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(02/13/95 10:00am)
If you are fed up with striking Major League baseball players and can't even stand to look at their faces on baseball cards, you might want to start a new collection -- Economist Trading Cards. Economists are not likely to go on strike anytime soon, and they are steadier performers than the boys of summer. Two of the University's own, Economics Professor Lawrence Klein and Finance Professor Sanford Grossman, are included among 29 economists in the 1995 edition of the trading cards, which is produced by the Economics Club of the University of Michigan-Flint. Klein, who was awarded the 1980 Nobel Prize for Economics for building a statistical model for economic forecasting and analyzing economic policy, joked about the potential value of the cards. "Like baseball trading cards, in 50 years maybe they'll be very valuable," Klein said. Grossman said the photograph on his trading card did not do him justice. "I'm even handsomer than the picture," he said. University of Michigan-Flint Economics Club President Bonnie Kincaid said proceeds from sales of the cards are being used for a scholarship fund at University of Michigan-Flint. Some of the profits from the 1993 edition were used for this purpose. The remainder went to fund a trip the club took to Boston for the 1994 Economic Conferences. Kincaid said the club plans to use money generated by sales of the 1995 edition to endow the scholarship, and to fund a club trip to Chicago in the spring. For skeptics who think an economics club could have thought of a better way to make money, the popularity of the cards might be surprising: The club has sold approximately 5,500 sets of the 1993 edition, and received requests for 800 copies of the 1995 edition before it had even been released. Among those who have purchased sets are World Bank and Federal Reserve employees, as well as collectors, according to Kincaid. One Federal Reserve bank purchased sets for its entire staff. Kincaid explained how the cards gained popularity. "It went across the wire from the Associated Press, and it just went crazy everywhere," she said. The front of each card features a photo of the economist, along with the economist's name and university. The back lists, among other things, the economist's field, positions, contributions to economics and recommended readings. To choose economists for the 1993 edition, the club sent forms to approximately 100 economists, and the 29 who replied were included in the set. Others heard about the set and wanted to be included, and the club decided to again use 29 economists to form the 1995 edition. All economists included in the sets are relatively prominent, according to Kincaid. "We've stuck with a lot of Nobel Prize winners," she said. Kincaid said the club already has plans for its next two sets of trading cards. One will feature policymakers who are economists, such as Federal Reserve Chairperson Alan Greenspan, Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and Alice Rivlin, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Another will be a "dead set," to include important economists from the past, such as Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus and Karl Marx.
(02/07/95 10:00am)
Millions of dollars are at stake in the battle over the allocation of federal resources for government-sponsored university research. Cuts in funding for indirect costs could result in the loss of funding for research universities. According to David Morse, assistant vice president for policy planning, what have traditionally been labeled indirect costs are "really the costs of infrastructure." Included among these are costs for the construction and maintenance of buildings and salaries for technicians and other assistants. Vice President for Community and Government Relations Carol Scheman, an administrator who rejects the term "indirect costs," argues that the term minimizes the importance of money used for purposes essential to research. "The issue has always been and continues to be how you reimburse a university for costs incurred," she said, adding that costs are retroactively reimbursed. Scheman said an enormous portion of costs incurred by universities is due to federal regulations. As a result, a deduction in reimbursements constitutes an unfunded mandate. One plan, proposed last year by current House Budget Committee Chairperson John Kasich (R-Ohio) as part of his budget proposal, asked for savings of $1.6 billion in indirect costs. Kasich proposed accomplishing this by putting a 46 to 50 percent cap on indirect cost rates or a 10 percent reduction in indirect costs across the board. Morse said the former would have meant $6 to 7 million in lost funds to the University's $230 to 250 million research base, while the latter would have resulted in losses of $14 to 17 million. In addition, last year the Clinton administration proposed entirely capping all money for infrastructure. Morse said cuts in federal research funding would have a "dramatic impact" on facilities. "If one of these very important tools is removed or dramatically reduced, it makes it all the more difficult for us to maintain the quality of our research program," Morse said. He said half the University's research base is concentrated in the Medical School, so that area would probably be hit hardest by the cuts. Scheman stressed the importance of the issue of indirect costs to the University, while at the same time explaining why it is not more widely discussed. "It is for the University in this appropriations cycle one of the most important issues," Scheman said. "It is also genuinely boring."
(02/02/95 10:00am)
The Lippincott Library will undergo major renovations beginning this summer, thanks in large part to a $750,000 donation from the Safra family's Republic National Bank of New York. The gift will provide funding for the Safra Business Research Center, which will comprise the majority of the library's renovation efforts. According to a statement released today by the Wharton School, the Safra family "has a long history of involvement with the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School, including sending many of its family members and employees to Penn and Wharton." The family and the Republic National Bank of New York have supported a variety of projects at Wharton. The research center will encompass all activities of the west wing of the second floor of the Van Pelt Library, according to Director of Library Development Adam Corson-Finnerty. Lippincott Library Director Michael Halperin said all public service functions will be moved to the second floor. "In doing this, we're going to triple the number of remote-access work stations and CD-Rom stations," Halperin said. In addition, Halperin said Lippincott will be contained in the west wing of the second and third floors of Van Pelt once the renovations are completed. The library is currently spread out over three floors of the northwest wing of the library. According to Corson-Finnerty, the renovations will be extensive. "It's consolidation and redesign, and complete upgrading," Corson-Finnerty said. He added that the renovations will take into account the important role of computers for today's business students. To that end, the research center will contain "wet" stations, where students can use laptop computers. Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity said in the statement that these renovations will expand students' opportunities to tap into the information superhighway. "Access to information, particularly through rapidly expanding electronic resources, plays a vital role in educating our students and enhancing the academic leadership of our faculty," Gerrity said. The renovations also include plans to create five group study rooms, where students can study together, Corson-Finnerty said. Each of these rooms will have glass walls, a chalk board and computer links. The technological improvements will be combined with aesthetic ones as well. Halperin said Lippincott will be "much more inviting" with the addition of new carpeting and new furniture. "It would be a modern corporate appearance to go with the other Wharton buildings," Halperin said, adding that he is enthusiastic about the renovations. "The library will function better because the services will be coordinated in a way that they can't be now," he said. Halperin also said functions currently located on the second floor will be moved to the first floor for approximately six months, beginning in the summer.
(01/26/95 10:00am)
While some students continually delay plans to work out and stay in shape, others have been hard at work training for the University's second annual Mr. and Ms. Penn Bodybuilding Contest, scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. today in Irvine Auditorium. Assistant Track Coach Tony Tenisci, who coordinates the event, is excited to have the defending lightweight and heavyweight champions returning to defend their titles this year. Male participants will be divided into lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight divisions, while female competitors fight it out in an open round. Defending lightweight champion Frank Schembri, a College senior, and defending heavyweight champion Craig Green, a Wharton sophomore, have both increased their level of preparation in the final week before the competition. "This last week I've really been killing myself," Green said. "I've gotten to the point where my diet is virtually fat-free, sugar-free, sodium- free." But it takes more than a strict diet to get in shape for the contest, both agree. Schembri and Green both said they spend hours in the gym. "I constantly lift," said Green, who competed in several triathlons last summer. "I'm always in training for something." Tenisci said the size of the contestants will not be the primary factor in the judges' scoring. He added that the "highest scoring criteria" will be in the contestants' performance. He noted that the contestants have been professionally coached on how to pose before the competition. "They're going to show the audience and their friends how capable they are," Tenisci said. There will be 30 males contestants and 10 female participants, he added. Three "guest posers" will perform after the students are finished, including the reigning Natural Physique Committee's Mr. and Ms. Pennsylvania. "They should add a bit of spice at the end of the evening to see the next level," Tenisci said. Tenisci said 700 $5 tickets have been sold thus far, leaving room for body-building afficionados and curious on-lookers to fill Irvine to its 1000-seat capacity. Proceeds from tonight's event will be donated to the women's track program.
(01/25/95 10:00am)
The nature of financial aid is changing as schools move from the traditional federal guaranteed-loan program towards a direct-lending program. But the pace of this change could be a topic of debate in the U.S. House of Representatives. Federal dollars to be used for loans go directly to schools in the direct-lending program. Under the guaranteed loan program, loans are distributed through banks and guarantee agencies. Rep. William Goodling (R - Pa.), the new chairperson of the House Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee, is looking to limit the direct-lending program's expansion to 40 percent of the total money granted for loans. According to Kelly Presta, spokesperson for the Committee on Educational and Economic Opportunity, a bill currently under consideration in the House would expand the direct-lending program to 60 percent of loans granted by 1998-99. The Senate has yet to introduce a bill on the matter. One hundred and four colleges and universities are participating in the direct-lending program this year, and the number of participants is expected to increase substantially next year to 1,495, according to this week's issue of Chronicle of Higher Education. According to Student Financial Aid Director William Schilling, the University is not currently using the direct-lending program. He added that from what he has heard, the program appears to be effective. "Everything we've heard is that it has worked reasonably well for the institutions that got into it," Schilling said. University Federal Relations Assistant Director Carl Maugeri said it is too soon to say if the University will enact this program. Schilling cautioned, however, that it remains to be seen if the Department of Education, which administers the loans to schools, can maintain the "same level of responsiveness" with additional schools involved. Presta agreed, adding that he is not convinced that the Department of Education would be up to the task of seeing that the loans are payed off. "They're very good at giving money out, but they have no idea about collecting it," Presta said.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
Members of Congress are talking about ways to cut federal spending, and financial aid is one potential target of the reductions. As part of the "Contract With America," Republicans in the House of Representatives have proposed cutting $9.6 billion from the federal budget over a five-year span by making students pay for the interest on student loans as part of the cost of paying off the loans. Currently, students do not have to pay interest on loans because the interest is subsidized by the federal government. Student Financial Aid Director Bill Schilling said this would place a larger financial burden on many students. "It would basically increase the debt of borrowers," Schilling said. He added that for an undergraduate who borrows the maximum possible amount in loans, the additional debt would be approximately $3,000 over a four-year period. University Federal Relations Associate Director Carl Maugeri said this would have a direct impact on students. He said the Republican Contract calls for the removal of all forms of campus-based aid. Such programs include the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, work-study grants and the Perkins loan program. According to Schilling, a decrease in campus-based programs might mean that students would have to borrow more money, possibly from a "different, less favorable source." Maugeri said the University currently receives $7.1 million in campus-based aid from the federal government. There is one proposal made by House Republicans that would move half the money saved by cuts in campus-based aid programs into Pell grants, a different source of aid that Schilling said has traditionally been aimed at low-income students. "But it's not clear that Penn would get the same money back," Maugeri said of the Pell grants. Schilling said only a small part of the money from Pell grants is directed at four-year colleges. He added, however, that this plan is only one of many currently being proposed in Congress. Changes in the national financial aid program could force the University to look for a different source of aid. "Then the question is, can an alternative source be found and would it be as attractive as the source that was eliminated?" he said. Both Schilling and Maugeri were reluctant to speculate on the future of this issue. Maugeri said the Contract is a "House initiative," and it has not been endorsed by Senate Republicans. In looking into the future of potential cuts, Schilling said that the University's policy would depend on the specific cuts that were enacted. He also noted that there would be some debate in Congress on whether aid for education is an appropriate place in which to cut spending.
(01/20/95 10:00am)
While a college education is usually viewed as a long-term investment, the race to lower federal taxes for parents of college students may make the investment more worthwhile in the short-run as well. In a December 15 speech unveiling his "Middle Class Bill of Rights," President Clinton proposed permitting a tax deduction of up to $10,000 on post-secondary education for families earning less than $100,000. The deduction would be phased out at $120,000. In his address to the nation, Clinton discussed his reasons for proposing the deduction. "Just as we make mortgage interest tax deductible because we want people to own their own homes, we should make college tuition deductible because we want people to go to college," Clinton said. Clinton proposes paying for the cuts by restructuring the Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation, as well as the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management. The University's Acting Budget Director Ben Hoyle praised the idea of a tax deduction for tuition. "I think anything that they can do that would make higher education more affordable -- especially in the middle class which is getting squeezed by the cost of higher education -- would be beneficial," Hoyle said. Vice President for Finance Steve Golding said that because most students' families make less than $100,000 a year, "It would be fair to expect that a significant number of Penn families would benefit from this policy." Currently, about 60 percent of students receive some form of aid or loans. Golding said he cannot envision any changes in the University's aid policy as a result of a tax deduction. He also said the University "would certainly benefit" from a bill that would give families tax deductions, as the need for aid would presumably be reduced. Hoyle noted that it is difficult to say exactly what kind of plan will be approved by Congress, if any. The Republicans, who took control of both houses of Congress after last November's election, have several tax cut proposals. Most Republicans appear to favor raising the income level at which the deduction would be phased out. Hoyle said that for now, the changes would not likely affect tuition. "I would be surprised if we have a tuition policy, at least in the short term, that's affected by these proposals in Congress right now," Hoyle said. The school can get into a "sort of rut" by raising tuition, as the need for financial aid is increased by such a move, he said. For the current academic year, the cost of tuition and mandatory fees is $18,856 for undergraduates and $19,740 for graduate students. The overall charge to undergraduates is $25,822, including room, board and expenses.
(01/17/95 10:00am)
As a part of yesterday's festivities in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., a town meeting was held to offer diverse perspectives on the president and provost's "Implementing a 21st Century Undergraduate Education." University Provost Stanley Chodorow answered student concerns about the proposal. In her opening remarks, Black Student League President Robyn Kent encouraged students to participate. "This is the beginning of a new day for students," the College senior said. "This is an opportunity for all students to speak up." Five student panelists spoke on their vision for undergraduate education in the twenty-first century. College junior Mika Rao, president of the South Asia Society, said she thinks there should be more female professors at the University. They could serve as mentors to female students, she said. Rao also offered suggestions for revamping the curriculum, stressing the need for greater minority and female representation in "mainstream" classes. "If we as female students and minority students don't see our cultures and our identities reflected in mainstream coursework, it is really disheartening to us," she said. "Maybe you should be forced to take certain classes just to be exposed to different perspectives." United Minorities Council Chairperson and College senior Liz Melendez said that after reading the initiative, she was both frustrated and bitter. "I suppose the bitterness came from the broken promises and empty rhetoric that assured us all of so much and left us with so little," Melendez said. She also expressed unhappiness with what she considers the initiative's assumption that all undergraduates share a common experience. Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance Chairperson Anthony Putz, a College of General Studies freshman, said there should be more safety nets for homosexual students -- as well as a more inclusive curriculum. After the panelists spoke, audience members offered opinions and asked questions. College senior Kristofer Love brought up the issue of living-learning programs and their role in the future of undergraduate education. Chodorow responded to students who felt such programs, in particular DuBois College House, might not be retained. "Over time, we will begin to learn what people think a good undergraduate education will look like," he said. After the event, Chodorow said there are many unconfirmed assumptions about the proposal. "People read that general document, and read things into it. They read their fears into it," he said. "Some of them read their hopes into it. Today, I think, we heard more about their fears than their hopes."
(12/06/94 10:00am)
Reappointments expected Editor's Note: This is one of several stories focusing on the four graduate deans. Today's story centers on Law School Dean Colin Diver. Four graduate school deans are up for review this year and a recommendation of reappointment is expected for each. Law School Dean Colin Diver, Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Dental School Dean Raymond Fonesca and Medical School Dean William Kelley will be judged by faculty members and students on their performances within the coming months. According to the Handbook for Faculty and Academic Administrators, a review committee is established in the sixth year of a dean's initial term if a reappointment of more than two years is considered. Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons said she does not expect any difficulties for the deans. "I can't imagine that any of these are going to be bad reviews," she said. Diver said he does not anticipate problems in the process, as long as the president and provost want the Law School to continue on its current track. "If they're basically interested in the direction we've been going, then it seems to me it should be smooth sailing," he said. Diver said he hopes to increase the amount of publicity the school receives. After focusing for the last five or six years on improving the Law School's quality, he said he now hopes to work to make the school's reputation match its accomplishments. "I think we're trying to increase the effectiveness of our communications and our marketing because we're better than the world recognizes," he said. Several law students seemed quite pleased with Diver's performance. Chuck Connolly, a third-year Law student, praised the dean. "I think he's done a really good job," he said. "I've worked with him on a couple committees, and with the journal that I'm working on now?he's been open to me as a student." Last year, Connolly served on the committee to select a new dean of admissions for the school. "I was very impressed with [Diver] in that and his goal of trying to improve the Law School and searching for the best candidate," he said. Law School student body President Alan Reifenberg said he thinks Diver's "greatest accomplishment has been his fundraising." Reifenberg, like several students, commented on the school's new law library in Tanenbaum Hall, which was dedicated on Oct. 14, 1993 during a ceremony that included a speech by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. "I think it's extremely impressive that he was able to do this in very hard economic times, because this is a tremendous resource for the student body," said Reifenberg, a third-year Law student. "We have a cutting edge library, and that affects the day-in and day-out life of every law student." Jared Silverman, a second-year Law student and a member of the school's Council of Student Representatives, said he likes the direction in which the Law School is going. "I think that the dean has done a fantastic job at the Law School," he said. "He has a real vision for the Law School, where he wants it to be, and I think that's demonstrated through his hard work in raising money and seeing through the construction of the new library." Second-year Law student Jim Rollins said Diver has worked on expanding the size of the school's faculty. He said the dean "pulled off a major coup" in getting Geoffrey Hazard, the head of the American Law Institute, from the Yale University Law School. Ned Kase, a third-year Law student, was less enthusiastic than other students about Diver's performance. "The job of the dean of a law school, as I understand it, is to get money for the school," he said, "and to the extent that we have a brand new library, it looks like he's partially successful." He added, though, that the school "could use better teachers and more books." The committees that will review Diver and the other three deans will consist of four faculty members from within each school and four outside faculty members chosen by the president and provost. In addition, students select two of their peers to serve on the committee. The faculty members chosen by the Law School are Steven Burbank, Regina Austin, Eric Posner and Michael Fitts.
(11/29/94 10:00am)
It's Tuesday, Nov. 22, just before 6 a.m. Juliette Cherbuliez, a second-year Comparative Literature graduate student, sits before her computer. She checks e-mail and finishes writing a weekly one-page paper due later in the day for her Theories of Sexuality seminar. Next, she checks a French database for a project she is working on. Normally, she would arrive on campus from her Center City apartment around 9 a.m. and spend the next few hours preparing to teach that day's 1 p.m. French 121 class, but today the class has an exam. At 10 a.m., she meets with a professor, and sometime after 11 a.m., she meets with a student. At 1 p.m., she goes to Williams Hall room 27 to give the exam. Cherbuliez points out that this is not her "typical" day, largely because she is giving an exam. The day nevertheless encompasses several key aspects of her life as a graduate student: Meeting with students and professors, attending class, grading papers and other activities. While there is no typical University graduate student, certain broad issues define the graduate experience. On a very basic level, all are part of the same larger community, all are students and many are teaching assistants. The fact that there are broader issues facing many graduate students makes it possible to look at one student's experiences to get a feel for the issues with which many graduate students face from day to day. In the classroom, Cherbuliez gives instructions in French, but her mannerisms are unchanged from when she speaks English -- she gesticulates energetically, her hands in perpetual motion. Then, she administers the exam. Most weekdays, though, Cherbuliez's job in the class is not to proctor, but to teach. This is her first year as a teaching assistant, and she is required to teach for two semesters. Several students said Cherbuliez is a demanding teacher. "She's tough," said College junior Noah Goodman. "She's made a class that I didn't think would be too difficult very challenging." College freshman Molly McClelland praised Cherbuliez but also complained about the amount of work required for the class. "I think she's a really good teacher but she gives us way too much work," she said. Cherbuliez's friend Julie Crawford tied together Cherbuliez's demands of her students and her efficacy as a teacher. "I imagine her students get a real challenge in her class, and that it's probably tough for them sometimes," said the second-year English graduate student. "But in the end, they'll appreciate it." Cherbuliez said one positive side of being a TA is that it gives her a "certain role in the University." Because most TAs are enthusiastic about their positions, she said, there are advantages to having TAs teaching courses like hers. "Here you have people who are actually really psyched about where they are," Cherbuliez said. Also, because most TAs are recent college graduates, many can relate to undergraduates better than can professors. "They understand where the undergraduates are coming from," she said. "When they say, 'Oh no, we're going to have homework over Fall Break,' I realize they're not being smarmy little brats," she said. Cherbuliez said that while the pay and benefits TAs receive are not very good -- language TAs are paid approximately $9,000 per year and get very limited benefits -- she values the free education receives. "We get paid paltry sums for what we do," she said. "At the same time, we're getting a free education, so I'm not complaining about it." Cherbuliez said she does not think her satisfaction is representative of the feelings of most graduate students. Susan McCready, a second-year French graduate student and a friend of Cherbuliez's, said she enjoys teaching and feels it is important in her field of study. "The fact is that language teaching is a major part of our field," she said. "Not to like it bodes very ill for [working in] our field." After the last French exam has been handed in, Cherbuliez makes the transition from teacher to student. From Williams 27, she heads for the Lea Library on the sixth floor of Van Pelt Library, where she a French cultural history seminar. The class runs from 2 p.m. to around 3:50 p.m., and there is little time to rest before going to College Hall for her next class, Theories of Sexuality. Cherbuliez said the combination of teaching undergraduates and being a student who deals with the faculty and administration can be a complicated one. "In a large research university, where graduate students so often shoulder a large part of teaching responsibilities, you're in a strange position in the whole power system," she said. Sometimes her responsibilities as a teacher conflict with her responsibilities as a student. Cherbuliez said she recently had to reschedule office hours -- in which she had eight 15-minute appointments scheduled -- because a professor could see her during that time. "When the professor calls, I personally run," she said. Kirsten Wood, a third-year History graduate student, also said balancing the dual role of TA and student can be complicated. "It's complicated for many reasons, in part because of the way authority works within an undergraduate class," she said. She pointed out that while TAs have more contact with undergraduate students and determine the grades, the professor creates the course material. "On the one hand, TAs have a lot of authority," Wood said. "But they don't necessarily set all the conditions, and there's sometimes a problem with perceived authority." Cherbuliez mentioned the problem of establishing authority as a TA. She said she perceived a marked decline in the respect she received from some students when they realized she was not a professor. The issue of getting respect from faculty and administrators also arises. Cherbuliez points to one incident as being illustrative of this problem. Before last summer, there had been a computing center open to everyone in Williams Hall. Over the summer, though, it was converted into a faculty prep center, which she said is supposed to be used by faculty, staff and TAs, who can use it strictly for work-related purposes. Cherbuliez said this is "an example of how easy it is for a university to not meet the needs of a graduate student. "It's bizarre that we don't have a computing center," she added, noting that TAs teach over half the classes in Williams Hall. Cherbuliez also said graduate students often deal with the problem of isolation. "It's incredibly lonely," she said. "I think it would be a safe assumption to say that graduate school is a very isolating experience," she added. McCready agreed, saying, "Being a graduate student anywhere is kind of a lonely existence." Cherbuliez qualified this, however, by saying that this feeling of isolation occurs in the context of living in a close-knit community. "At the same time, what you get out of grad school is a community of people who are interested in what you're doing," she said. "It's an absolute blessing that I get to do work that I like with fascinating people," she added. Crawford echoed these sentiments. "I think a lot of us, Juliet included, sort of appreciate the fact that we're really privileged to be doing what we're doing," she said. After her Theories of Sexuality class, Cherbuliez returns to her Center City apartment. Usually, on a Tuesday, she will go to Van Pelt Library to study for a few hours. On this night, several hours will be spent grading exams with first-year French graduate student Beth Gale. Then she will finish writing a paper. Her decision to live in Center City, rather than on-campus or in the West Philadelphia neighborhood, was due to the fact that most people in her program live in Center City. Cherbuliez said she has stayed there because she likes the "idea of my home being separate from my work." Although job prospects for aspiring professors in the humanities are currently relatively poor, Cherbuliez said she cannot think about that yet. "I have to be worried about what I need to know," she said. "If I go ahead in the next three years and learn what I need to know then I'm going to be a strong job candidate," she said. Despite the busy days and extensive time spent reading, Cherbuliez is not complaining. "We're going here free," she said. "If I take off and decide to become a masseuse, then I haven't lost anything but two years of my life."
(11/29/94 10:00am)
University President Judith Rodin announced yesterday that Alan Kelly has been named permanent dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, where he has been serving as acting dean since Jan. 1. Kelly will be the first veterinary school dean in North America with an endowed post, according to a University statement. Kelly said he was "delighted" with the decision. "I recognize there's a wonderful challenge ahead of us, and I recognize there's wonderful support from the central administration," he said. In the statement, Rodin noted Kelly's achievements as acting dean. "Alan's stewardship as acting dean has been exemplary," she said. "In a brief period, he has guided the School of Veterinary Medicine through the continuing challenges it faces and worked to create a sense of optimism and collegiality across the entire School." Leon Weiss, chairperson of the Department of Animal Biology, praised the appointment. "I'm pleased with it," Weiss said. "I think he's had a good deal of experience. He's been a vigorous dean, he's been an active dean. He's taken care of a lot of problems at the school beautifully." Kelly said the debt veterinary students incur "is probably the first priority the school has to address." He noted that tuition at the University's Vet School is the highest of any in the country. "Too many students are graduating with much too high a level of indebtedness," he said. Weiss praised Kelly's handling of this issue. "He's been trying to ease the students' financial burden," he said. A related funding issue is the annual non-preferred appropriation the University receives from the state, which amounts to about $35 million per year. Of this, the Vet School collects about $14.8 million, which Kelly said constitutes about 40 percent of the school's budget. "It was this issue that threatened the school with closure several years ago," he said. At that time, Governor Bob Casey wanted to discontinue non-preferred appropriations. Had this occurred, Kelly said, the Vet School would not have been able to survive. He said other issues he hopes to address include fostering research and advancing the curriculum. Kelly, a native of Scotland, received his doctorate in pathology from the University in 1967 and has been a faculty member since 1968. Before accepting the position of acting dean, Kelly was chairperson of the Department of Pathobiology. The Executive Committee of the University's Board of Trustees is likely to approve Kelly's appointment at its next meeting on Dec. 9. The Vet School, which was founded in 1884, is the second oldest in the United States.
(11/18/94 10:00am)
Congress's inability to pass health care reform legislation this year will affect the economic well-being of University employees courses in University graduate schools. A tax exclusion currently applicable to the first $5,250 of employees' tuition benefits will end on December 31, according to Jacob Miller, a tax analyst in the Comptroller's Office. "Effective January 1, for educational assistance at the graduate level, employees will now become taxable from dollar one," he said. The tuition costs for employees taking classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels are paid out of the University's employee benefits pool, according to Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences Donald Fitts. Fitts said payments for dependents of employees are also paid out of the same fund. The continuation of the exemption was part of health care legislation never voted on by the House of Representatives or the Senate. "They basically tried to tack it onto health care legislation," Miller said. Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson David Mestre said he is "appalled" by the decision to tax these benefits. "It penalizes a student in a number of ways," said Mestre, a fifth-year Astronomy graduate student. "It penalizes you if you want to gain marketable skills, or if you want to expand your intellectual horizons." Fitts echoed Mestre's sentiments. "I just feel it's a benefit Congress should not tax," he said. "It just discourages people from trying to improve their education." Mestre said he would like to see the Republicans, who won a majority in both houses of Congress in last Tuesday's elections, overturn this tax. "I would hope that in the Republican wave to cut taxes, they would seriously consider this particular tax, because it is obstructionist," he said. Miller said an extension is not likely to occur in the near future. "As it stands right now, there is no hope for any passage of any legislation to extend the exclusion after Dec. 31, 1994," he added.
(11/03/94 10:00am)
Last night's Graduate and Professional Student Assembly meeting began with students' singing happy birthday to Chairperson David Mestre, and then moved onto the issues. Approximately 15 students attended the meeting, held in Houston Hall, and discussed such issues as the establishment of a graduate student listserv and a GAPSA semiformal. Mestre, a fifth-year Astronomy graduate student, said acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum is committed to paying for an equipment closet in the east wing of Houston Hall that would allow for the establishment of an Ethernet connection for the group. Once the closet is installed, Mestre said GAPSA will be able to create a graduate student listserv. He noted that the listserv will facilitate communication with graduate students and allow announcements to reach more students. "It's a marketing thing," Mestre said. "We'll push hard to get them all subscribed to the system." Mestre also gauged graduate student interest in a Dec. 9 holiday semi-formal at the Institute of Contemporary Art. He said students might want to consider changing the location of the event because Andres Serrano's "Piss Christ" will be on display at that time. The work is a photograph of a crucifix submerged in a bottle of Serrano's urine, and has been the subject of national controversy. No objections were raised, however, and Mestre said he would look into holding the event at the Institute. Safety issues were also discussed at the meeting. Mestre said a graduate student had proposed organizing a graduate student Town Watch, but added that there could be problems with purchasing radios, which cost $600 each. Students expressed concern that, in the event the program lasted only a short time, the money spent on radios would go to waste. Sixth-year Medical student Erick Santos said the problem could be avoided by giving someone final jurisdiction over the radios. Mestre said a faculty member could coordinate the program and have control over the radios. No final agreement was reached on the matter. Mestre said University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich supports the idea of the graduate student Town Watch, and the VPUL seems to be in favor of it as well. Students also discussed other safety issues, including the recent trend of students' moving from West Philadelphia to Center City. They talked about making graduate students part of the Penn Faculty and Staff for Neighborhood Issues as one means of dealing with safety issues. Mestre also said six of the 15 graduate student seats on the University Council are still open. He encouraged students to attend next Wednesday's Council meeting, which will be an open forum. During the meeting, Koli Banik, a first-year Social Work student, was also elected vice chairperson for student affairs.
(11/01/94 10:00am)
Graduate students in the humanities are finding many ofGraduate students in the humanities are finding many ofdoors in the academic job market are closed at every turn Several years ago, when School of Arts and Sciences graduate students began their studies at the University, they expected a slew of faculty positions to open up when they received their doctoral degrees. Today, those students are searching for jobs in universities, but some are finding that positions are not as abundant as they once thought. Due to budgetary constraints, colleges and universities across the country are not creating new positions and in many cases, are not replacing retiring faculty. Vice Provost for Graduate Studies Janice Madden said University students in the humanities and social sciences are not immune to this growing trend. "The job market has gotten more difficult in the last few years," she said. "There clearly are fewer academic appointments being made at the moment." According to Walter Licht, former graduate chair of the History Department, the general feeling today is that the job market for history doctoral graduates is not a very good one. "I'm afraid right now," he said. "There's a lot of pessimism about the job market." Licht said the number of applications for doctoral candidates at the University began to increase in 1987 from about 150 to 400. This occurred, he added, as the result of predictions that faculty positions would be opening up in the near future. Unfortunately for students, however, the anticipated jobs have not become available. And cost has played a major role in this "Positions are not being filled," Licht said. "You've seen deans being very cost-conscious." Nevertheless, the outlook for the University's History doctoral students is not hopeless. Susan Schulten, a fifth-year History graduate student, said she would like to finish her dissertation and get a job in academe simultaneously. She said the situation this year is better than in recent years, though. "This year, I'm more encouraged than I have been in past years," Schulten said, adding that being at an institution with a good reputation helps. Licht echoed her sentiments, saying, "Even in bad times, Penn students do well." Marc Stein, a sixth-year History graduate student who hopes to receive his doctorate in December, was less sanguine about the overall situation. "I think the job market has been terrible for years," said Stein, who said he has some confidence in his future because he has already published an article and signed a book contract. "I don't see any signs that it's improving." Students in other fields are also concerned about a future they thought would almost surely include a university faculty position. George Justice, an English graduate student, hopes to receive his doctoral degree in December after six–and-a-half years at the University. Justice said universities tend to blame the economy for the problems students face when trying to find faculty positions. But, the problems are more a result of the structure of universities, he said. "Because of the hierarchical system, top-name professors are paid too much to teach too little, and most teaching therefore devolves upon very lowly-paid graduate students," Justice said. He added that the structure "needs revolutionary change, with an emphasis on undergraduate education." Nancy Bentley, associate professor of English, pointed out that the number of faculty within English departments across the country is not growing. "The departments are not expanding their faculty," she said. "If anything, they're shrinking them in English departments." Vicky Mahaffey, graduate chairperson of the English department, seemed to agree. "The market this year is a little better than it was last year, but significantly worse than it was two or three years ago," Mahaffey said. Similarly in political science, the market is not a particularly open one. James Hentz, a Political Science graduate student who will defend his dissertation in June and would like to find a tenure–track position at a university, said many University Political Science graduates tend to look for work in academe. This, he said, is due to the fact that the department tends to concentrate on theory. Hentz characterized the market for doctoral students in political science as "extremely tight at this point." "It's a very specific market," he said. "They look for very particular expertise in fields and subfields, so you're looking for a niche that you can fill at a university you would like to go to." Hentz pointed out that the pressure now facing graduate students is similar to that faced by professors seeking tenure. "You have to publish, you have to be out there disseminating your ideas," he said. "If you don't, you won't get a job." Mary Heiberger, who works with SAS graduates students as associate director of Career Planning and Placement Services, mentioned this as well. "Now," she said, "graduate students going on the market have publications," whereas in the past this was less common. "It's almost routine." She said students are now getting the same results as in the past, but with greater effort. One discipline, art history, has not fallen victim to the trend, however. According to Art History graduate advisor David Brownlee, his department "didn't go through the steep decline most humanities departments faced about 20 years ago." He said this decline was the result of the drying-up of what he called "space race funding" -- money given to schools during the period of competition between the United States and the Soviet Union in exploring space. "We didn't have as much of a boom before, or as much of a loss afterward," Brownlee said. Madden pointed out the financial constraints faced by many state schools are a reason jobs are not being created as quickly as in the past. But, private universities, traditionally immune from such difficulties, are feeling the crunch too. One state system, in particular -- the University of California -- has had a disproportionate impact on the hiring situation, Mahaffey said. "California is too significant a part of the market to be taken out without a huge effect" on the entire system, Mahaffey said. Schulten, a native Californian, said UC not only froze all hiring, but forced many to retire early because of California's struggling economy. The History student pointed out, though, that each of the UC campuses has an opening this year for a history professor, which might be a sign that more positions will open up in the future. CPPS's Heiberger said a recent legal change is a contributing factor to the lack of positions. "Until recently, faculty members were exempted from the federal law against age discrimination, and universities could require their tenured faculty members to retire," Heiberger said. This, she said, is one cause of the lack of positions. "Short-run," she said, "many professors are staying in their jobs, so a source of vacancy is not occurring as quickly." Some graduate students fear that they might become "floaters" -- doctoral graduates who get hired by colleges and universities for one-year adjunct positions -- but cannot get secure positions. Such people "float" from school to school in search of secure faculty spots and the benefits that come with them. According to Justice, who hopes to finish his dissertation in December, "The floater situation is something we're all scared of." And Schulten said it is "the biggest fear of everyone -- that they'll keep getting one-year jobs." Greg Buchanan, a seventh-year psychology graduate student, said he knows a few floaters. "I know a couple of people who are now on their third academic program in three, four years," he said. Stein said he believes the floater phenomenon is a result of universities' trying to reduce costs, and feels this is in the interests of neither undergraduate nor graduate students. "Universities are saving money and undermining undergraduate education by turning to part-time faculty," he said. The situation, however, may not be as bad as some people think. Heiberger offered this caveat: "Horror stories tend to circulate and the reality is often better than that. "While the market is getting tighter and more difficult, people are still getting academic jobs," she said, noting that within specific disciplines, job prospects vary. Steve Benfell, a fourth-year Political Science graduate student, said this phenomenon happens in this discipline. "At least in part, it depends on what field you're in, what subfield you're in," he said. For instance, Benfell is studying Japanese politics, which he calls "up-and-coming." Heiberger said there may just be a "time lag" right now, and perhaps retirements are just being delayed. Or maybe other unforeseeable future developments, such as an increase in the government's emphasis on education, will alter the situation. Overall, she said, "it's very hard for people to predict" what will happen. Madden was hopeful about the future, although she said she realized that would not mean much to students currently searching for jobs. "I think 10 years from now there will be jobs, but that's not much consolation if you can't find one now," she said.
(10/14/94 9:00am)
Conway to stay on faculty Patricia Conway, dean of the Graduate School of Fine Arts, announced her resignation from the design school yesterday, after a year of divisiveness within the school's faculty. Professor of Art History Malcolm Campbell has been named interim dean. In a statement released yesterday, the University acknowledged that some faculty members have been unhappy with Conway's performance over the last year. "Conway's resignation follows a year-long protest by certain of the School's faculty over measures taken to eliminate the School's chronic deficit, to streamline its administration and to refocus its academic mission," the statement said. Conway took office July 1, 1991, becoming the first Ivy League dean of a design school, and converted the school's $675,000 deficit into a surplus. In the process, the statement said, "the number of separately administered programs in the School has been consolidated from 19 to 11." In addition, the administrative staff declined by 25 percent. Conway said in the statement that she is proud of the "unprecedented administrative progress" made during her term. The University realized that such success was made "only at the price of some unpopular decisions," she said. Conway added that she is most proud of the academic progress made during her term, including the recruitment of two world renowned figures in the field of fine arts. The statement discussed the disenchantment some GSFA faculty have expressed over the last year. "Despite these accomplishments, some faculty in the Graduate School of Fine Arts have become increasingly disaffected since the dean began a formal consultation with them last fall" to address financial issues, the statement said. University Spokesperson Barbara Beck said Conway's term was a difficult one for GSFA. "She accomplished a number of things," Beck said. "She did them and now it's time for her to move on." Conway will return to teaching in the school's Department of Architecture, which she said was "the goal that attracted me to Penn in the first place." Before coming to the University, she was head of Kohn Pederson Fox Conway and a founding partner of Kohn Pederson Fox, a major New York City architecture, planning and interior design firm. Provost Stanley Chodorow was enthusiastic about Campbell's appointment to interim dean. "Malcolm Campbell's knowledge of the school and the University, and his experience as an administrator and teacher make him an ideal person to head the Graduate School of Fine Arts at this time," he said in the statement. "The students and faculty will be well served by him," the provost added. Campbell has been a University faculty member since 1961. He has served as chair of the Art History Department and associate dean for Humanities in the School of Arts and Sciences. He said last night that he plans to work closely with professors in the school during his term. "I want to stress cooperation with them," Campbell said. "I am not coming in with a grand plan. We are going to roll up our sleeves and make that plan together." He also put to rest concerns that he wants to further downsize the school. "Within the school there has been a real concern and fear that there would be a kind of a major shutdown," Campbell said. "That's not why I've been appointed. I am not here to shut the school down; I am here to renew it and re-energize it." Within the next six months, Campbell said he will be meeting with Deputy Provost Walter Wales to set an agenda for the school. He will keep his graduate and undergraduate courseload at the same time, though.
(10/12/94 9:00am)
Although a list of finalists for the new Graduate School of Education dean was submitted to the president and provost nearly four months ago, an appointment still has not been made. Ira Schwartz, dean of the School of Social Work and a member of the search committee, said the group of five GSE faculty members and five people from outside the school conducted a "pretty exhaustive search." In addition to placing advertisements in newspapers and academic journals, calls were made to sources in government, academia and elsewhere to try to select from the best possible candidates in the field. Schwartz estimated the committee looked at 50 to 60 resumes, from which a list of four or five finalists was presented to University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow in July. GSE Professor Rebecca Maynard, who chaired the committee, said public meetings were held to gather input from GSE faculty, staff and students. The search committee also enlisted the help of a search firm. Maynard refused to name the finalists. Schwartz said the committee's work "pretty much ended" after meeting with Rodin and Chodorow. Interim GSE Dean Nancy Hornberger, who was not a member of the committee, praised its composition. "I was impressed with the membership of the committee," she said. Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons said the president and provost have been interviewing candidates whose names were presented to them. Schwartz said the administration, in choosing a candidate, is not limited to the list presented to them. "If they feel they want to look further, that's a prerogative that they have," he said. Maynard said she does not feel the length of the search or the time Rodin and Chodorow have spent interviewing candidates is unusual. "I think the process is proceeding in a usual and acceptable fashion," she said. Schwartz attributes the length of the process to the fact that Rodin and Chodorow just took office this summer. "We have an unusual circumstance here because Penn is going through a transition at the top level," he said. Hornberger, who has led GSE since former Dean Marvin Lazerson became interim provost in July 1993, said she is not an "active candidate." "If they thought I should do it, I would consider it," Hornberger said. She added, though, that she does not feel she is being considered.
(09/30/94 9:00am)
University Provost Stanley Chodorow and UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor signed an agreement yesterday to sponsor the International Literacy Institute, which will promote literacy research, training and development. In his remarks before about 75 people at the National Center on Adult Literacy, Chodorow spoke about the importance of the new institute at the University. "It is really a signal honor for the University to be chosen as the site of this institute," he said. Samora Gabarone of the University of Botswana is the coordinator of a collaborative project between the University and schools in Africa. Gabarone said the International Literacy Institute will allow for intercontinental cooperation. "This institute affords us the opportunity to network within and across continents," he said, noting the distance he traveled to attend the event. Raymond Wanner, of the Bureau for International Organization Affairs at the U.S. State Department, agreed that both the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the University will benefit from the new institute. "It is a partnership that is mutually beneficial, with UNESCO acquiring the depths of the vast academic and research capabilities of the University of Pennsylvania," Wanner said, adding that the University will also acquire "an unparalleled international reach through UNESCO's unique global network." Mayor said the institute "will be effective only to the extent that it brings closer the achievement of a literate world in which the right to education is really enjoyed by all." He said the problem of illiteracy, which affects 900 million people worldwide, is not only an educational one. "Illiteracy is in fact a complex socioeconomic and sociocultural problem that can only be solved within the context of a wider struggle for social participation and economic development," Mayor said. He also remarked on the impact that programs like the International Literacy Institute can have. "It can never be forgotten that literacy programs not only provide vital learning skills, but also build confidence, promote critical thinking and inspire learners to transform their own lives and the communities in which they live," he said. Mayor also invoked a phrase made popular by a well-known University group. "We need to borrow the Philomathean Society's motto: To raise hell with our brains," he said. Daniel Wagner, director of the National Center on Adult Literacy, will serve as interim director of the International Literacy Institute.
(09/29/94 9:00am)
Students will venture outside for class today and tomorrow as part of Teaching Assistant Awareness Days, better known as Class on the Grass. The event is organized by the Graduate Student Associations Council. Randolph Scully, a second year History graduate student, will take his classes outside -- if mother nature cooperates. Accuweather forecast predicts that it is going to be windy and cool today. "As I understand it, the purpose is basically to raise general awareness in the University community of the work that TAs do," he said. Mark Wilkins, also a second year History graduate student, expressed similar thoughts. "The main goal is just simply to sort of get TAs and their classes out in public, so that everybody realizes what a big role TAs play in instruction," he said. Several graduate students mentioned awareness and appreciation as key reasons behind the event. And some, like English dissertation student Peter Parolin, said their work often goes unnoticed by many at the University. "I think we're an important presence at Penn, and sometimes an under-appreciated presence," Parolin said. GSAC Treasurer and third year History graduate student Ed Baptist noted the impact TAs have on education at the University. "We sort of lay the groundwork for an awful lot of basic learning here," Baptist said. GSAC president and fourth year English graduate student Bronwyn Beistler said while Class on the Grass is aimed at undergraduates and faculty members, it is "probably primarily" meant to remind the administration of the work done by TAs. "We're technically considered employees," Beistler said. "It's sort of in our better interest to kind of continually demonstrate the fact that we are working and providing a necessary service to the University." Parolin said taking classes outside gives TAs a measure of power they usually do not have. "We lack real institutional power at the University," he said. "But I think Class on the Grass is a friendly and respectable way for us to tell administrators at this university how much we matter here." GSAC will set up a table at which TAs can pick coffee, T-shirts and other items. Despite GSAC's efforts to publicize Class on the Grass, some TAs seemed unaware of the event. Baptist, however, said he feels GSAC did all it could to publicize the event, including placing an advertisement in The Daily Pennsylvanian. He said GSAC told its representatives in various schools to publicize the event. In addition, flyers were posted throughout campus.
(09/22/94 9:00am)
The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly is hoping to make a difference this year, Chairperson David Mestre said last night. At GAPSA's first meeting of the academic year, he and approximately 20 other students discussed issues ranging from establishing a graduate student cafe to creating a listserver for graduate students. "I hope that by the time we finish this year, we can look back and say that maybe we made a change," Mestre said. Students addressed the effort to establish a graduate student cafe, which had previously been called a pub. The issue has been raised several times in the past, and students hope the idea will get the attention it deserves from the University administration. Students also hope that the new name will make the idea more palatable to the University administration, according to GAPSA First Vice Chairperson Cheryl Neisser-Frankson. Neisser-Frankson, the graduate Nursing representative, noted that the cafe could bring together students from various University graduate schools. "There is no place for graduate students to go and to meet each other from other schools," she said. After several delays involving the University administration in the past, Neisser-Frankson wants the issue pushed forward. "This is an issue that we really, really want to rally around this year," she said. "We need to be a little more forceful this time." The establishment of a graduate student listserver is also an important goal for GAPSA this year, according to several of the group's representatives. Tom Timperio, GAPSA's vice chair for communications, said one positive aspect of a listserver would be the range of students that could be reached. "The beauty of the listserver is that it can reach anybody who has e-mail," said Timperio, who is also the Annenberg School representative to GAPSA. Also addressed at the GAPSA meeting was the re-establishment of the Graduate Perspective, a graduate student newsletter that has not been published in more than a year. Timperio said the newsletter could include the announcement of events, soundbites on various issues and minutes from different graduate school meetings. Finding an effective way to distribute the newsletter, though, arose as a potential problem. The meeting also included a presentation by Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Dan Debicella, a Wharton junior, who spoke about getting graduate students involved in Project 2000, a policy paper being formulated by the UA.
(09/21/94 9:00am)
In spite of their intense rivalries in football and basketball, the University and Princeton are hoping a new exchange program between their graduate schools will be a winner for both sides. Plans for the program, in which University graduate students take classes at Princeton University and vice versa, were finalized over the summer. The proposal for the program came from David Redman, associate dean for graduate studies at Princeton. Students have the option of going to the other school to take individual courses -- or complete a full semester or academic year -- according to Janice Madden, vice provost for graduate studies. While only two University students are currently taking courses at Princeton, she said, more are applying to get involved. "The students have been elated," she said. David Brownlee, chairperson of the Art History graduate group, said the exchange program enables students from each school to take advantage of opportunities that would not otherwise be available to them. "We're neighboring institutions," he said. "As it happens, they have strengths that we don't have and we have strengths that they don't have." Gary Hatfield, chairperson of the Philosophy Department, called the program "a low-cost way of expanding opportunities." Though the program only started this semester, the idea is not a new one, according to Donald Fitts, director of the graduate division of the School of Arts and Sciences. "I had discussed the possibility of this a number of years ago with the people at Princeton," he said. "We had just never gotten around to put it together until recently." Both Brownlee and Fitts mentioned that the program is especially useful today with the current trend in graduate education toward keeping faculty sizes static. Julia Shear, a graduate student in Archeology, is one of the students already involved in the program. She is taking a course at Princeton on Mycenean archeology, a class which she calls "pretty specialized." "It fits in with my interests and that's why I'm taking it," she said. Shear added that she would "certainly encourage everybody" to take advantage of the program. For years, the University has had an exchange program with Swarthmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr colleges. For the most part, though, this program has taken place on the undergraduate level. Madden said an exchange program for the entire Ivy League will be formalized at a meeting of Ivy League graduate school deans, scheduled for the end of the month. Students would be able to go to other Ivy schools for a semester or academic year, she said. And while the University and Princeton will be a part of the Ivy League pact, they will maintain a separate agreement as well. "Penn and Princeton are so close that it's literally possible for students to stay enrolled at Penn and take a course at Princeton, and vice versa," she said.
