of the car that struck Koppel's, died in the collision. Zablotsky was also killed. Weisblum suffered a broken elbow and facial injuries. Koppel, a Sigma Alpha Epsilon brother, was buried in his hometown of Westlake Village, Calif. on Thursday. "Justin was extremely comfortable with himself, and because of this he was comfortable with other people," College senior and SAE brother Joshua Blatt said. "It's not that he lived his life for other people. It's just that other people were his life." Richard Koppel, Justin's father, said his son was "very active in his fraternity" and had also worked as an intern for NBC news. SAE President and College junior Joe Ayoob said that in memory of Koppel, the fraternity is "going to have an award for the brother that exemplifies his spirit." Although about a dozen SAE brothers were able to attend Koppel's funeral, many brothers learned of the tragedy only after returning from spring break. Cassel said a meeting was held at the SAE house on Sunday night to explain what happened and provide counseling for nearly 100 of Koppel's friends. Weisblum, also an SAE brother, is recovering from his injuries at home and is expected to return to the University next Tuesday, Cassel added. "He's pretty shaken up," she said. "Psychologically, he's probably going to need a lot of support. Michael [Zablotsky] was his best friend and he also lost his fraternity brother." According to Florida police, Koppel's car was struck at about 3 a.m. by Plante's Hyundai, which was traveling in excess of 90 miles per hour with no headlights on. Plante was killed instantly after the impact catapulted her car over Koppel's Acura, as the Hyundai burst into flames. Police had been in an on-and-off high-speed chase with Plante for over 100 miles. Before the fatal accident occurred, police had hoped to stop her by throwing a stinger spike system underneath Plante's car. The system would puncture and deflate her tires over the course of several miles. But police were unable to deploy the stinger before she slammed into Koppel's car. The chase began when Plante was stopped by police for traveling too slowly on a highway near the University of Miami. She was pulled over, but then sped off when an officer approached her vehicle to ask for a license and registration. Florida Highway Patrol Spokesperson Sergeant Ernesto Duarte said the investigation into the accident will not be completed until April. Duarte added that Plante's toxicology report would be part of the final investigation. A vigil is being organized by the fraternity for next Wednesday night, Ayoob said. He added that a memorial service is being planned for April to coincide with Koppel's family traveling to the University. Richard Koppel said donations could be made to the Las Virgenes Unified School District Justin Koppel Fund in California. This is second tragic car accident involving students vacationing in Florida during spring break in recent years. Two University students were killed in a car accident while traveling to Walt Disney World in March 1991. The Philadelphia Inquirer contributed to this article.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
University officials continue to probe into the Student Activity Council's decision to permanently deny funding to The Red and Blue. But members of the magazine's editorial board said they are not satisfied with the administration's response to the controversy so far. SAC Steering Committee Chairperson Richard Chow, a Wharton senior, has been working to clarify the guidelines used to decide whether an organization may be funded by SAC, Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said. She added that Chow's goal is to have the revised guidelines ready for presentation at the next SAC meeting on March 28. Chow was unavailable for comment last night. The Red and Blue Editor-in-Chief Christopher Robbins, a College junior, said the University has not dealt well with the SAC decision or the destruction of The Red and Blue's archives last month. "I don't think they've handled it so far," he said. "I'm glad President Rodin has come out the way she has. [But] the University has yet to even apologize for the destruction of The Red and Blue's archives." Robbins added that the magazine has not decided whether it will reapply for funding under the revised guidelines when they are released by SAC. Currently, SAC bylaws prohibit funding any organization that has an overtly political agenda. When SAC permanently denied funding to The Red and Blue last month, many SAC representatives said the conservative slant of recent articles in the magazine made the publication political. But debate during and immediately following the vote demonstrated the ambiguity of the current guidelines and the definition of "political," with supporters of The Red and Blue arguing that the magazine should not be denied funding on political grounds. As a result, University President Judith Rodin asked McCoullum to work with student government leaders to clarify and revise the funding guidelines and procedures. But Robbins said he doubted that any revisions would lead to an unbiased judgement of the magazine's political nature. "Unless SAC's officers and [the] administration from the VPUL's office are overhauled, we have little confidence there can be an honest re-evaluation of the body," he said. He said The Red and Blue is now seeking "plain old-fashioned even-handedness" from SAC. The magazine has retained a public interest law firm, the Individual Rights Foundation, to represent it in dealings with the University, according to a press release from the IRF. The Los Angeles-based firm will represent The Red and Blue free of charge. The controversy has received attention from national media, including radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern, according to Robbins. Robbins also said he has received almost 100 letters of support and checks from people around the country. Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writer Jorie Green contributed to this article.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
Citing his advancing years, University Chaplain Stanley Johnson has announced that he will retire on June 30, following 34 years of service on campus. University President Judith Rodin said yesterday that before a search committee is appointed to find a new chaplain, she and Provost Stanley Chodorow will bring together a group to talk about the role of a chaplain at a modern university. Creating such a group was Johnson's recommendation. Before attending divinity school in Philadelphia, Johnson was a student at Princeton University, where he was a member of the track team. Ordained as a deacon and then an Episcopal priest in 1954, he became chaplain at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Johnson was hired as University Chaplain in 1961. During his tenure at the University, Johnson has primarily served as a counselor, spearheading programs for students with questions about their sexuality and dealing with women's issues. The programs are now independent agencies. "I would foresee these [needs] and then the University would regularize them by hiring somebody to do them," he said. Johnson also served as Dean of Admissions from October 1974 until 1977. Johnson listed traveling, volunteering and the pursuit of various hobbies as activities that will occupy his time after he leaves the Chaplain's post. "I've gotten to the age where now I think it's time for me to do other things, look at more retirement things," he said. "I'm over 65 years old." However, he said he plans to remain involved in University life. Although he will not "be a prime partner in the things that go on anymore," Johnson said he will attend athletic events at the Palestra and Franklin Field and will move with his wife to a home nearby in West Philadelphia. Rodin said she knew Johnson well when she was an undergraduate at the University. Now, he is her "back-door neighbor," living in the University Chaplain's residence behind Eisenlohr Hall. "When he came to see me I very regretfully accepted his resignation," Rodin said. "[Johnson] has been a legend and an institution at Penn?and so I will miss him sorely in a lot of dimensions." Penn Hillel Director Jeremy Brochin said he will also miss Johnson, whom he characterized as "a support for me?who has made an important contribution to the University over many years." Brochin added that he thinks reevaluating the University Chaplain's role will be beneficial for the campus community because it will identify new opportunities for pastoral involvement in campus life, such as coordinating social action programs and increasing interfaith activities. Johnson offered a few words of wisdom for his successor, gleaned from his years of experience as a clergy member at the University. "Enjoy the place thoroughly, don't be afraid of it," he said. "If one comes with an open mind, an interest in it, a lively intellectual curiosity about what's going on, why I think anybody would enjoy themselves at a place like Penn."
(03/03/95 10:00am)
Wendy Steiner is making history. She is the first woman ever to be selected as chairperson of the English Department. The English professor, who has been described by Undergraduate English Chairperson Alan Filreis as "a world-class scholar and public intellectual," will be replacing her colleague John Richetti, who currently holds the position. Richetti, whose five-year term ends in July, explained that the chair is selected by a committee that "canvasses the faculty" before voting. Only the 38 standing English faculty members were considered by the committee for this position. Adjunct and visiting professors were not included in the selection pool. "The committee discovered that Wendy Steiner was the almost overwhelming choice," he said. Rick Beeman, associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, said the committee, which was chaired by English Professor Robert Lucid, forwarded its recommendation to SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens. "Rosemary enthusiastically endorsed that recommendation, as Wendy is a superb scholar and a wonderfully responsible citizen of the school and the University," he said. "We look forward to working with her." This will not be Steiner's first administrative position at the University. She has also served as graduate chair of the English Department. "Under her leadership, our graduate program made many important reforms to its requirements," Filreis said. He added that even though Steiner will not officially assume her new position until July 1, she is already planning for the transition. "John Richetti as outgoing chairman, and Vicki Mahaffey and I as grad chair and undergrad chair respectively, are already working closely with her to get her up to speed on departmental plans and visions," Filreis said. Steiner, who was unavailable for comment last night, received her doctorate from Yale University. She has authored several books, including a an academic text on Gertrude Stein entitled Exact Resemblance to Exact Resemblance, and two books on the relationship between modern literature and the visual arts, The Colors of Rhetoric and Pictures of Romance. According to Filreis, the position of department chairperson entails acting as chief academic officer of the department "while at the same time continuing regular duties as a member of the departmental faculty." He added that this is a particularly large responsibility in the English Department, citing responsibilities that range from conducting searches for new faculty appointments to supervising the office staff and organizing departmental committees. Richetti said when he became chair five years ago, the undergraduate department needed a lot of work. "I have devoted a good deal of my energy during my years in office to making improvements in our undergrad programs," he said. He added that "most of this has been accomplished by persuading Al Filreis to become undergrad English chair. "That's what I would consider to be my greatest accomplishment of my term," Richetti said. He attributed the department's improvement in undergraduate education to the electronic technological revolution that the department has undergone.
(03/03/95 10:00am)
For sale -- Panama City Beach, Cancun, Myrtle Beach, Montego Bay -- for the duration of one month. Contact your travel agent for prices. Believe it or not, many cities literally sell themselves to college students during the month of March. Travel agencies and independent business owners spend large amounts of money targeting college students across the United States and Canada, according to a news release from ConciergeConsultants of Fort Lauderdale. The businesses post flyers and take out advertisements in campus newspapers promoting the "rental" of their cities to students looking for vacation sites. Flyers promising white sand beaches, blue waters, night clubs, hot sun and hotter bods -- what the companies dub as paradise -- are all a part of the publicity campaigns for the promotion of Spring Break tourist spots. These business owners have probably learned a lesson from the Fort Lauderdale's decision to discourage the annual gathering in their city. In 1989, city politicians in Fort Lauderdale decided they no longer wished to have their city invaded by college students during Spring Break, according to the ConciergeConsultants news release. Students got the message. They left Fort Lauderdale and took with them more than $175 million in revenue, a loss from which the beach community has never recovered. Now private business owners in the area have started their own campaign to bring back the students and with them, economic stability. A flyer promoting package deals to Cancun and the Bahamas caught the eye of College sophomore Amy Rosenberg. Seeing it prompted her to search for more information about the hot spots advertised. Rosenberg and seven of her friends plan to stay in the Bahamas during the week of Spring Break. "I actually wanted to go to Cancun," Rosenberg said. "But one person in our group was dead set against it, so we are going to the Bahamas." Wharton junior Dave Coughlin started planning to go away last semester. However, it was just a week and a half ago that he and his friends decided their destination would be Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. He heard about the area from friends who had been there previously. "We chose Myrtle Beach because it is shorter in terms of distance than other places, so we were saving gas and time," Coughlin said. "It is also not a typical Spring Break spot so we got a good deal with the hotel." College sophomore Mike Barrett, founder of the Penn Spring Break Club, was also attracted by the idea of a vacation spot that was not frequented by many people. "Cancun has too much of a club atmosphere -- loud nonstop partying," he said. "I have been planning to go to Nassau since last year because it is very relaxing." While some students looked for beach vacations, others chose alternative places. Wharton and Engineering sophomore Matt Finkelstein plans to go skiing in Vermont with some friends. "We were going to go to Mexico or Florida, but those ideas never panned out," Finkelstein said. "Then we all decided that we wanted to go skiing." College sophomore Leslie Metzger sums up the Spring Break attitude for all students -- whether renting out a typical Spring Break city, hiding at an unknown beach spot, skiing or even going home. "I just basically want to give my brain a rest," Metzger said.
(03/03/95 10:00am)
The Faculty Senate Executive Committee voted Wednesday to soften the penalty for professors who engage in consensual sexual relations with their students. After adding a phrase stating that administrators have the option of taking either "disciplinary" or "remedial" action against professors who violate the newly proposed policy forbidding professor-student relationships, the Committee approved the policy draft introduced at last month's meeting. The proposed sexual harassment policy would bar all consensual sexual relations between professors and their students and strongly discourage all relations between teachers and students even when the students are not taking classes taught by that professor. Because SEC is an advisory committee, the policy must now be approved by the president and provost. The original proposal stated that administrators deciding how to deal with a professor who violates the policy may take "disciplinary action." With Wednesday's revision, the administrators can also take "remedial measures." Law School Professor Stephen Burbank, who is a member of the Committee, said that the phrase was added to give the administrators flexibility when resolving cases that range from "seriously violating" the policy to minor infractions. Past Committee Chairperson Gerald Porter, a mathematics professor, said the University will have to make compromises if it institutes the proposal. But he said that it is still an appropriate policy for an academic institution. The Committee also approved two amendments to its proposal regarding just cause -- the guidelines the University uses when firing or demoting a faculty member. Although the Committee has been discussing just cause for years, until recently it was unable to agree on a procedure. The Committee will publish the entire document in the Almanac after spring break and will send a mail ballot to all faculty for a vote on the proposal. Under one amendment, the president of the University is allowed to reduce the severity of any disciplinary action that the SEC makes regarding a faculty member. The chair, past chair and chair-elect must approve the president's decision. The president, however, is not allowed to mete out a more harsh sanction against a faculty member. With the second amendment, if a faculty member and the president object to the decision because of the way the procedure was carried out, then the professor can appeal to the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility. While the amendments provide checks against a committee that would provide sanctions that are too harsh, Porter and Burbank said they are disappointed that the president cannot increase the severity of the Committee's decision.
