Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(03/26/97 10:00am)
This article appeared in the joke issue. The College of Arts and Sciences Committee on Undergraduate Education voted yesterday to require all College seniors to fulfill a new quantitative requirement before graduation in May. The Committee was expected to add the new requirement to the 10 existing college requirements, although the move to extend the quantitative requirement to seniors came as a surprise. Since seniors are unable to take a full quantitative class by graduation, they will be required to complete 20 hours of sessions aimed at improving their mathematical and statistical analysis skills. Sessions will take place at various hours of the day and in some residences. College seniors are asked to see Director of Advising Services Diane Frey in the College Office to sign up for a session which suits their schedules. All other students will be required to take one of 40 existing classes -- which have been modified to fit the requirement -- in order to graduate. Senior Math, Statistics or Computer Science majors are exempt from the new rule, according to Committee of Undergraduate Education Chairperson and English Professor Rebecca Bushnell. "The Committee believed that these students had already demonstrated a working array of quantitative skills," Bushnell said. "These are not the students we are concerned about." Psychology Professor Paul Rozin -- who chaired a committee to examine the need for such a requirement two years ago -- explained the sudden addition of a senior requirement as a response to lower rates of successful job placement among graduating seniors. "The feeling was that over the past few years the rate of job placement, particularly in areas that require quantitative analysis -- such as business and research jobs -- has been declining steadily," Rozin said. "This year it has been especially low and companies like Microsoft and Goldman Sachs made fewer job offers to Penn students," he added. "It's just embarrassing." College junior Ari Silverman, chairperson of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, called the move premature, citing a lack of research on the new requirement and its similarity to many existing classes. "Students and faculty alike have only the vaguest idea as to what this requirement involves," Silverman said. "Many students already take classes like this, and to make seniors do this before they graduate in less than two months is absurd," he added. "I mean how would you like it if you already got accepted to graduate school and found out that you can't graduate?" Senior Class President Neil Sheth agreed. "Many seniors worked really hard to avoid our math and statistics requirements and now this," Sheth said. "What is the College going to do -- withhold all the diplomas?" But Bushnell said the move it necessary, calling the graduation of students without quantitative skills "unconscionable." "We certainly don't consider this an ideal situation," she said. "But desperate times call for desperate measures." College Dean Robert Rescorla said administrators are unsure how they will fund these sessions. According to Rescorla, the $2.2 million which was earmarked for the project has been "misplaced," although Provost Stanley Chodorow has been put in charge of locating the missing funds. Chodorow could not be reached for comment yesterday, since he is on a fundraising trip in Florida, according to his secretary Joan Paye. But a clerk at a Berkeley hotel said Chodorow checked out of the hotel yesterday with two female acquaintances. "Dr. Chodorow arrived Monday night with two blond women, wearing expensive jewelry," said the clerk --Ewho requested anonymity. "He checked out yesterday at 3, leaving behind a large room service bill."
(03/25/97 10:00am)
By next fall, many University students may not need their wallets. The Business Services Department has formed a partnership with PNC Bank, the University of Pennsylvania Student Federal Credit Union and MBNA America Bank to create a "cashless campus" by providing increased buying capability through the PennCard. The arrangement -- which will net the University $6 million over the next five years -- is part of an attempt to generate new revenue under the University's restructuring program, according to Executive Vice President John Fry. Fry explained that he is seeking new revenue sources since he does not want to use academic funding to cover the costs of non-academic programs. The revenue from this program will be used to pay for campus lighting. Using a microchip located on the front of the PennCard, students will be able to transfer up to $99 from PNC or UPSFCU bank accounts onto their cards. Students will also be offered an MBNA America Bank credit card through which they can transfer funds at zero interest. They will be required to pay a 50-cent transfer fee. Students will also be able to use the card's debit capability in vending, laundry and copy machines, in addition to charging purchases at The Book Store and Wharton Reprographics to their bursar bill. Laurie Cousart, director of University telecommunications, said she will begin to approach local business and hopes several will allow students to pay via PennCard by this fall. But students will not be able to charge purchases at local stores to their bursar bill; those purchases will be covered by funds stored on the card. The new PennCard will also feature a digital photograph of each student. Cousart said photos will be taken in April and the new cards will be distributed next fall. In addition to linkage with the PennCard system, MBNA will offer a special package deal to students subscribing to its credit card, including low introductory interest rates, no annual fee and a travel rewards program. The credit card will also be offered to alumni. Vice President for Business Services Steve Murray said the University plans to set up portable card readers for events and ticket sales on Locust Walk. And Cousart said she hopes to add a phone card program by fall and is in discussions with three or four companies. While campus police have said a "cashless campus" will increase safety, there are still security risks involved with the new system since criminals could use a stolen card to make purchases. "Since there's no cost to transfer the dollars and since these machines will be all over campus, we will be strongly encouraging people not to carry more than $40-50 on the chip at any given time," Murray said. Penn will become one of a handful of schools that offer computer chip technology, which is more secure than the MAC-stripe technology in use at other schools. This system is also less expensive and provides a platform for the future addition of new services, Cousart said. Murray said local businesses which already accept the rival student-run Quaker Card will allow payment via PennCard. He added that the vendors will have to decide whether to continue to accept the Quaker Card. "The general feedback we've gotten is very enthusiastic about this card coming and people will embrace it and look forward to working with it," Murray said. Wharton senior and Quaker Card co-founder Matthew Levenson said his company is currently engaged in discussions with the University and PNC to add Quaker Card capabilities to the new PennCard. Quaker Card will be accepted in 10 new businesses by fall and will continue operations either alone or as part of the PennCard. Levenson said he is not concerned about competition from the PennCard, since the Quaker Card focuses on food services. He added that a University of Michigan program offering similar services to Penn's has generated little student interest. "I'd love for them to be complimentary," Levenson said. "The last thing I want to do is compete with University. We are on friendly terms now and I'd like to stay that way."
(03/20/97 10:00am)
Administrative restructuring has saved the University's Purchasing Department $5.6 million, but the same efforts have cut more than half of the department's employees. The program has involved a close examination of processes and policies within the department in order to improve efficiency. Officials in the department -- recently renamed the Department of Acquisition Services -- had initially reported savings of $4.5 million, but a recount yesterday showed an extra $1.1 million in savings. The department has lost 12 of its 22 employees since restructuring began. Although six staff members were fired, six other positions were eliminated after employees left voluntarily. Acquisition Services Director Bob Michel said five of the terminated workers have been given new jobs elsewhere in the University. Several of the remaining staffers confirmed that the downsizing has increased their individual workloads. "There is additional work naturally," Purchasing Agent Thomas Leary said. "I personally have had to take on extra work, and I know some of my colleagues have had to as well. I'm having a difficult time keeping pace now." But Vice President for Finance Steve Golding maintained that basing tuition increases on inflation necessitates "a smaller work force on this campus." "That's not John Fry giving us this mandate, that's not the president of the University of Pennsylvania giving us that mandate. That's parents, students, Trustees -- that's Time magazine, that's the marketplace out there," he added. But despite the staff cuts, Michel explained that the department's restructuring efforts didn't begin as a downsizing attempt. Rather, new technology implemented last year made certain positions unnecessary. In 1993, a department review sought ways to streamline the purchasing process. The review produced a three-step program including a definition of the department's responsibilities, some short-term tinkering to fix problems and long-term planning to meet future goals. One such plan included implementing the new Financial Management Information System system last summer. FinMIS allows for computerized approval of low-level funding requests and automatic filing of more expensive requests with the proper administrators. Under FinMIS, a purchasing request process that used to take 14 days now only requires two hours, according to Golding. The new system eliminated the need for employees hired to file requests and handle paperwork, Michel said. Golding acknowledged that the firings produced morale problems in the department. But he said employees across the University suffered from the inefficient acquisition process. Officials insisted that the main focus of acquisition restructuring has been cost-cutting, not downsizing. Beyond FinMIS, other facets of the purchasing shakeup have aimed to improve processes within the department, leading to further savings. In an efficiency-boosting effort begun over a year ago, the department formed commodity teams to examine how the University can consolidate its purchasing contracts with outside companies, and then use buying leverage to cut costs on certain goods and services. A review of temporary employee services is expected to save $800,000 annually, without lowering salaries. And the annual travel expense budget --Ewhich now totals $24 million --will be reduced by efforts to increase usage of University rates on USAir and various hotels, according to Susan Storb, an administrator in the office of the comptroller who oversees travel services.
(03/19/97 10:00am)
The $50 million effort began in July 1995. The University has eliminated approximately 200 jobs since July 1, 1995, as part of a restructuring program designed to trim $50 million off its administrative budget over the next five years. Employees who have lost their jobs are entitled to receive some salary, benefits and job counseling, according to the University's Position Discontinuance and Staff Transition policy. Approximately half the employees who have undergone the PDST process have obtained new jobs at the University or in the local market, according to Executive Vice President John Fry. This figure does not include positions that departments have chosen not to fill after employees have left the University voluntarily, because departments do not report unfilled vacancies to Human Resources. Personnel cuts have forced remaining employees to take on additional responsibilities. Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, for example, said the loss of 15 positions in her division has caused some employees to serve longer hours and take less vacation time. But Fry emphasized that restructuring plans, which saved the University $12 million in fiscal year 1996, are intended to reduce costs and improve service -- not to lead to job losses. He added that restructuring also includes quality of work life improvement programs. University President Judith Rodin said restructuring has focused on improving areas such as financing, energy and procurement. She added that the job losses have resulted from a need to redefine positions. Restructuring plans are also a response to complaints from across the University, Rodin said. "There were complaints from all quarters -- faculty, students and staff -- that it was hard getting things done at Penn," Rodin said. "We were ineffective, inefficient and sometimes got things wrong." Fry said the University will realize savings of at least $7.5 million in 1997. Considerable savings are expected from a procurement enhancement project, which aims to reduce the cost of goods and services, improving vendor relations and streamlining the purchasing process. The project -- under which half of the newly named Acquisitions Services Department lost their jobs -- has resulted in savings of $4.5 million and could save the University as much as an additional $10.5 million. And energy conservation strategies are expected to save $4.2 million a year, while a review of travel services will produce over $1 million in savings, Fry said. Restructuring plans also include several revenue generating projects, such as the Barnes & Noble bookstore deal -- which will net at least $1 million annually -- and a contract to allow credit, phone and banking card services to be added to the PennCard. Fry said such savings are especially important because they will fund several recently announced projects. "Of the monies saved [on the PennCard] a huge chunk -- probably several million or more -- will be used to upgrade all the on-campus lighting, as well as the perimeter lighting on the streets," Fry said. At the same time, various departments -- such as Dining Services and Human Resources -- are undergoing continuing studies to streamline costs and improve service. But despite improved quality of work life programs resulting from the restructuring, librarian Jim Gray said the program has caused considerable job and benefit insecurity. "When you are hearing the statement that people only have a job as long as their skills are needed by the corporation --Ehow can you get excited about exercise [health club memberships for employees] when you can't eat?" said Gray, tri-chair of the African American Faculty and Staff Association and vice president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 50.
(03/18/97 10:00am)
The group will focus on community problems. The Steering Committee of the Penn National Commission on Society, Culture and Community -- which consists of 48 leading academics, journalists, social scientists and politicians -- met recently to outline goals for future meetings. The Commission -- which emerged after several conversations between University President Judith Rodin and several colleagues -- first assembled in December for a closed meeting to determine which problems it will address. Rodin said the Steering Committee chose to focus its research and discussion over the next two and half years on three topics -- community fragmentation, failure of leadership and insensitivity to the rights of others. Executive Director Steve Steinberg explained that the world seems to suffer from an inversion of leadership in which leaders follow --Erather than lead -- their constituents. Research on community fragmentation will attempt to address problems posed by increasingly narrow communities. And he said that studies dealing with insensitivity will tackle "the culture of behavior in which people act as if no one else exists." Three working groups will address the topics concurrently over the next two and a half years, and Rodin said the issues will then be handled successively by the entire Commission. She added that University students will be able to participate in the Commission's research, which will be used to improve inter-community relations. Steinberg described the Commission as "one of a kind," explaining that the "we are really committed to doing heavy intellectual work -- it has that kind of academic basis at the core." He added that although press coverage has focused on the Commission's work on "incivility," the group is dealing with larger questions. "It is really about a broader set of issues -- of which civility is a part," Steinberg said. "The ways in which we interact seem to be breaking down and the Commission is trying to understand that." Michael Useem, a Management and Sociology professor and Commission member, also emphasized the Commission's importance. "Incivility, anger? is a force that undercuts the effects of dialogue and communication," he said. "I think the issue is timely and if we accomplish anything I will be proud to have been a part of it." The Commission is expected to meet regularly over the next three to five years. Steinberg added that its next meeting -- scheduled for June 11 and 12 -- will probably feature a few public sessions.
(03/07/97 10:00am)
Harvard University Provost Albert Carnesale accepted the position of Chancellor of the University of California at Los Angeles yesterday afternoon. The system's Board of Regents approved UC President Richard Atkinson's recommendation to appoint Carnesale as chancellor of its largest campus in a teleconference at noon Pacific Standard Time. Carnesale will begin his duties in July, marking the end of current Chancellor Charles Young's 28-year tenure at UCLA. Previous reports had indicated that Penn Provost Stanley Chodorow was a top contender for the position. UCLA Medical School Dean Gerald Levey and UCLA Law School Dean Susan Prager were also considered for the job. After refusing to comment on the issue for the past week, Chodorow admitted yesterday that he had agreed to "talk" with the UCLA search committee. Chodorow added that he is proud to be working at Penn and is not looking for another job. "I am neither looking for a position at another university nor do I apply for jobs," he said. "As Penn's provost, I occupy a prominent position in higher education, and schools looking for presidents do call." Chodorow added that he agreed to talk with officials at UCLA and the University of Michigan -- which considered him for their presidency last November -- since both are "institutions of such distinction." UCLA administrators said they are excited about the selection of Carnesale, although none had met him yet. Executive Vice Chancellor Charles Kennel -- who will serve directly under the new chancellor -- said he was impressed by Carnesale's level of experience. "We're all delighted. He's got a wonderful background," Kennel said. "During [Harvard President Neil] Rudinstine's illness a while back, he took over as president and held three jobs at once --Epresident, provost and dean of the Kennedy School of Government. This gives us a great deal of confidence that he can take UCLA on," he added. UCLA College of Letters and Sciences Provost Brian Copenhaver also said he's pleased with Carnesale's selection. "I think that the president, the Regents and the search committee are to be congratulated on a superb choice," Copenhaver said. "I know him by reputation only, and that reputation is superb." But many UCLA administrators said they know Chodorow from his days as a UC San Diego dean and associate vice chancellor and would have been pleased to work with him. "I have met him, and I would have been delighted if he had been selected," UCLA College of Letters and Sciences Dean of Humanities Pauline Yu said. Copenhaver said the choice was a difficult one for Atkinson. "You are talking about competition at the highest level," he said. "In the end you can have a lot of superb people -- including the two internal candidates. The president had a difficult choice, and I think he made a superb one. I also would have thought he made a superb choice if he chose Stan." Penn administrators said they were pleased that Chodorow would not be leaving. "We need the Provost's leadership as much as ever on the critical academic priorities of Penn's Agenda for Excellence, and we look forward to that continuing leadership," Penn President Judith Rodin said. Penn Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said he would not speculate about the Provost actively seeking a new job or the fact that he has been passed over for two presidencies. "I think it is a remarkable compliment that two of the finest institutions in the world have expressed interest in our provost," Moneta said. "I think whether he is actively seeking or not, it's the nature of higher education that the best people become candidates for the most significant positions." In a prepared statement yesterday, Carnesale said he is excited to serve as chancellor of UCLA, although he expressed a desire to finish out his time at Harvard productively. "I'm honored and excited by the prospect of leading UCLA," he said. "If my time at UCLA brings me anything resembling the personal satisfaction that I've gotten in my 23 years as a member of the Harvard community, I will consider myself extremely fortunate."
(03/06/97 10:00am)
The school will likely select Harvard's Albert Carnesale. University of California President Richard Atkinson is expected to recommend the appointment of Harvard Provost Albert Carnesale as UCLA Chancellor today -- a choice that the Regents will likely approve. Atkinson will offer his recommendation to the school's Regents for confirmation in a teleconference at 12 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. At 1 p.m., the Regents will hold a public meeting at which they will reaffirm their votes and reveal the new Chancellor's compensation package. The public meeting is required by California state law, according to UCLA spokesperson Terry Colvin. Carnesale, 60, is a former dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and Lucius Littauer Professor of Public Policy and Administration. He serves as a consultant for the federal government and civilian organizations in the areas of defense, intelligence, international affairs, nuclear arms and energy. Sources inside the UCLA search committee said Penn Provost Stanley Chodorow interviewed for the UCLA Chancellor position last week. Although Chodorow admitted he was in Berkeley last Tuesday, he would not comment as to what he was doing there. However, yesterday, faculty at UCLA were still under the impression Chodorow was a top contender. UCLA professor Frank Jones said he heard from a source close to the Regents in Sacramento that Chodorow had already been offered and accepted the position. "Everyone I've talked to that knows this man says he's almost Jesus," Jones added. "I mean he's kind, he really cares about undergraduates? what kind of better qualities could you want in a chancellor?" Jones said many faculty members felt Chodorow was a shoo-in because of his close relationship with Atkinson, who served as Chancellor of UC San Diego while Chodorow was Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Planning at the school. Penn students were also surprised by the reports that Carnesale had been selected over Chodorow. Undergraduate Assembly Vice Chairperson Larry Kamin said Chodorow's qualifications should have placed him far above other candidates. "From the standpoint of the students, the silver lining is obvious," the College junior said. "[Chodorow] is likely to be here for a longer period of time than if he were to have gotten that job." College junior Ari Silverman, chairperson of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, said although he is shocked, "UCLA's loss is Penn's gain." "I am very happy -- ecstatic -- that the provost will be remaining with us," Silverman said. "He has really developed his willingness to work with students, and I think to lose him at this time would really be to our detriment." The Daily Bruin at UCLA reported last week that members of the search committee charged with evaluating the candidates for the chancellor position said Chodorow and Carnesale had far surpassed the other two candidates -- UCLA Law School Dean Susan Prager and UCLA Medical School Dean Gerald Levey. Some members of the committee even placed Chodorow higher than Carnesale, claiming there was some doubt whether Carnesale could manage UCLA's large campus. Chodorow said he did not apply for the UCLA position, explaining, "When you get to my age and position, you do not apply." But he refused to comment further on the search and selection procedure. "I will not comment on my or anyone else's job searches," he said. Atkinson is also expected to recommend University of Texas at Austin President Robert Berdahl for the Chancellorship of UC Berkeley.
(03/06/97 10:00am)
and Lindsay Faber University Council heard a positive recommendation yesterday on the possible addition of a permanent United Minorities Council seat. The endorsement came from the joint Committees on Pluralism and Student Affairs. And the Committee on Personnel Benefits recommended that the new benefits plan be altered to retain graduate tuition benefits for current University employees. Associate Director of African American Studies Herman Beavers, an English professor, presented the pluralism committee's proposal in an effort to discuss the UMC's potential acquisition of a seat on Council. "Our feeling is that because the UMC represents such a broad constituency of student groups, they should be allotted a seat on UC because they represent a broad variety of student interests," Beavers said. A discussion of the issue followed the proposal, as Council members raised questions and concerns. Larry Gross, acting-moderator of yesterday's meeting, clarified that "this seat would not supplant a member of the current Undergraduate Assembly -- it would add another member." Graduate and Professional Student Assembly representative Alex Lloyd, a second-year Wharton graduate student, asked why the UMC should be given priority over other student groups on campus. And other GAPSA representatives suggested that Council would lose credibility if it decided to give a seat to any student group aside from the UA. But Black Student League President Obinna Adibe, a College senior, said Council should change its bylaws -- which currently state that only elected representatives may serve on the body -- to meet the needs of the whole student body. "A democratic institution lets everyone be represented, but students don't feel that the UA is representative of the whole student body," Adibe said. Wharton fifth-year senior and Council member Gil Beverly added that "in a perfect world I would hope everyone would feel comfortable running for UA, but apparently that's not happening." But University Chaplain William Gipson reminded of the larger issue of "having a voice and an opportunity to be heard." "In an academic institution, that's much more important than power," he added. Beavers emphasized that the UMC wants a seat "not only because it wants to voice its own demands, but because it wants to have a voice at Penn." But UA Chairperson and College junior Tal Golomb said that "the best representation through the UA to the UC will come from students who run for those seats." UMC Chairperson Susie Lee, a College senior, closed the discussion by saying, "I have been saying continually that this is not UA versus UMC. This is an advisory board -- the more voices, the better." The issue is slated for a vote at Council's April 30 meeting. Radiology Professor David Hackney, chairperson of the Personnel Benefits Committee, reported that his committee had voted almost unanimously to change the current benefits proposals to allow faculty already employed or hired by the University to retain graduate tuition benefits. Hackney added that all but one committee member agreed they had not been given enough time to evaluate the proposals, seconding a Faculty Senate resolution earlier this week calling for a moratorium on the implementation of these proposals due to a lack of discussion time. The committee did support changes in paid time off and the elimination of summer hours, although they agreed the paid time off proposals are confusing. But Anthony Tomazinis, chairperson of the City and Regional Planning Department, said he was "alarmed" by the language of the proposals and the philosophy behind them, claiming the cuts represent broken promises from the administration. "Should we accept the word of our Dean, of our President, of our Provost?" Tomazinis asked. "Is it a word that is good for today but may change tomorrow? Are we a double-speak society here? We say one thing and we mean another."
(03/05/97 10:00am)
After a year of discussion, the Student Affairs and Pluralism committees plan to present a report to University Council today that recommends giving the United Minorities Council a permanent seat on the advisory body. There will be preliminary discussion of the proposal after the recommendation, although no vote is scheduled for this meeting. UMC Vice Chairperson and Undergraduate Assembly member Olivia Troye said she expects a vote to take place at Council's April meeting, although the College sophomore added, "you never know with University Council." The Undergraduate Assembly unofficially gave one of its 10 seats to the UMC until 1994. And when the UA received five additional seats in 1994, it sought to give one of those seats to the UMC on a permanent basis. But Council rejected the UA's request, claiming it violated Council bylaws, which state that only elected representatives may serve on the body. Troye said she expects mixed reaction to the proposal. She added, however, that Council opinion is more favorable towards the idea of establishing the seat than it has been in the past. But outgoing UMC Chairperson Susie Lee had a more positive outlook. "From the reactions of the Student Affairs and Pluralism committees, I am pretty optimistic about how Council is going to react," the College senior said. "But I am expecting a not-too-good reaction from the Undergraduate Assembly," she added. Troye said it is important to remember that elected undergraduate officials may not accurately represent all students. "The important thing here is representation," Troye said. "The issue is that a group doesn't feel they are being represented." Lee explained that UMC officials are elected by a large portion of the undergraduate community, while many Council seats are not popularly elected. Troye already has a seat on Council as a UA representative, which has led some to claim that the UMC does not need another seat. But Troye said that she represents the student body to Council in her capacity as a UA member -- and not the minority community. She added that the UMC will conduct a poll of the student body to determine the extent of support for a UMC seat. Council will also hear a report from the Personnel Benefits Committee which will assess the new benefits proposals. After the last Council meeting, members of the committee expressed disapproval with the plan, particularly in the area of equity for lower income staff.
(03/03/97 10:00am)
Senate leaders said professors have not had time to examine the new benefits plan, set for implementation in mid-March. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee passed a resolution Friday calling for a moratorium on the implementation of benefits changes until faculty and staff have had more time to discuss the proposals. Faculty Senate Chairperson and Education Professor Peter Kuriloff said many professors feel they lack the time to examine properly and understand the proposals. The University's benefits plans proposal -- published in the February 11 Almanac -- is currently in the discussion stages. The plans call for changes to be in place by the time next year's contracts are signed in mid-March. Although the Faculty Senate resolution does not stipulate how much additional time members would like for discussion, Kuriloff said he anticipates the Senate's benefits team will need until the third week in March -- the Executive Committee's next meeting -- to examine the proposals. Kuriloff added that the proposals were originally scheduled to be made public at the end of last semester, which would have allowed for more discussion time. "There is grave concern? that we didn't have a enough time to do a detailed analysis of the proposals, especially the health care proposals which are difficult to understand," he said. Kuriloff added that there are uncertainties about the new costs of health care plans and the performance of one of the health maintenance organization companies. The resolution also expresses dismay over the elimination of graduate tuition benefits for spouses and dependents of University employees. Faculty and staff had expressed a desire to have that benefit "grandfathered" rather than eliminated. Vice President for Human Resources Clint Davidson explained at a benefits information session last week that while only 122 people use the graduate benefits for spouses and dependents, the cost is $1.3 million each year. Kuriloff said many faculty members agree that it is not the "wisest" of benefits because of the small number of employees who actually use it. He added, however, that since some faculty were drawn to the University by the promise of graduate tuition benefits, it is unfair to take them away. Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Professor Haim Bau said the Engineering School faculty members he represents were very disappointed by the loss of the tuition benefits, which attracted many of them to the University. "Some people made career choices based on the availability of these tuition benefits, and that was why they came to University of Pennsylvania," Bau said. The resolution also expressed faculty concerns that the benefits plan failed to set up principles for future changes. Bau explained that if there are no predictions about future benefits, it will be difficult for employees to do long-term financial planning, adding that there is concern about the possibility of future benefits cuts. "By asking people to chip in more for health care and eliminating graduate tuition benefits, it seems there is a gradual erosion of benefits," Bau said. Kuriloff echoed Bau's concerns, explaining that some faculty fear the cuts are just the tip of the iceberg. Although the resolution does not explicitly mention equity issues, Kuriloff said he will raise the topic in meetings with University President Judith Rodin and Executive Vice President John Fry later this week. He added that professors have expressed concern that employees of unequal salaries are forced to pay the same health insurance premiums. Fry said he had not yet seen the resolution and could not comment as to whether the Senate's request will be granted. He added that he will meet today to discuss staff and faculty response to the proposals, and he assumes the resolution will be discussed at that meeting.
(02/27/97 10:00am)
The provost's whereabouts this week remain uncertain. Provost Stanley Chodorow may be the top candidate in the University of California's search for a new chancellor for its Los Angeles campus. The Los Angeles Times and UCLA's Daily Bruin both reported yesterday that Chodorow was interviewed by UCLA's selection committee in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday. A clerk at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, Calif., confirmed that Chodorow was registered at the hotel, but checked out around 3 p.m. Pacific time Tuesday. Different sources at Penn give varying accounts of where the provost is now, with some officials in his office telling The Daily Pennsylvanian that Chodorow is in Florida this week. Other candidates reportedly interviewing for the UCLA job include Harvard University Provost Albert Carnesale, UCLA Medical School Dean Gerald Levy and UCLA Law School Dean Susan Prager. But sources told the Bruin that Chodorow and Carnesale may have left the UCLA candidates in the dust. "Many committee members felt that [Chodorow] had the breadth of knowledge about UCLA's strengths and weaknesses necessary to be an effective chancellor," one source said. Chodorow served as UC San Diego dean of arts and humanities and associate vice chancellor of academic planning while current UC President Atkinson served as that school's chancellor. And Atkinson's spokesperson Terry Colvin said Chodorow and Atkinson are still close friends. Opinions on Carnesale were mixed, with one official describing him as the likely pick and another claiming that it was unclear whether he could run an institution like UCLA. According to the Bruin, LeveyEfaces opposition from some committee members, but is favored by some UC regents. "Levey faced a considerable amount of opposition from members of the search committee because of his dictatorial managements style," a committee source said. And although Prager interviewed well, several sources said she is unlikely to be Atkinson's choice for the job. Regardless of how where Chodorow may stand in the search, his executive assistant Linda Koons said the provost has been in Florida this week, not California. "As far as we know he is in Florida fundraising, that's what we were told and that's what we made the tickets for," Koons said. But Chodorow's executive secretary, Joan Paye, said the provost's office did not handle his travel arrangements for this trip, adding that she believes he may have done it himself. Paye said that while Chodorow told her he was going on a fundraising trip, he didn't say what cities he was visiting or where he was staying. And students in the provost's History 211 seminar -- which met on Monday --Esaid he indicated he would be on a fundraising trip on the West Coast until Friday. The reports about Chodorow's interview comes two weeks after he responded to a Sacramento Bee report that he was on a short list of candidates for the UCLA post by calling the article "speculative" and insisting he did not apply for the position. A Bruin article published that same week did not list Chodorow on either its list of candidates or its list of alternates. Atkinson --Ewho selects the candidate after hearing the advice of the search committee --Eis expected to present one of the final four candidates to the Board of Regents for approval in March.
(02/24/97 10:00am)
New surveys show considerable interest in weekend options. New student surveys on Dining Services show considerable interest in University meals on weekends, and administrators say they will act on that interest by implementing some form of weekend meal plan this fall. Dining Director Bill Canney said surveys his department has conducted point to a potentially large market for weekend meal plans. And indications from a preliminary draft of a private review of Dining Services -- which Canney said he hasn't seen yet -- buttress his findings. The report is the first phase in the review by the Cornyn Fasano Group, an independent food services consulting firm. It is not yet clear exactly how dining on campus may change next year, because Cornyn Fasano will make recommendations based on their data later this spring. But Business Services Director Marie Witt said she didn't expect any major changes in Dining Services for next fall. She cautioned that weekend meals are expensive due to increases in staff and facility costs. The preliminary report showed that over 70 percent of undergraduates indicated they would be interested in a weekend brunch option. Among underclassmen living on campus, 75.8 percent were interested in a weekend lunch and 77.2 percent showed interest in Sunday dinner. Approximately half of the undergraduates living off campus or in Greek houses expressed similar viewpoints. But fewer graduate students expressed a desire for weekend meals, with only 25 percent favoring Sunday dinners. Witt said the report also supported the administration's belief that student would be interested in a supermarket closer to campus and better retail and restaurants. One-fourth of those polled reported purchasing five or more snacks daily during the week, and almost all students said they bought at least one snack a day. Large numbers of graduate students and faculty indicated that they never eat in West Philadelphia restaurants, although many undergraduates said that they frequent area restaurants, particularly on weekends. The idea of centrally located areas combining a social atmosphere and food appealed to most groups. One-fourth of those polled also said they purchase lunch from a food truck, although it is not clear whether such a percentage will affect University plans to limit and centralize food trucks. And students indicated that quality of food and convenience is more important than price, with only 18.4 percent of respondents rating price as more significant than quality and only 29.7 percent rating price more important than location. Canney said Dining Services data also suggests that students value convenience, adding that such interest prompted the establishment of the "Lunch Express" feature in some dining halls. The fact that 53.7 percent of students do not eat a full hot breakfast did not shock Canney, who said Dining Services has seen few regular customers at breakfast. "Despite the fact that it is the most important meal of the day, there is less participation in breakfast," Canney said. He added that this was due to students sleeping late -- not the quality of the food. Witt said she is waiting for the final part report's first phase, which will benchmark Penn's food services against other Ivy League schools and peer institutions. The report's second phase will examine several models for dining services and facilities, and will also deal with methods of managing those plans. Witt added that there will be no definite recommendation on outsourcing Dining until the release of that section of the report. In the meantime, Witt said there may be some minor "fine-tuning" of Dining Services in the short term, particularly in the area of providing "grab-and-go" meals. And while she admitted that the report is running behind schedule, Witt said that Cornyn Fasano told her to expect the analysis of the University's peer institutions "any day."
(02/20/97 10:00am)
Several administrators have elected to add teaching to their list of official duties. It takes a variety of credentials to qualify as a Penn administrator, from basketball fan to amateur hotel planner. And now it seems administrators must teach classes in order to make the grade. University President Judith Rodin returned to the classroom last semester to teach a freshman seminar called "Body Obsessions," which attracted nearly 70 applications and received rave reviews from students. Provost Stanley Chodorow is teaching at the University for the second time this semester, giving a General Honors History seminar called "The Origins of Constitutionalism." Others administrators, such as Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Rescorla, have taught regularly throughout their stays at the University. But wearing two hats sometimes presents difficulties, particularly in the area of scheduling. Rodin said her seminar was a huge time commitment in an already busy day. "It was not only the three hours for class," she said. "I assigned a lot of reading and I had to prepare. It was exhausting, especially since it was from 7 to 10 p.m." And Rescorla often begins his day at 7 a.m., in order to squeeze in a few hours in his lab before he goes to work in the College office. Despite tough schedules, students praised the administrators for their accessibility and their ability to balance dual roles. Rodin and Chodorow set up class listserves and e-mail accounts to allow students to reach them and conduct out-of-class discussions. Although they were unable to hold formal office hours, Rodin and Chodorow told their secretaries to squeeze in students who needed meetings. College senior Jeffrey Daman praised Chodorow for his ability to wear many hats at once. "He balances being the provost, being not so boring and knowing everything you'd ever want to know -- and some things you would not -- about the Middle Ages," Daman said. And Jamieson also set up special meeting times for students when necessary, according to College sophomore Charlene D'Ambrosio. Even the intimidation factor faded after a few classes, according to students. "In the beginning everybody was very quiet and nervous," College freshman Oren Epstein said of the Rodin seminar. "But she was very effective in relaxing everybody." Epstein attributed the relaxed atmosphere of the class to the fact that it was held in Rodin's living room in Eisenlohr Hall. Rodin agreed, explaining that her students really felt at home, particularly since her son and dog would occasionally wander into the class. Jamieson's students were more awed by her expertise than by her administrative position. "People were a little intimidated by her," D'Ambrosio said. "Especially when we turned on the TV and watched her do the commentary after one of the [presidential] debates." A few students even felt comfortable enough with Rodin to discuss larger University concerns during class, College freshman Leanne Abrams said. "It came up a little but not too much," Abrams said. "She was like any other professor; that was the role she was playing and you have to respect that." But it is hard to forget that your professor is also a University big-wig, Daman said. He explained that Chodorow is "big on being the king." When giving analogies to the Middle Ages, the provost usually begins by declaring "For example, if I'm the the king ?," Daman said. Rescorla said it is important for administrators to continue to pursue scholarship and teaching in order to keep in touch with the University. "I personally think of myself as a faculty member who happens to be doing some administration now, not an administrator who happens to be doing some teaching," he added. And Chodorow said he finds teaching Penn students "exhilarating." He added that he plans to teach next year, although he is not sure which semester. The class will likely be a joint course on the making of constitutions, co-taught with Law Professor Kim Sheppele.
(02/19/97 10:00am)
Provost Stanley Chodorow says University Council is an underused resource. And judging from the number of empty seats at the last three Council meetings, Chodorow may have a point. Council -- the only University forum combining representatives of the administration, faculty, staff and students -- is facing a range of problems, according to many members. Following a January 22 meeting where several Council committees presented progress reports, Chodorow remarked that the committee system is not working as well as it should. "A lot of Council committees overlap or are at cross-purposes with some University committees," Chodorow said. "The problem is that these committees just don't work hard enough or in a timely enough fashion." University President Judith Rodin agreed that some committees seem to lack guidance, but added that is a routine problem for large organizations. "Some committees are outstanding and others sometimes seem to struggle with how to be helpful -- although they all are enormously eager to be helpful," she said. "It is just a matter of the nature of organizations." But Fran Walker, director of student life activities and facilities, said the committees should receive more direction from the president and provost. And Faculty Senate Chairperson Peter Kuriloff said delays occur everywhere in the process -- and not just in committees. "When a committee makes a recommendation to the administration, first of all it goes to the provost or the president and gets piled into a huge pile of stuff, and then it goes to council -- [recommendations] get stuck at the Council's office a lot," he said. Council Moderator and Statistics Professor David Hildebrand said meetings often lack substance, noting that "it has not seemed as though [Council] is of epic importance." He added that while Council often manages to cover the "he said, she said" of University issues, it rarely combines ideas into one coherent proposal. But Hildebrand maintained that Council is still a useful tool. "A lot of what Council is good for is when it acts as kind of antenna to pick up signals of potential problems, and that it still does well," he said. Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Tal Golomb agreed, adding that Council has been particularly valuable in the past year because it has allowed students to air concerns over safety and the judicial charter. Hildebrand explained that Council always faces problems, although they change over the years. "Five years ago Council was a lot more contentious. It made for a good spectator sport but I'm not sure we got anything done," he said. "We used to have a hell of a time getting the minutes approved. There are less problems now in terms of how Council operates." But attendance remains a problem, as Council consistently fails to meet the quorum necessary to make its votes binding. Walker said that even attendance problems "run in cycles." "I mean the students are there -- at least the undergraduates are, but there was a time when they weren't and the grad students and faculty were the ones who attended," she added. But Hildebrand claimed that faculty have traditionally been the worst group in terms of attendance. He attributed this to their feelings that they can accomplish more by airing their views in the Faculty Senate. Kuriloff blamed poor attendance on the lack of discussion at meetings. "One reason why people don't go to these is that you get read at or talked to," he said. "The only reasons to have those meetings is to have discussions." But Golomb said Council often gets its opinions across, even without reaching quorum at meetings. "Sometimes [attendance] does not make a difference because Council makes its opinion known and it is basically followed," Golomb said. "It is a deliberative body and not a decision-making body." Rodin said some members of the University community consider low Council attendance to be a sign that everything is OK. "But if we believe this is a vehicle for hearing issues we need more participation even at good times," she added.
(02/13/97 10:00am)
Despite rumblings from employees in response to proposed benefits cuts, University Council heard little dissent on the issue at yesterday's meeting. Radiology Professor David Hackney said the University Council Committee on Personnel Benefits -- which he chairs -- has not had sufficient time to read and discuss the proposal. A-3 Assembly Chairperson Karen Wheeler, an administrative assistant at the Center for Community Partnerships, and Vivian Seltzer, Faculty Senate chairperson-elect and professor of Human Development and Behavior, said their constituents also had yet to formulate opinions. But individual employees have already begun to react -- often negatively -- to a host of proposals which would reinstate employee contributions to health care premiums while ending University payments for graduate education of employees' dependents and spouses. Wheeler said she has received many e-mails and phone calls voicing concerns about cuts to the benefits. Concerns have centered around changes in health care and the loss of reduced summer hours and graduate tuition benefits, she said. Biddle Law librarian John Hogan said the plan places most of the cost-cutting burden on lower-paid employees. He noted that two of the lower-cost health care options have been eliminated in the proposal. "The health insurance recommendations ? require significant employee contributions," Hogan said. "[A monthly payment of] $26 can be a lot for a family trying to live on some of Penn's salaries." Radiology Professor Sheldon Rovin agreed that the plan is not designed to help lower income staff. Rovin, who serves on the Personnel Benefits Committee, said that although the authors of the proposal said they considered lower income workers, that effort is not apparent. Faculty Senate Chairperson and Education Professor Peter Kuriloff said changes to the number of health care plans "seem reasonable" to him but may upset members of the faculty. An A-1 employee who requested anonymity said the plan was not as bad as he had expected. But he called the plan unfair anyway, since it requires workers to pay more money without receiving anything in return. "The sense I get is that we are having to pay for stuff we have not had to pay for in the past, and we are not being offered something in compensation," he said. "We are already working hard enough as it is." Most workers who came to the University in the last three years have not had to take on any health care costs, but since the proposal returns costs to their level as of 1994, Associate Provost Barbara Lowery, co-chairperson of the Benefits Committee, said workers would not really have to assume any "new" costs. She added that the health management organizations will now offer prescription coverage as well. And the committee tried to keep health care contributions as low as possible to ease the burden on lower income employees, she explained. The A-1 employee said although these cuts were modest, he fears future changes to benefits. "There is that feeling that this is just the first round of these [changes] and I'm not sure that is good for the overall morale of the staff," he said. Rovin agreed that future changes will be necessary since this plan does not address all benefits issues -- slating retirement and disability for discussion over the next year. "This document takes into account only fringe benefits which are the parts of a larger whole," Rovin said. "But they'll have to fix this again because they have not dealt with [benefits] as an interrelated whole." Discussion of the proposal will continue over the next month as faculty, A-1 and A-3 employees attend feedback session with various members of the Benefits Advisory Committee. The Faculty Senate has selected a group of faculty who have expertise in insurance, health care and benefits financing to "look at the proposal very carefully," Kuriloff said. The Senate is particularly concerned with benefits, because the University is currently considered to have an excellent package, which attracts many faculty and staff, he added. Hackney said the Personnel Benefits Committee will report to Council at its March 5 meeting, adding that it is too early to gauge reaction to the proposal.
(02/13/97 10:00am)
Part-time workers had requested prorated full benefits since 1993. Part-time employees expressed displeasure with new benefits proposals denying full-time benefits to part-time workers. Since 1993, a group of permanent part-time workers have sought the right to full benefits on a prorated basis. Graduate career counselor Julia Vick -- who was involved with the committee of workers who made the request for full benefits --Esaid she was disappointed but not surprised by the outcome. "It's not fair, and it's shortsighted of the University to deny prorated full benefits to permanent part-time employees," she said. "Students should know that the University likes to say that quality of life issues are important ones," she added. "If that's the case, we wish Penn would lead the way on this issue." Van Pelt librarian Ellen Demarinis agreed with Vick, adding that she had held strong hopes that the new plan would rectify the situation. Many of the part-time workers who have lobbied for benefits are long-time employees of the University, Vick said. Vick herself has worked at the University for 19 years --E10 part time and nine full time -- and Demarinis has served as a reference librarian for 25 years. "This is a dedicated cadre of employees, many of whom have devoted most of their professional lives to the University," Vick said. She also expressed concern that the Benefits Advisory Committee, which drafted the proposal, did not include any part-time workers, despite repeated requests from her group that they be involved in the process. Vice President for Human Resources Clint Davidson said that although no part-time workers were asked to serve on the committee, their needs and perspectives were sought and considered. The Benefits Committee did recommend continuing a program that allows part-time workers to place pre-tax income in an account to cover health care premiums. Part-time employees have access to a University group health care rate but must pay their own premiums. Vick said most part-time workers are not extremely concerned with health care since many have access through their spouses. Tuition and retirement benefits are of greater importance, she said. Benefits Committee Co-Chairperson and Associate Provost Barbara Lowery said the University's part-time worker benefits are highly competitive with its peer institutions. Lowery added that for the purpose of part-time employment, peer institutions are considered to be local business who may attract the same pool of workers, rather than other Ivy League universities. The committee of part-time workers which requested the benefits review has often cited other Ivy League schools as providing better benefits. "There are places that provide great benefits," Lowery said. "They tend to be places that rely heavily on part-time workers. Most peer institutions in the area do not provide part-time benefits." Bruce Fisher, who works in the Department of Human Resources, added that the Philadelphia government, the city's largest employer, does not provide full benefits to part-time workers either. Wachter said the goal is to provide as many benefits as possible without allowing the costs of part-time worker benefits to have a negative effect on benefits for full-time workers. The focus of current programs for part-time workers is not to provide actual benefits, but to allow access to the benefit structure for part-time employees who wish to take advantage of it, Lowery said. Although the committee did not consider offering benefits to part-time workers who have been employed by the University for an extended period of time, Wachter said that might be something the University would consider in the future. "It is always the case that any group would be able to argue 'there's more you could do for us'," Wachter said. A-3 Assembly Chairperson Karen Wheeler said part-time worker concerns are legitimate and should be heard, adding that workers should attend the University Council's March 5 open forum meeting to voice their concerns. Demarinis said she believes the part-time workers would meet soon to discuss the proper course of action.
(02/13/97 10:00am)
Despite rumblings from employees in response to proposed benefits cuts, University Council heard little dissent on the issue at yesterday's meeting. Radiology Professor David Hackney said the University Council Committee on Personnel Benefits -- which he chairs -- has not had sufficient time to read and discuss the proposal. A-3 Assembly Chairperson Karen Wheeler, an administrative assistant at the Center for Community Partnerships, and Vivian Seltzer, Faculty Senate chairperson-elect and professor of Human Development and Behavior, said their constituents also had yet to formulate opinions. But individual employees have already begun to react -- often negatively -- to a host of proposals which would reinstate employee contributions to health care premiums while ending University payments for graduate education of employees' dependents and spouses. Wheeler said she has received many e-mails and phone calls voicing concerns about cuts to the benefits. Concerns have centered around changes in health care and the loss of reduced summer hours and graduate tuition benefits, she said. Biddle Law librarian John Hogan said the plan places most of the cost-cutting burden on lower-paid employees. He noted that two of the lower-cost health care options have been eliminated in the proposal. "The health insurance recommendations ? require significant employee contributions," Hogan said. "[A monthly payment of] $26 can be a lot for a family trying to live on some of Penn's salaries." Radiology Professor Sheldon Rovin agreed that the plan is not designed to help lower income staff. Rovin, who serves on the Personnel Benefits Committee, said that although the authors of the proposal said they considered lower income workers, that effort is not apparent. Faculty Senate Chairperson and Education Professor Peter Kuriloff said changes to the number of health care plans "seem reasonable" to him but may upset members of the faculty. An A-1 employee who requested anonymity said the plan was not as bad as he had expected. But he called the plan unfair anyway, since it requires workers to pay more money without receiving anything in return. "The sense I get is that we are having to pay for stuff we have not had to pay for in the past, and we are not being offered something in compensation," he said. "We are already working hard enough as it is." Most workers who came to the University in the last three years have not had to take on any health care costs, but since the proposal returns costs to their level as of 1994, Associate Provost Barbara Lowery, co-chairperson of the Benefits Committee, said workers would not really have to assume any "new" costs. She added that the health management organizations will now offer prescription coverage as well. And the committee tried to keep health care contributions as low as possible to ease the burden on lower income employees, she explained. The A-1 employee said although these cuts were modest, he fears future changes to benefits. "There is that feeling that this is just the first round of these [changes] and I'm not sure that is good for the overall morale of the staff," he said. Rovin agreed that future changes will be necessary since this plan does not address all benefits issues -- slating retirement and disability for discussion over the next year. "This document takes into account only fringe benefits which are the parts of a larger whole," Rovin said. "But they'll have to fix this again because they have not dealt with [benefits] as an interrelated whole." Discussion of the proposal will continue over the next month as faculty, A-1 and A-3 employees attend feedback session with various members of the Benefits Advisory Committee. The Faculty Senate has selected a group of faculty who have expertise in insurance, health care and benefits financing to "look at the proposal very carefully," Kuriloff said. The Senate is particularly concerned with benefits, because the University is currently considered to have an excellent package, which attracts many faculty and staff, he added. Hackney said the Personnel Benefits Committee will report to Council at its March 5 meeting, adding that it is too early to gauge reaction to the proposal.
(02/12/97 10:00am)
The Sacramento Bee reported Penn's provost was among the finalists for the UCLA chancellor position. Despite reports published in The Sacramento Bee last Saturday, Provost Stanley Chodorow denied applying for the position of chancellor at the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bee article reported that Chodorow was among six finalists for the position, including UCLA Law School Dean Susan Prager, UCLA Medical School Dean Gerald Levey, Lehigh University President Peter Likins, Ohio State Provost Richard Sisson and Stanford Provost Condoleezza Rice. But Chodorow said he didn't apply for the position, describing the story as speculative. He added that he would not comment on "rumors about who is a candidate for what." Chodorow served as associate vice chancellor of University of California, San Diego while that campus was under the direction of Richard Atkinson, current president of the UC system. The provost is still a close friend of Atkinson's, according to UCLA spokesperson Terry Colvin. The UCLA Daily Bruin ran a short list of the candidates yesterday which did not include Chodorow. The Bruin's list provided a top tier of candidates -- Prager, Rice, Harvard Provost Albert Carnesale and University of Florida President John Lombardi. The Bruin also described a reserve list, in case none of the top four choices accepts the position. This list included Levey, Likins, Vice Chancellor and UC Berkley Provost Carol Christ, UC San Diego School of Engineering Dean Robert Conn, University of Michigan Vice Provost for Research Neal Homer and UC Riverside Chancellor Raymond Orbach. Daily Bruin Reporter Patrick Kerkstra -- the author of the piece --Esaid the Bee story was mistaken about Chodorow's selection, adding that he is "pretty confident" that his sources are correct. "I have absolutely no indication that [Chodorow] is on the finalist list," Kerkstra said. "It is entirely plausible that he was considered, especially in light of his connection with [UCLA]." Although Colvin wouldn't name any of the applicants, he said there is no short list of candidates. "I can't confirm Stanley Chodorow being on that list because there is no list," Colvin said. He added that it would be unlikely that the Bee and Bruin would have access to applicant information, since no one but Atkinson is aware of the list. The new chancellor will be selected by Atkinson and approved by the Board of Regents. A committee will evaluate a list of choices from the president, but it will not be given a full list of applicants or made aware of any recommendations outside its own. The president may decide to choose a chancellor who is not among the list given to the advisory committee, Colvin said. Despite Chodorow's and Colvin's denials, Lisa Lapin, education editor for the Bee, stood by the story. "The information came from members of the search committee and a person in a position to know in higher ed," Lapin said. She added that Chodorow's appearance on the candidates list does not mean he applied for the position, since such lists usually combine actual applicants and the search committee's wish list. The UC system is currently searching for two new chancellors -- one for UCLA and one for UC Berkley. UCLA is the largest campus in the system. Kerkstra said the search committee will interview three to five candidates this month. The committee members will then vote individually for their top choice, which Atkinson will take into account when making his decision. The Board of Regents is expected to vote on Atkinson's recommendation at its March 20-21 meeting.
(02/11/97 10:00am)
A proposed replacement for the University's employee benefit package aims for a "competitive and efficient" plan. A new proposed University benefits plan will require employees to contribute to health care premiums and eliminate graduate tuition benefits for spouses and dependents of employees. The plan -- developed by a benefits advisory committee and the Academic Planning and Budget Committee -- makes few changes to current part-time worker benefits, despite four years of lobbying by part-time employees. A series of proposals aim to maintain a competitive benefits package while eliminating certain inefficiencies and extra costs in the current plan, according to Associate Provost Barbara Lowery, who co-chaired the committee. The costs of the benefits plans -- which have not been completely reviewed in 15 years -- have doubled over the last decade and now comprise 12 percent of the University's budget, according to Lowery. Officials decided to review the packages in conjunction with other efforts to reign in costs across the University, like administrative restructuring. Executive Vice President John Fry said he could not estimate how much the new plans will save, although he admitted that savings are "not significant with respect to the total benefits budget." Fry added that although the committee began its review in the interest of cost-cutting, its focus shifted towards designing a competitive and efficient benefits package. The plan will make significant changes to health care benefits. The current system employs "a formula that malfunctioned" to calculate employee contributions to health care premiums, Deputy Provost Michael Wachter said. This formula didn't take changes in the health care market into account, causing havoc when the costs of the University's partial benefits health care plans fell several years ago, he said. By 1994, falling costs allowed workers in all but one health plan to avoid paying anything toward their premiums. By next year, the current system would require the University to pay 92 percent of all health care costs, a figure which prompted the Benefits Committee to reinstate employee payroll contributions. The proposal retains an assortment of health care options, while adding a "point of service health care plan" -- which is a cross between a health maintenance organization and a traditional insurance plan. The current HMO plans will also add prescription drug coverage. Additionally, the proposal will revamp the tuition package, eliminating graduate tuition benefits for spouses and dependent of employees by 2002. In the past, the University provided 50 percent of tuition for spouses and 100 percent for dependent children in most of the University's graduate programs. But the University will continue to pay 100 percent of an employee's own graduate education. Undergraduate education will also be covered as in years past -- 100 percent for employees, 75 percent for dependents and 50 percent for spouses. The plan alters life insurance benefits so that the University will only provide benefits equal to an employees salary, abandoning an age-based benefits system. Wachter explained that the Internal Revenue Service taxes all life insurance benefits over $50,000, forcing the employees to pay a total of approximately $350,000 in taxes last year. With the change, however, employees will save on taxes, while having the option to purchase life insurance benefits up to four times their pay for a maximum of $750,000. The proposal also calls for the elimination of reduced summer work hours, since several departments have already phased the program out, and no other employer surveyed by the Benefits Committee offered this feature. But A-3 Assembly Chairperson Karen Wheeler said the loss of this program -- although less upsetting than other cutbacks, such as those in graduate tuition -- would disappoint A-3 workers who had looked forward to summer hours. "That was one of those benefits that was attractive to people," Wheeler said. "That helped out in terms of child care or to be able to do other things in the summer. It's a small thing but it was something that a lot of people enjoyed." New employees will be allowed to request paid time off after 120 days on the job, rather than waiting an entire year, as under the current system. Current part-time worker benefits will be maintained, while allowing employees of more than two years to place $1,000 of pre-tax income in an account to cover health care costs. The Committee did not examine retirement benefits or disability plans, slating those programs to be reviewed over the next year. Although the plans will be published in full in today's Almanac to allow comments from the University community, Lowery said she does not expect any "surprises." "I believe that as people look over the plans they'll find them fair," Lowery said. "They are very reasonable, in particular, in terms of health care costs. They are certainly as reasonable as we could be." But Fry said he expects some initial concerns, although those problems should subside once employees understand the proposals. "I anticipate a lot of criticism because any time you touch people's benefits or compensation you are naturally going to incur a lot of concern and suspicion about the process," he said. "Once people take the time to look into what we are talking about they will realize how balanced and reasonable we are being." Wachter conceded that the plans did not satisfy some requests. "Not everybody got everything they wanted, but in terms of the total package it was something that everybody was willing to sign on to," he said.
(02/10/97 10:00am)
The initiatives stress job expertise and the balance of home and work lives. University administrators announced several initiatives to improve the quality of work life last week, as faculty and staff prepare themselves for the possibility of benefits cuts. The new plans came one week before the release of the University's new benefits plan this Tuesday. The program is designed to allow staff to improve their professional expertise and their ability to balance work with household responsibilities, according to Executive Vice President John Fry. Through a partnership with the Wharton Executive Education program, Human Resources will run programs to improve employee management skills. The Center for Community Partnerships will help develop a program to teach customer service and inter-personal skills, in an effort to prepare lower skilled workers for new career options. The initiative will also use the University's health and fitness facilities to provide benefits for employees. "The program will make available to people all the resources possible to encourage them to take care of themselves," Fry said. "That involves health care benefits but also recreational facilities and information. Fry said much of the current health care information is set up in a way that doesn't allow easy access or understanding. In addition to changing methods for providing information, a program called "GlobalFit" -- which began last summer -- offers employees savings of approximately 30 percent at many local health clubs. Other initiatives aim at helping University staff handle the pressures of balancing a job and a family. "If you are working as many hours as a lot of us are it can really make things tough at home," Fry explained. "The University may be able to afford being flexible in terms of hours and maybe working at home sometimes." And the long awaited job classification study -- another part of the quality of worker life program --Ewill come out in a few weeks. The study will attempt to reorganize job descriptions and compensation based on "what people actually do," Fry said. He added that the classifications had not been reviewed since the last administration, making them outdated with respect to the job market. The overall program developed in response to problems Fry and Vice President for Human Resources Clint Davidson encountered in the support and training of University employees. "To the extent that you have a classification procedure that is not taken seriously and training that is kind of done on the margin and I know that people feel they are not really being taken care of, you don't have a good situation," Fry said. Some workers said they were excited about the programs. Marie Witt, director of support and business services and the chairperson of the Penn Professional Staff Association, said she had participated in some of the programs already and found them useful. "The whole concept of giving professional employees the ability to update their skills and to acquire new leadership and management skills benefits both the employees and the University," Witt said. But others disagreed, explaining that recent layoffs are a larger problem for employees than lack of support programs. Librarian Jim Gray said the benefits are "meaningless" to workers who are experiencing job insecurity and concerns about benefits cutbacks. "When you are hearing the statement that people only have a job as long as their skills are needed by the corporation -- how can you get excited about exercise when you can't eat?" he asked. Gray, who also serves as one of three co-chairs of the African American Faculty and Staff Association, added that the University needs to be more consistent about showing its support for staff through job security and not just additional programming. Fry admitted that as a result of restructuring, the University will be running these programs for a smaller work force. "Our view is that over time our work force is going to be smaller and for those employees that work here in the future we want to make the experience really positive," Fry said. "What we see is a smaller work force but that work force will be really well taken care of."