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(12/15/94 10:00am)
The University certainly looks great to those outside of it. But within the University, the new administration has actually accomplished little. Throughout the semester, the administration has discussed and presented many plans and reports that have yet to be resolved. Some, such as Coopers & Lybrand's administrative restructuring report, had set deadlines for completion that have not been met. University President Judith Rodin hired the professional services firm in September to study cost containment and administrative overhaul. At the time, she said the report would be prepared by November 1. But the firm did not release its preliminary report until last week. Its final report will not come out until mid-January, Interim Executive Vice President Jack Freeman said. Rodin also made security a top priority. At the end of October, Freeman said a master plan on security would be ready in mid-November. No plan was released and Rodin recently refused to comment on its status. "I am frustrated that we have not yet put before the community a master security plan," she said. Days before the inauguration, the administration released the 21st Century Undergraduate Education Initiative, which is aimed at combining academics with the residences and University life. But this project, too, was delayed because choosing committee members and scheduling meetings took much longer than expected. Originally, Rodin said students and faculty would be chosen quickly so the expanded committee could meet several times before the semester's end. But committee members were not selected until this week. The administration announced in October that it would be reviewing capital planning projects -- including the Revlon Center. No results from the review have been released yet. But Rodin said she was satisfied with the decision to take a step back from the capital projects. "I understand the frustration it engendered but it was the right decision institutionally," she said. Despite the lack of concrete action, administrators said they are moving toward completion of many of their goals. And others say they did not expect any complete accomplishments this semester in the first place. "We're starting from ground zero," University spokeswoman Barbara Beck said. "I think it's particularly difficult to be able to make an analysis of what new leadership can do in six months." Top administrators also complained of the lack of time they had to deal with the University community. "There are so many competing demands and constituencies," Rodin said. "It is so exhausting and so demanding. "But I am so committed to this University, it makes it worthwhile for me," she added. At last week's University Council meeting, University Secretary Barbara Stevens stressed the media's positive portrayal of the University. And Beck said Rodin "had a lot to do with this." National print and broadcast media have focused on the University this semester. The coverage ranged from The New York Times's profile on Rodin to Good Morning America's portrayal of a fall day on Locust Walk. And Chodorow said his "open and forthright" discussions with the Student Committee on Judicial Reform marked a positive aspect of his first term. "I hope to reach a broader array of students and student opinion [next semester]," he said. Despite slow progress and lack of concrete results, the semester's positive aspects led Rodin and Chodorow to label their first term in office a success. But the two promised even greater accomplishments in the months ahead.
(12/15/94 10:00am)
After over a week of delays, Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons released the names of those selected to serve on the expanded Provost's Committee on Undergraduate Education this week. But Koons refused to announce the final two members of the expanded PCUE because she had not contacted them yet. The expanded PCUE will develop ideas and models for the 21st Century Undergraduate Education initiative announced by the administration in October. PCUE in its original form includes the deans and associate deans of each undergraduate school. Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum and College senior Matthew Kratter, the chairperson of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, also serve on the committee. PCUE is lead by Provost Stanley Chodorow. English Professor Robert Lucid and Vice Provost Kim Morrisson will co-direct the expanded PCUE. Besides Lucid and Morrisson, the expanded PCUE includes four other students, three undergraduate and two professional school faculty members. The Nominations and Elections Committee chose the student representatives on the expanded committee. Engineering junior Jeremy Morrison, Nursing junior Cedar Lalime and College senior Jordana Horn will form the committee, along with a Wharton student yet to be announced. Horn said she will not work on the committee until her term as Executive Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian ends in January. The Faculty Senate appointed Chemical Engineering Professor Warren Seider, Operations and Information Management Professor James Laing and Medical School Professor Harvey Rubin to the extended PCUE. Koons also appointed Communications Professor Oscar Gandy to the group. Lucid will serve as the faculty representative for the College of Arts and Sciences. Koons said she has not finalized appointments for a Nursing School professor. She added that staff members and administrators are forming a library of all past recommendations, reports and ideas dealing with the issues involved. "We are almost finished going through all the reports we have but we need to find any additional reports as well," Koons said. Administrators and committee members said they were looking forward to working on the new initiative. "I am excited because there's a lot of stuff going on," Koons said. The extended PCUE's first meeting is set for next week, Koons said. Koons added that the administration will eventually go back to the NEC and Faculty Senate to choose members of the various subcommittees that will work on individual issues.
(12/12/94 10:00am)
Since 1989, John Gould has had offices in College Hall, the Mellon Bank building and at 3401 Walnut Street while holding various positions at the University. In every office, Gould has enjoyed being out of the spotlight and behind the scenes, often serving in only an interim capacity. Despite this, he has witnessed and taken part in many changes at the University. Currently, Gould serves as interim vice president for human resources -- and does not know what will come next. Gould, who began his career as a history professor, first became involved in administrative duties at Haverford and continued in this capacity when he arrived at the University five years ago. "Penn was exciting because it was a tremendous learning opportunity for me," he said. "What I expected to find was a big place, anonymous, and therefore no one really cares. "I was really surprised to find the degree to which people were really devoted to the University," he added. Gould said he was particularly struck by the differences in emphasis between the University and Haverford. Constituencies are dealt with more than the individual, and "sometimes confrontation occurs before conversation." "We're working on that," he added. "Because of its size, there are more things going wrong and more things going right all the time here." Gould first served as former President Sheldon Hackney's chief of staff, taking on responsibilities ranging from budgetary decisions and planning to coordinating issues and agendas and troubleshooting. "Sheldon's office was really set up like a congressperson's office," he said. "We responded to issues as they came up and a lot of issues came to seek resolution." In 1992, Hackney asked Gould to take over the Interim Executive Vice President's office, left vacant by Marna Whittington's departure. "Marna set a very strong framework so I could step in and keep things moving," he said, adding that when former Executive Vice President Janet Hale took over the office, he stayed on for three months to support her in the beginning of her term. Hale faced a troubled 16 months in the office before she left last August. "Janet came in and began to raise a different kind of question so everything changed a bit," Gould said. "It was extremely unfortunate that her tenure was so short, because one would really like to have continuity." During his time in the executive vice presidency, and while aiding Hale in her new position, Gould watched the University deal with the "water buffalo" incident and The Daily Pennsylvanian confiscation. "I felt very sorry for us," he said. "The press got a hold of a set of issues that became interrelated in their minds, and people took advantage of Penn's difficulties to make their own point." But Gould said the University was not harmed on a long-term basis by the incidents. "Given our engagement with the issues, it is very interesting how quickly we moved on, how long ago it seems now, and by every measurable index, the University was not harmed," he added. "We have had a stunning recovery." After Gould completed his time aiding Hale, he returned to the President's Office as vice president and director of University planning. He served in that capacity as a senior advisor to former Interim President Claire Fagin and carried on many of the responsibilities he had while serving under Hackney. "I had experience with lots of issues so we worked together on where she wanted to go," he said. "In addition, I worked on the planning side with [former Interim Provost] Marvin Lazerson." Gould said he began to develop an approach to the University's relationship with West Philadelphia, a project which Vice President for Government and Community Relations Carol Scheman has taken over. In addition, he studied student services. "Students have a number of bureaucracies that they have to navigate," Gould said. "Students lose out potentially because? students need a unitary response to a whole range of issues and problems they have."
(12/12/94 10:00am)
and Paula Feldman Provost Stanley Chodorow announced more details of his plans for the 21st Century Undergraduate Education Initiative at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees Friday. Chodorow named English Professor Robert Lucid and former Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrison as co-executive directors for the committee on that initiative. During his report, Chodorow said work is continuing on capital planning projects. He also gave a report on faculty appointments. University President Judith Rodin's husband, Paul Verkuil, was named as a visiting professor of law. The Trustees also appointed Alan Kelly as dean of the Veterinary School and Vice President and Director of Planning John Gould as acting vice president of human resources. In addition, the committee approved several resolutions discussed at a Budget and Finance Committee meeting held earlier Friday. At that meeting, University Treasurer Scott Lederman updated a report from last January on a fraternity and sorority renovation program, which helps defray the costs of maintaining Greek housing. Lederman reported that the program recently contributed $600,000 to the Sigma Delta Tau sorority for renovations to its new house. Some controversy occurred during the meeting when interim Executive Vice President Jack Freeman asked for approval on a resolution to spend $2,131,600 on equipment for and renovations to the University Laboratory Animal Resources Facilities in the School of Medicine. The money is expected to come from research grants and Medical School funds. The Trustees discussed issues involving animal testing and research. They were assured, however, that the researchers report directly to the vice provost for research and abide by federal guidelines. University Comptroller Alfred Beers discussed the financial reports for the fiscal year 1995. He announced that three schools -- the Nursing School, the Graduate School of Education and the Graduate School of Social Work -- have projected surpluses in their budgets. In his report on Contingent Liabilities, Lederman said the University's goal is to keep the number of bank accounts it opens down, as nine out of the 55 accounts currently open were added in the last year. In order to facilitate student loan programs, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Association recently became one of the University's accounts, Lederman said. But, he added that five accounts were closed, including the Presidential Search account "for obvious reasons." An account that funded a program with the Physics Department at the University of Tokyo was also closed.
(12/12/94 10:00am)
If you sent University President Judith Rodin a letter this semester and have not gotten a response, you are not alone. Rodin said last week she receives "hundreds" of letters per day and is very behind in responding. "We try to get to them in a timely matter," she added. "I will respond but they can't always expect it will come immediately." Rodin attributed part of the problem to an understaffed Office of the President, especially since the departure of Linda Hyatt, former executive director of her office. "With so few staff, this is not unusual," she added. Rodin said Hyatt was the central administrator with regard to correspondences. Now, Rodin added, several different staff members open, read and respond to the mail. "Hopefully, we'll be able to accommodate everyone's needs," she said. "But they're putting in more hours probably than anybody should." She said she hopes a replacement for Hyatt will be appointed by next month. Rodin added that acting Vice President for Human Resources John Gould, who also serves as vice president for planning, used to work in the President's Office before he took over for William Holland, who left the University this summer. Gould and Hyatt were the two most senior personnel in the Office of the President. The issue of correspondence has come to the forefront recently after members of Dessalines, the Haitian Students' Association, wrote to Rodin regarding an article in The Red and Blue about Haiti. The students wrote the letter before Thanksgiving break. Since then, they have been in contact with the office many times. Rodin said she was unaware of the issue until The Daily Pennsylvanian brought it to her attention. Dessalines received a letter of response from Rodin last week. And some said they were still not satisfied with the reply. "I expected some kind of personal expression from her -- this letter is garbage," said Dessalines member Danielle Jean-Guillaume. The College senior said Rodin wrote that she supported dialogue and discussion on the issue more than "condemnations from on high." Rodin said there are alternatives to writing the President's Office that students should consider. "People can't always think that the president should solve the problem," she said, adding that contacting "local levels," such as the vice provost for University life, may be a better first step than coming to her. "Then, if there's no satisfactory response, come to the president," Rodin said. "That doesn't mean stop writing [to me]." Rodin said many constituencies believe the issues affecting them are the most important. "Anytime somebody writes, there's a certain issue in their mind and its very salient," she said. "They cannot imagine why that issue is not salient on someone else's mind. "But there are a number of critical issues that come across the Office of the President's desk," Rodin added. The difficulties with correspondence relates to broader issues in the internal workings of the office and its relationship to the University community. "I know how bogged down she must be, but if it's urgent, it makes students feel that she doesn't care when she doesn't deal with their concerns," said Black Student League President Robyn Kent, a College senior. But Rodin said she goes from appointment to appointment all day and is extremely busy. Besides her daily rigorous schedule, Rodin also finds herself fundraising for the school by meeting with donors in the area, throughout the country and even abroad. "I did very little traveling away from the University this semester, but I plan more next semester," she added, noting that she has gone to New York several times and took a "quick hop to Europe" over the last few months. She said she is planning trips to Texas, California, Europe and the Far East in the upcoming months. "Donors are eager to meet the new president," Rodin said. "I am getting to know people and beginning to make new friends." Rodin added that her schedule is packed every day, even requiring her to miss the first meeting of the White House security panel in which she is a participant.
(12/09/94 10:00am)
The Executive Committee of the University Board of Trustees is expected to approve Alan Kelly as the permanent dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine today in its final meeting of the semester, University Secretary Barbara Stevens said last night. This meeting marks the first time newly-elected Board of Trustees Chairperson Roy Vagelos will preside over an entire Executive Committee meeting. The Trustees were last on campus during University President Judith Rodin's two-day inaugural ceremony in October. At that time, they elected Vagelos as their new chairperson. At today's meeting, Rodin will brief the Trustees on the events and issues confronting the University. In addition, she is expected to ask for the approval of Kelly and acting Vice President for Human Resources John Gould, who has served in the position since William Holland left it this summer. The Trustees are expected to approve both appointments. Provost Stanley Chodorow will give an academic report and acting Executive Vice President Jack Freeman will give a financial report at the meeting. The meeting will also include an investment report and health systems report. The Trustees' Budget and Finance Committee will meet this morning to approve renovations, computer purchases, "routine" budget items for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and primary care practice acquisitions. The Trustees are also expected to approve resolutions on appointments to the Cancer Center Advisory Board, the Board of Overseers of the University Libraries and the Board of Overseers of the Graduate School of Education. The Executive Committee will meet at 2 p.m. today in the Tea Room of the Faculty Club. The Budget and Finance Committee will meet at 11 a.m. in the Club Room of the Faculty Club. Both meetings are open to the public.
(12/09/94 10:00am)
Parents of the Class of 1996 should cross Commencement off their calendars for May 20, 1996. University Secretary Barbara Stevens announced yesterday that the Commencement date has been changed to the following day, May 21. Because of a medical convention, scheduled for the weekend before Commencement, many hotels in Philadelphia have already sold all of their rooms. Stevens said she changed the date from the Monday to the Tuesday following that weekend "so that additional rooms will open up to accommodate our Penn parents." Stevens added that the convention did not end until Tuesday or Wednesday of that week, but that many participants would be leaving at the end of the weekend. "We have consulted with our faculty and deans and the leadership of the junior class and have determined that this can be done while accommodating the needs of the city," Stevens said. Although many more rooms will now be available, Stevens said she was aware that some parents may stay for the weekend and others may still be unable to get a room. As a result, additional housing will be available on campus, Stevens added. Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said her department is already preparing for the expected demand by housing some parents of the Class of 1995 in the residences for this year's Commencement in May. "We knew about the potential problems and thought we would do it in 1995 and see how it went on a smaller scale," Simeone said last night. "We'll be housing them in Kings Court [and] English House -- if that goes well, we'll use it next year. If not, we'll look at other options." Simeone said the change in date made the situation "a little easier for us." "If we are not responding to thousands and thousands and thousands of families, it certainly makes it a little bit easier," she added. Stevens said the city promised to work with the University to determine where rooms will be available for the families of the Class of 1996. "They will plug us into their central reservation system," she added, noting that some families may find themselves in more distant hotels from the University. Stevens said this problem will not occur the future. "The city has now recorded on its master calendar the dates of Penn Commencement through 2010," she added. The date of last year's Commencement was changed because it coincided with an American Psychiatric Association convention.
(12/08/94 10:00am)
Nobody gave standing ovations, and no one played "Hail to the Chief." But at yesterday's University Council meeting, University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow gave "State of the University" addresses to explain where the University has gone and where it is going. Unlike State of the Union addresses, however, Rodin and Chodorow invited other administrators to speak about various specific issues, ranging from the Campaign for Penn to the University's dealings with outside media. During Rodin's presentation, Vice President of Health Systems Gordon Williams, Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Virginia Clark, Interim Executive Vice President Jack Freeman and University Secretary Barbara Stevens spoke on various topics. Rodin reviewed her ideas for the "seamless" undergraduate experience and emphasized the global environment graduates will be entering. "We must ensure that every Penn student is prepared upon graduation to live and work in?global communities," she said, adding that recent political changes in America may adversely affect higher education. Rodin said personal safety was of the utmost importance and emphasized community partnerships, technology and the use of limited resources in economical ways. She also discussed the progress of several pending initiatives and reports, including the Commission on Strengthening the Community. "Much has been accomplished," she said. "We have 13 recommendations completed, one rejected and 48 in progress. And there are two required of [The Daily Pennsylvanian] over which we have no control." During the president's address, Williams discussed the medical school and the effects of the health care debate, while Clark emphasized the Campaign for Penn and the importance of alumni involvement in the University. Freeman said he is focusing on how to "contain costs and free resources to maintain the University's primary initiatives in teaching and research." Council allowed for questions following Rodin's address. Undergraduate Assembly member and College sophomore Josh Gottheimer asked Rodin to state her position on Greek rush within the Commission's recommendations. In response, Rodin read from the report and reaffirmed the administration's commitment to having fraternities and sororities conduct rush in the spring during the 1995-96 school year. Other questions ranged in topic from financial aid to the University's relationship with community hospitals. Chodorow then gave his report. He discussed appointments to the committee on the undergraduate experience, financial planning, admissions, capital planning and faculty recruitment. Chodorow said a "sense of improvement and renewal" pervaded the faculty in a "good year" for faculty recruitment. He focused on research and graduate school issues, adding that support for minority graduate students has increased. The provost also discussed opportunities for exchanges with other universities for doctoral students and said he hoped more contact between faculty in graduate schools, such as the Medical School, and undergraduates would increase. Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum also spoke during the provost's address. A short period of questioning followed the provost's address as well. Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writer Lisa Levenson contributed to this article.
(12/08/94 10:00am)
The candidates know, the Nominations and Elections Committee knows and Provost Stanley Chodorow knows. But no one is publically announcing the names of the four undergraduate students and three alternates named to the Committee on the 21st Century Undergraduate Education initiative. For the third time in as many days, the announcement on the appointees to the committee has been postponed. Chodorow said yesterday he had the nominations for the student and faculty representatives that will serve with the Provost's Committee on Undergraduate Education. But he added that he will not be ready to release the names of those selected until the end of this week or the beginning of next. "The committee has not been delayed," he said last night. "We've just had to go through the normal procedures for selecting student members and faculty members and those procedures have time." He said he hopes to talk with each nominated student and faculty member who has been nominated. He added that he expects to complete that process by tomorrow afternoon. "It has taken a long time and it is a complicated process but we are getting there," Chodorow said. The undergraduate education initiative was originally announced on October 19. Originally the committee was to be appointed on December 1, but Thanksgiving break pushed the date up to December 5. On Monday, Gresh, a College senior, said he had yet to notify some of the candidates and the provost himself. Gresh said he passed the nominees on to the provost via e-mail Tuesday. NEC Nominations Chairperson Richard Ahrens said the provost confirmed the decision yesterday. "He told us he would like to make the official announcement," the Wharton junior said. "We were waiting for his word and we got it." Gresh said he understands the provost's request. "When we confirmed the names, [the Office of the Provost] articulated that they would like to announce the entire committee together as a whole," Gresh said. The full committee will be responsible for developing the model for the undergraduate education initiative using the principles Chodorow and University President Judith Rodin outlined in October. The members will also work on the implementation process of their ideas. Rodin said last week she hoped to have at least one, if not two meetings with the full committee before semester break. Gresh said the committee is now in the hands of the provost and president. "They're in charge," he said last night. "It starts functioning when they're ready for it to start functioning." The entire initiative has been slated to first affect the Class of 2001 in its freshman year -- the fall of 1997.
(12/07/94 10:00am)
For the first time ever, University Council will hear "State of the University" addresses by the president and the provost at its general meeting today. Originally, the Committee on Pluralism was supposed to give a report about the implementation of the Commission on Strengthening the Community's report during today's meeting. But according to Council moderator and Political Science Professor Will Harris, time constraints led to a postponement of the report until Council's January meeting. The agenda for each Council meeting for the full academic year was determined in September. At that point, the update on the Commission report was planned for today's Council meeting. "We plan the entire year's meetings in advance," Harris said. "We try to articulate an appropriate agenda." Some Commission members have expressed concern about the delay, saying that the new administration has not adequately dealt with the Commission's report. Harris said the addresses by President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow will allow Council to "get into the issues," look at potential problems and determine how the body can respond. "This is the University's business," he said. The administrative addresses are expected to last 75 minutes. Council will also hear a preliminary report from the Committee on Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics. The meeting will begin with reports from all principals of Council, including representatives from the Faculty Senate, the Undergraduate Assembly, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, the Penn Professional Staff Association and the A-3 Assembly. Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Dan Debicella said he plans to talk about Chodorow's rejection of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education's proposal for changes to the University calendar. "I am definitely asking the provost for an explanation for why he chose to ignore the Council and the Senate Executive Committee," the Wharton junior said last night. Council's meeting will run from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Quadrangle's McClelland Hall.
(12/07/94 10:00am)
Most teenagers would cringe at the idea of moving twice in one year. But for University President Judith Rodin's son, Alex, the moves from Connecticut to Center City, and now to Eisenlohr have brought more benefits than sorrow. "It's really great," he said last night as he stood outside his new home at 3812 Walnut Street. "It's a lot bigger than our old house so I can have a lot more friends here." Rodin and her family moved into the president's house yesterday, after spending their first months in Philadelphia at 21st and Delancy streets while Eisenlohr underwent renovations and repairs. At approximately 8 a.m., the first movers and other workers arrived to begin the lengthy process of preparing Eisenlohr for its new residents. The day's work included moving Rodin's personal possessions from her rented home to Eisenlohr, doing final landscaping and installing a new banister on the outdoor side stairway facing Walnut Street. The Louderback Mayflower moving company, located in King of Prussia, transferred the family's belongings. Employees from the company spent hours bringing lamps, an ironing board and many boxes from the truck parked outside the home into Eisenlohr. Louderback supervisor Mark Anderson said the move ran smoothly. "The facilities department did the planning and did a great job," he said. "It's been going really well." Vice President for Facilities Management Arthur Gravina said Pat Mulroy and Dom Fantozzi in the Public Management Department within his office were responsible for most of the planning. House Manager Alice Nelson said a total of four or five moving trucks have brought everything from personal belongings to furniture over the last two weeks. Gravina said the entire process has been "complicated." "It's been an interesting project -- one that facilities normally doesn't get involved with," he said. "But I believe the president will sleep well tonight even though the house is still in disarray." Others involved in the process spent the day preparing other aspects of the president's home. Gardener Ann Dixon said she spent her day "raking leaves and planting bulbs." Dixon, who will work at Eisenlohr on an ongoing basis, said her work "is a pretty fun job." Nelson, who served as overseer for the entire process, said Rodin has barely seen the house since its renovations. "She's only been here a couple of times," Nelson added. She said the rest of the family has seen the house, adding that Alex and Rodin's step-son, Gibson, have been able to "pick out things they wanted for their rooms." Nelson, who was also house manager under former Interim President Claire Fagin, said her job encompasses "everything from A to Z." "I try to make sure the family is happy," she added. Nelson said taking care of a family is different from only dealing with Fagin and her husband, adding that the household will now be "very youthful." Housekeeper Tina Thompson agreed, saying that Eisenlohr was sometimes "lonely." "Now it'll be family-like," she said. "It's an abundance more to do but it's nice working for Dr. Rodin and her family. "My responsibilities include keeping the house physically up to date and preparing for events," Thompson added. Probably most affected by the move was Rodin's dog, Butterfinger, who nervously ran around the grounds all day, unaccustomed to her surroundings. "Butter's having a hard time getting used to the place," Nelson said. Also affected by the move are Rodin's new neighbors, including the Sigma Alpha Mu and Sigma Nu fraternities. "We look forward to having fun with her," Sigma Nu President John Licciardello said. "We intend to open our house to her and talk with her as neighbors do." The Wharton sophomore added that Alex is also "welcome," although he said he did not "want to personally be responsible for corrupting a teenager who also happens to be the president's son." One of Eisenlohr's first large events will be a holiday party scheduled for December 19, Nelson said.
(12/06/94 10:00am)
When the fraternities on Walnut Street hold parties or events from now on, University President Judith Rodin will be the first to know. Today, Rodin and her family will officially move into 3812 Walnut Street, better known as Eisenlohr Hall. Eisenlohr, the traditional home of the University president, has undergone renovations since the summer. The heating and cooling system and roof required repairs, while the third floor of the home was renovated to create living quarters where storage space had existed before. Rodin's husband, son and stepson will join her in the on-campus home. She lived at 21st and Delancey streets while the renovations were being completed. "I am the only one in my family who has not been there," she said on Friday. "Alex was there to set up his bed [last] Tuesday, my husband and stepson were there [last] Monday, and I just haven't had time." Rodin said she and her family have looked forward to "finally" moving for a while. "The stuff is all moving first and then I said 'please move us last,' because we're all frantic about it," she added. "I just can't wait." Originally, the renovations were set to exceed $1 million because of plans to build a back staircase in the home to give the first family more privacy. Rodin immediately rejected that idea because of the cost When the renovations commenced, Interim Executive Vice President Jack Freeman estimated the cost at $800,000. In late September, the Board of Trustees approved $727,350 for the project Rodin said she thought the final cost was much less, but Freeman could not be reached yesterday to confirm this.
(12/06/94 10:00am)
University President Judith Rodin responded last week to allegations that she was partially responsible for diverting the use of a $20 million grant to fund a Western Civilization program at Yale University. A cover story in Light and Truth, a journal written by Yale students, claimed that Yale and Rodin, the school's former provost, did not adhere to the 1991 grant's conditions and misled the donor, Lee Bass. Rodin denied allegations of wrongdoing, saying that financial reasons "totally and completely" guided her decision. The article stated that a committee asked Rodin to consider a proposal for four new assistant professorships for Western Civilization classes, but that she rejected the request. Rodin said last week that the donor had pledged the money, but had not actually given it. She added that the senior professorships for the course were designated before she became provost. "A couple were on leave and they asked not to give the course the year I became provost," she said, confirming that she was asked to approve a search for four new assistant professors to teach the course. Rodin said Yale had a "significant" deficit of $36 million that year, causing financial constraints on the university. She said one of the reasons for the university's financial difficulties was "spending in advance of getting the money." "One of the tenets that we developed that year was that we wouldn't spend money we didn't have," Rodin added. "It's a simple principle, but a very important guiding one. "The decision was simple and we made it over and over again," she said. "We did very little hiring that year and we were making cuts and changes all over the university." Rodin also said the decision was solely for 1991, adding that Yale President Richard Levin began to work with Bass the following year to actually obtain the money. Rodin also said the magazine that published the accusations was a "political commentary magazine" with a certain political perspective. "They are welcome [to] provide the kinds of debate and dialogue that ought to be present on campus," she said. "But it ought to be recognized when it is not a newspaper and when it is a political organ with a particular political perspective." She added that she was disturbed that the facts were distorted "so considerably by Light and Truth without asking me about the events." "It's really a total misrepresentation, and I would believe an intentional one," Rodin added. The Light and Truth article, written by Yale junior Pat Collins, claims that the decision not to implement the program was "influenced by the opposition of many faculty to the program, and that a number of faculty have even tried to have the funds redirected to their own projects or departments after succeeding in killing the original proposal." Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writer Joshua Fineman contributed to this story.
(12/06/94 10:00am)
Each month, faculty, students, staff and administrators sit down for two hours in McClelland Hall to talk about the University. They make up the University Council, an advisory body to the president and provost that includes members of every constituency in the University. Council moderator and Political Science Professor Will Harris said his goal "has been to have Council be a place where discussion takes place, where concerns are raised with response and reaction following." According to former Secretary of Council Robert Lorndale, the University Council was started in the early 1960s in an attempt to bring various committees together under one umbrella. At its inception, the organization did not include students. "It was a meeting ground really for faculty and administrators," Lorndale said. Students became part of the Council in the late '60s. "The Council with its committees gave students a voice," he said, adding that Council helped to keep the University on an "even keel" during the sometimes traumatic events of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Harris emphasized the advisory role of Council now, saying that the administration is not "required to take our advice." "We don't make the policy," he said, bringing up Provost Stanley Chodorow's recent decision to reject the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education's proposal to amend the University calendar despite Council's unanimous approval. "I think it was a mistake, but he had the right to do it," Harris said. "That doesn't make us irrelevant -- the president and provost do always owe us an explanation for why they've done what they've done." Associate University Secretary Constance Goodman, who serves as the Council's current secretary, said the advisory panel is very important to the University since it provides the sole forum where "direct advice is given to the president and provost." Assistant to the President Stephen Steinberg, whose role in Council is to "support the president," said the discussions make Council an important body. "The strength is certainly that the quality of discussion can sometimes be very high," he said. "It's a coming together of the University community to talk about our lives together." Steinberg added that although many discussions are substantial, some are "very local and sometimes less important." University President Judith Rodin and Chodorow both said their previous universities did not have any organization similar to Council. "The closest to it was the Yale College Faculty meetings, but they didn't involve students and staff," Rodin said. "But I enjoy the meetings and am very impressed with the quality of discussion." Rodin said she sometimes finds such meetings frustrating. "There are moments I feel uneasy because I wish we had a better response or had done something that was able to solve a problem," she said. Besides its monthly meetings, Council also has 14 committees whose members and activities are approved by Council. These committees focus on topics including student life, The Book Store, financial aid, facilities and community relations. "[Council] provides informative reports on issues that are being addressed by its committees and they are held accountable at the forum when they present information to Council," Goodman said. "They also provide a structure for people directly in charge of areas of the University to hear that feedback." Goodman said people who serve as committee members become "active when they would never otherwise be active." But she added that the committee structure, in which some committees overlap, also shows some of the weaknesses in Council. Although Goodman refused to give an example of this problem, she said the Committee on Committees within the Council has to "be very careful when constituting committees and looking at their charges." Harris said the committees could "coordinate their work a little bit better" but added that they are a very important part of Council. "They are more representative than other committees," he said. "The committees may have a more diverse membership and can be more representative and more thoughtful than if one constituency -- administrators or the faculty -- just appointed them," he said. Goodman said the connection between the committees and the full body needs improvement. "I think we need to work harder at assuring that the agendas committees address and the results are known by the full community," she added. "More feedback is needed and the Council has a responsibility to ensure that the rest of the community is privy to that as well." Another issue both Harris and Goodman addressed was attendance. Harris said more Council members should attend each meeting. "I don't think the attendance is good enough," he said, "People show up when they think there's a crisis." But Goodman said outside attendance is a problem, adding that she wishes more members of the University community would attend.
(12/05/94 10:00am)
Despite almost daily discussion about the Commission on Strengthening the Community last year, the new administration has barely mentioned the committee's recommendations since assuming their positions. Last April, the Commission released its final report after months of discussion, debate and research. The report included recommendations on housing, Greek life and relations between faculty, students and staff. And Commission members have expressed concern that their work may have been in vain. "It's really disillusioning that so many good people could put so much good time into something only to have our recommendations ignored and our plans scuttled," said College junior Mike Nadel, who served on the Commission's communications committee. "Last year, we accomplished a lot and I would hate to see that go out the window." But administrators say they are paying attention to the report, citing the University Council's Committee on Pluralism as the organization in charge of implementing many of the recommendations. Other recommendations fall under the jurisdiction of the Offices of the President, Provost, the Executive Vice President and other administrative departments. "There certainly is not inattention to moving the Commission's agenda forward," University President Judith Rodin said. "A lot of things are in process," Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons said. "Not much has been actually accomplished but everything is in progress." But Sociology Professor Samuel Klausner, a Commission member, said he is still "awaiting action." "I haven't gotten any feedback as to what the status is," he said. Originally, Council's agenda for Wednesday's meeting included a report by the Committee on Pluralism. But due to time constraints, the report has been postponed to Council's next meeting, in January. "There's not enough time for it," said Council moderator and Political Science Professor Will Harris. "We thought we would trivialize it if we squeezed it in with everything else." Harris noted that Council's meeting, which always runs exactly two hours, will include lengthy addresses by Rodin and Chodorow. Nadel said he is concerned that "the committee wasn't really doing anything." He added that no progress has been made on recommendations including the delay of Greek rush to second semester freshman year, housing changes, increasing interaction between faculty and students, and improving the quality of life for University staff. But former Interim President Claire Fagin said she felt, unlike Nadel, that the Greek rush recommendation would be officially implemented next year. And she said the housing issue is "very, very integral." Koons said the assigned housing recommendations are "on hold while we consider the undergraduate education plans." Rodin admitted that the administration has been slow in moving on some of the recommendations, such as the coffee house on Locust Walk and the use of the former Theta Xi fraternity house. "There were many things that we felt could have moved more quickly but have not," Rodin said. "But things are moving." She added that recommendations that fall under the Office of Human Resources have been slowed by the change in leadership in the department. Nadel also said many recommendations had time limits for implementation. "They should implement the recommendations immediately that were supposed to be immediate," Nadel said. "And they should take steps to make sure that the recommendations that were supposed to be implemented in one year will be -- that means April." Rodin said she is "tracking by date all of the recommendations." But she added that she was concerned about recommendations with target dates in general. "I think it's very important to set goals but when you set dates with the absence of data, it's setting oneself up for failure," Rodin said.
(12/02/94 10:00am)
Although the final committee has not been appointed and no meetings have been held, the student body has already started talking about the administration's 21st Century Undergraduate Education initiative. The plan and its implications for W.E.B. DuBois College House were the focus of the Black Student League's general meeting last night. In the past, the BSL has expressed concern about other University residential proposals, such as randomized housing. This is the first time students have gathered to formally address the initiative. Over 40 students attended the meeting, which lasted almost two hours. They focused on the residential component of the plan, and expressed concern about the future of DuBois House, where the meeting took place. Student Committee on Undergraduate Education Chairperson Matthew Kratter spoke and fielded questions during the discussion. Many students said they felt the administration was not listening to student concerns and did not know enough about the University to produce the initiative. "Don't you feel the entire plan was a bit premature?" asked BSL President Robyn Kent, a College senior. "[Provost Stanley] Chodorow is coming from California?he's made statements without really investigating what students really want." Kratter said he understood Kent's concern, and mentioned the recent rejection of SCUE's proposed calendar changes as another example of Chodorow's failure to respond to students' needs. Kent, like many who spoke at the forum, focused on Chodorow's intent to bring academics into the residences and creating a residential component similar to a college house system. She said Chodorow was making uninformed judgements about DuBois House, without having ever visited the residence. "There's not even a mention of the word 'minority' in the plan," Kent said. Several students discussed the need for a cultural component to residential living that goes beyond the academic environment. They said they feel the administration underrates the importance of DuBois House. "They are not aware what of what DuBois College House or any of the other college houses are," Wharton senior Wayne Wilson said. "DuBois is a whole mix of different cultures and is an area of learning?they're attacking it." Wilson, who is president of the BiCultural InterGreek Council, added that University President Judith Rodin and Chodorow should consider the University as different from the universities where they were previously employed. "All I've seen is DuBois under attack," College sophomore Frances Fattah said. "Without even coming to DuBois, [Chodorow has] decided to change things so quickly. He doesn't even seem interested in the students." Kratter emphasized the power of the student body, saying that students can "press your points to the president and the provost." "If you don't play a part in [the plan's] creation, it's not going to work," he added. Kratter also said he did not believe the administration was attacking DuBois House. "I don't think they're attacking culturally related programs," he added. "I think they are new people who just came in with their own focus and ideas." "One of my biggest problems with this University is that a lot is said but nothing is happening," said College senior Sheila Boyd. "There also seems to be an agenda here that is not being really said."
(11/30/94 10:00am)
Students and faculty members had mixed reactions yesterday to the rejection of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education's proposal to revise the University calendar. Provost Stanley Chodorow said Monday that his decision about the plan, which included added reading days, changing the number of teaching days in each semester and starting classes before Labor Day, stemmed from faculty dissension. "The deans and the faculty of the four undergraduate schools were overwhelmingly against it," he said. But SCUE Chairperson and Engineering senior Matthew Kratter said he was disappointed with the decision and the process behind it, noting that both the Faculty Senate and the University Council approved of the plan last year. "The provost never really sat down and considered input from all of the groups," Kratter said Monday. "If I knew he would consider the faculty populous vote as the final judge, we would have handled this in a different way." According to Chodorow, former Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson requested feedback on the proposal from the undergraduate deans and their faculty, even after the two University-wide bodies approved the plan. But Finance Professor Jeremy Siegel said he did not recall any vote or official consultation with the general faculty of the Wharton School. "I don't think this ever got voted on at all at the Wharton faculty level," he said last night. "No one I talked to really remembers it being brought up as a vote as Wharton faculty, although it was mentioned." According to Chodorow, the Wharton School, along with the School of Nursing, would be most affected by the proposal. Beginning classes before Labor Day would interfere with summer programs, especially those in the Wharton School and the School of Nursing, he added. Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons said the faculty simply needed a break between summer sessions and the fall semester. Siegel said that because many Wharton professors teach both undergraduate and graduate classes, the school's four-week August summer graduate program would coincide with the proposed beginning of the school year. Siegel said he would not be directly affected by the proposal, but added that the situation is complex. "It is unusual that the semesters have different numbers of classes," he said. "In some ways, you want to even that out but it's hard to put in days in the fall, retain the study days and still start after Labor Day." Siegel suggested attempting to begin classes the Tuesday after Labor Day, instead of Thursday, as the current calendar holds. Chodorow and Koons said that possibility has been discussed, but no final decision has been reached. History Professor Alan Kors attributed the difficulties to the poor interaction between SCUE and the administration. "There appears to be some breakdown of communication and trust between the provost and SCUE," Kors said. "I have found SCUE to be consistently one of the most thoughtful, insightful and dedicated groups on campus and I think it would be tragic for the University if they perceived their channels of communication to be inadequate." Kors, who is on leave this semester, said that although he is unaware of the "particulars of the debate," the issue of SCUE's proposal reflects a larger problem in the operation of governance and consultation at the University. "You don't want a situation in which presidents and provosts can appeal either to Council or to the Senate or to the faculties or to the community as it suits them," he said. Students, like faculty members, reacted last night in a variety of ways. "Personally I don't think I would want an extra reading day because I think everything would drag more," said College sophomore Jessica Salzman. "I wouldn't want to start before Labor Day too because then it would be cutting my summer vacation." Salzman said most schools start after Labor Day and added that she wants the University to stick with its current policies. But College freshman Caroline Chen said she was in favor of SCUE's proposal. "It would help a lot," she said. "And there are colleges that start a lot earlier than us, so a few days earlier wouldn't really hurt us. In the long run, I think [the proposal] would help." Wharton sophomore Greg Angrist said he did not think the plan "would really make a difference." "I can't think of a logical reason why it would make a difference if [the start of classes] was before or after Labor Day," he said. "And I don't know if the extra reading day would make a whole heck of a lot of difference in the scheme of things."
(11/29/94 10:00am)
Within 10 days, renovations to University President Judith Rodin's new home will be completed, Vice President for Facilities Management Arthur Gravina said last night. And by the end of the semester, Rodin will leave her current off-campus residence at 21st and Delancy streets and moves to Eisenlohr Hall, the traditional home of the University president located at 3812 Walnut Street. "We are just about done with the president's project," Gravina said. "The president will move in when it is done." Yesterday afternoon, workers began moving Eisenlohr's furniture back into the home. Lights were on both inside and outside and the gate was open yesterday evening, indicating that the house is practically ready for its new occupants. But the "Deferred Maintenance" sign still stands in the front yard. "We're moving the furniture back in," one worker said yesterday. "We're nearly done and we're going to be moving her in soon." Gravina said the furniture was taken out of the house when the maintenance first began to "protect all of the antiques." Renovations began in mid-August when the University hired Unkefer Brothers of Philadelphia to complete the project. At the time, administrators estimated that the University would spend more than $800,000 on the project. In September, Interim Executive Vice President Jack Freeman said the full repairs and renovations could take a long time, even lasting until early spring. "It is hard to predict," Freeman said at the time. The repairs include overhauling the heating and cooling system, with pipe removal and thermostat additions. Asbestos surrounding the old pipes was also removed from the house. In addition, contractors repaired the roof and painted the inside of the house and the outside window trim. Some of the renovations are associated with the change in residents of the home. Unlike former Interim President Claire Fagin and former President Sheldon Hackney, Rodin will bring a family to Eisenlohr, including her husband, son and stepson. To reflect that, changes were made to the third floor of Eisenlohr to create living quarters where storage space once existed. Eisenlohr has not been renovated since Hackney moved in to the residence in 1981. Rodin was out of town and unavailable for comment.
(11/29/94 10:00am)
Just like the backstage crew of a production, certain members of the University administration work a great deal on every issue facing the campus, but rarely see the spotlight. Assistant to the President Stephen Steinberg has served for three different presidents in his four years in the position. He has been at the University for more than 16 years. Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons has also served for three different provosts, although she has been in her present office since 1987. She has been with the University since 1967 in other capacities. Both agree that their jobs are behind the scenes staff positions and both said there are advantages and disadvantages to these circumstances. "We're not used to being the center of attention," Koons said. "A successful assistant of the president or provost doesn't develop their own strong personality because it gets in the way of what their boss is doing." She added that she feels frustrated when she wants to respond to certain people or situations but cannot because "it may not be in [the provost's] interests to get angry with that person." Steinberg suggested that staff, priorities, styles and work habits change during each new presidency. But he added that his role has remained "constant." "While the day-to-day style and work habits and office organization has changed, my own work has remained relatively the same," he said. "It is extremely diverse and because of that, it is very interesting." Both Koons and Steinberg said they attempt to help their bosses in any way possible. Steinberg said his position means "doing whatever the president needs done." "That can run the gamut from solving a student's problem to developing a policy or representing the president at a meeting or event," he said. Koons, who also held the assistant to the provost position when she first came to the University under then-Provost David Goddard, voiced similar sentiments. She said her role is "to do what the provost wants done." "That role is never changing," she said. "It doesn't make any difference who the provost is." However, both said the responsibilities they have and issues they confront change as administrators come and go. In addition, they said the position changes depending on the president or provost's nature and character. Koons said working for Goddard meant putting out the then-monthly Almanac, writing speeches and sometimes opening the provost's mail. But since then the position has changed, along with her superiors. Koons said working for Provost Stanley Chodorow has brought new changes to her position, especially because Chodorow is new to the University. She spends a great deal of time providing him with historical information on University issues, she said. "I had no idea whether I could work with Stan or whether he could work with me, but I really like working for him now," Koons said. Chodorow, she added, enjoys arguing and thinking out loud, and faculty may not be used to that. "He is still an outsider but as he meets more and more faculty members, I think they will become more comfortable with him," Koons added. Steinberg said University President Judith Rodin is bringing past issues he has dealt with "to fruition." "Certain things like undergraduate education have been priority issues for each administration," he said. "Issues evolve as the campus community evolves and now the new president's initiative builds on all the work that has been done." Another issue Koons and Steinberg face is how the president and provost and their offices interact and how mutual responsibilities are delegated. Koons and Steinberg said their time at the University has seen many changes, but also many similarities. "There has been a continual evolution despite the ups and downs and crises of the moment," Steinberg said. But even with all the changes, the two assistants say they generally enjoy their work. "I wouldn't have stayed with Penn so long if I didn't like it," Koons said.
(11/29/94 10:00am)
SCUE angry over decision Students complaining about having only three reading days this semester will have to deal with the same situation next year. Despite the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education's efforts to increase reading days and change the number of days in each semester, Provost Stanley Chodorow rejected the proposed calendar last week. Chodorow made the decision at the Council of Undergraduate Deans meeting on Wednesday. SCUE chairperson Matthew Kratter said he was "unhappy" with the decision. "We're very disappointed with the process and the final outcome," the Engineering senior said last night. Kratter cited problems with the methods used to arrive at the decision. He said Chodorow focused on the general faculty's opinion, rather than taking into account last year's approval of the plan by both the Faculty Senate and the University Council. "The Provost's Office asked the deans to ask their faculty directly if they would approve of the calendar modifications," Kratter said. "There was no opportunity for debate or discussion with the faculty who wouldn't initially agree with the changes. "The provost never really sat down and considered input from all of the groups," he added. "If I knew he would consider the faculty populous vote as the final judge, we would have handled this in a different way." Chodorow said last night that the process "led to the rejection of SCUE's proposal," but added that he thought the procedure was "proper." "I am not prepared to say that it was an incorrect or improper procedure," he added. "I inherited the procedure of consulting the deans and faculties of the undergraduate schools [from interim Provost Marvin Lazerson]." Kratter said the plan's approval by "two University-wide bodies" should have provided adequate reason to "push the approval of this program forward." And Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella said he was "very upset" with the decision, especially because the endorsement from the two organizations "was ignored." Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons said last year's support for the plan was not forgotten. "It was considered very seriously," she said. Chodorow said the vast majority of faculty in opposition to the proposal led to his rejection of the plan. "The SCUE proposal was rejected because the deans and faculty of the four undergraduate schools were overwhelmingly against it," he added. "SCUE viewed its proposal as a simple matter; it is not simple. "I was neither for it or against SCUE's proposal," Chodorow said. SCUE's plan for the 1995-1996 University calendar included four reading days attached to a weekend during each semester. The number of teaching days in the fall semester would increase from 64 to 67, while the spring semester's teaching days would decrease from 70 to 69. Originally, the proposal equalized the two semesters at 67 days apiece. But the Faculty Senate expressed concern, so the proposal was amended. The plan would force classes to begin before Labor Day and Kratter said the faculty may be against this. "That is not necessarily popular," he said, comparing the issue to a decision on tuition hikes. "If you send it to the masses, you'll come up with a resounding 'no.' " Debicella voiced similar sentiments, saying he hopes "it's not because the faculty doesn't want to come here before Labor Day." But Koons said August summer programs and classes were factors in the faculty's decision. Many summer programs would lead immediately into the proposed start of classes, thereby giving the faculty no break between the summer sessions and the fall semester. Chodorow said the summer programs presented the "compelling argument against SCUE's proposal." "[The plan] would interfere with important academic programs currently offered by two of the schools," Chodorow said, referring to the Wharton School and the School of Nursing. Debicella said he plans to discuss the issue at the December University Council meeting. Kratter said the decision affects the student body the most. "The students will be the ones who suffer and SCUE is not happy with that," he said. "The process was so vague and so unclear and so flawed that I don't know what more we could have done, although I am certainly unhappy that we didn't produce this for the students." Chodorow said although increasing reading days would be "nice," he is "not prepared to ignore the views of the faculty to accomplish this goal." He added that faculty have suggested taking out fall break from the calendar to accommodate the added days, an idea which SCUE is against.
