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(04/24/92 9:00am)
The Committee on Open Expression plans to perform sound tests on College Green Monday morning in an effort to determine a "reasonable" noise level for rallies and other outdoors activities at the University. Molecular Biology Professor Robert Davies, chairperson of the Open Expression Committee, said earlier this week that in conjunction with University departments, he will check the noise levels at the core of campus and then set rules regarding what is "acceptable." "We're going to make very loud noises," Davies said, adding that people will be stationed in various buildings surrounding College Green -- including College and Logan halls and Van Pelt Library -- to listen to the noises and report them. Davies said the entire University community is invited because not only is a crowd needed to determine maximum levels, "a large crowd [is needed] to decide what is the minimum level of noise that can be heard by a crowd of people." Office of Environmental Health and Safety Director Matthew Finucane said yesterday his office will assist the committee in performing the study and will provide some sound level meter equipment. Finucane added that the sound level will have to comply with the City of Philadelphia's regulations, but the "appropriate" noise level may be quieter than that. Davies said he has purchased a couple of Radio Shack sound meters himself to be used in the experiment and has been testing them around campus. "I went around [Locust Walk] noting what the sound levels were," Davies said. The Committee's decision to study noise levels comes in the wake of the Committee's investigation of an incident involving a misunderstanding with the organizers of a Bisexual Gay/Lesbian Awareness Days rally last month. After determining that the incident involved miscommunication rather than malice, the Committee voted to clarify its rules regarding public meetings. Davies said he chose to do the tests on Monday, the first of the semester's reading days, so as not to disturb classes or exams in progress.
(04/23/92 9:00am)
The daily tasks of a University administrator's secretary often resemble those of a circus juggler. Between scheduling appointments and travel itineraries and controlling the flow of important information, many would say secretaries can be the glue that holds the University together. University administrators' secretaries said this week -- which has been designated National Secretaries Week -- they are pleased to be working for the University and the administrators who lead it. And their bosses credit them with maintaining order in the sometimes-hectic offices of the University. Trudy Kuehner has been President Sheldon Hackney's secretary since last summer, when she was taking a rare look at job listings in The Compass while on campus. Employed at the time at a Philadelphia law firm, Kuehner said she had not planned to leave the job she loved but she said the job in the President's office really seemed "interesting." "You don't leave where you love for just anything," she said earlier this week. "[But] Sheldon is an excellent boss [and] it's a really neat office." Kuehner said she is involved with the intricacies of making Hackney's days run as smoothly as possible. "I think it's fair to say you concern yourself with every little detail," Kuehner said. "You're ultimately the backstop who will follow up and make sure it gets done. You switch gears a hundred times a day but that can be rewarding if you like to be [involved] in lots of different matters." Kuehner added that secretarial work has drastically improved with the coming of greater technology. "Secretaries used to take dictation and type things up," she said. "The job has shifted to a lot more thinking." "I don't think we will ever get to the point where we will have a secretary-less world," Kuehner added. And Kuehner's job at the University has allowed her to become involved in other facets of the University. Earlier this month, she played cello for Penn Singers' performance of Thespis. Pat Byrne is "indispensible" according to her boss Executive Vice President Marna Whittington. "[Pat] basically keeps the office organized, keeps me where I'm supposed to be . . . nothing is too much for her," Whittington said earlier this week. "I'm not sure I could function here without her." Byrne, who has worked at the University for 12 years and has worked in Whittington's Franklin Building office for four, said she tries to make Whittington's life "just a little bit easier." "I handle Marna's life, basically . . . making sure she's in the right place at the right time," Byrne said Tuesday. Byrne added she finds her job "very interesting." "I love my job," she said. "We are never in a slow time here. There's always so much going on and . . . pretty much everything that's going on [at the University] we're exposed to." "We work hard and we work long but it's worth it," Byrne added. Marie Gallagher is making a return trip to the University. She became Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson's secretary last August, 20 years after serving as head secretary in the Finance department. "This is my second time around," Gallagher said earlier this week. Gallagher said she really enjoys working with Morrisson. "I just think she's an incredible person and I really enjoy her dedication to the students -- I'm really touched by that," Gallagher said. Morrisson described Gallagher's role as the extension of her job. "We have to work as a team," Morrisson said yesterday. "She truly keeps my professional . . . life in order." Morrisson added she admires the job Gallagher and other administrator's secretaries do. "People in roles like Marie's are in such critical roles at the University," she said. Patty Villa's 12 years at the University have been busy. She worked in the President's office, the budget office and the Institute for Research on Higher Education before joining Senior Vice President for Planning and Development Rick Nahm's office a year and a half ago. Villa, who was praised by other secretaries at the University for the "star quality" job she does, said yesterday she really enjoys her relatively new position at the University. "It's fun," Villa said. "I really can't complain." Villa added she tries to make the office run well so that Nahm can concentrate on his duties at the University. "I think [the office] runs pretty smoothly," she said. "[It leaves] one less thing for him to worry about."
(04/23/92 9:00am)
The daily tasks of a University administrator's secretary often resemble those of a circus juggler. Between scheduling appointments and travel itineraries and controlling the flow of important information, many would say secretaries can be the glue that holds the University together. University administrators' secretaries said this week -- which has been designated National Secretaries Week -- they are pleased to be working for the University and the administrators who lead it. And their bosses credit them with maintaining order in the sometimes-hectic offices of the University. Trudy Kuehner has been President Sheldon Hackney's secretary since last summer, when she was taking a rare look at job listings in The Compass while on campus. Employed at the time at a Philadelphia law firm, Kuehner said she had not planned to leave the job she loved but she said the job in the President's office really seemed "interesting." "You don't leave where you love for just anything," she said earlier this week. "[But] Sheldon is an excellent boss [and] it's a really neat office." Kuehner said she is involved with the intricacies of making Hackney's days run as smoothly as possible. "I think it's fair to say you concern yourself with every little detail," Kuehner said. "You're ultimately the backstop who will follow up and make sure it gets done. You switch gears a hundred times a day but that can be rewarding if you like to be [involved] in lots of different matters." Kuehner added that secretarial work has drastically improved with the coming of greater technology. "Secretaries used to take dictation and type things up," she said. "The job has shifted to a lot more thinking." "I don't think we will ever get to the point where we will have a secretary-less world," Kuehner added. And Kuehner's job at the University has allowed her to become involved in other facets of the University. Earlier this month, she played cello for Penn Singers' performance of Thespis. Pat Byrne is "indispensible" according to her boss Executive Vice President Marna Whittington. "[Pat] basically keeps the office organized, keeps me where I'm supposed to be . . . nothing is too much for her," Whittington said earlier this week. "I'm not sure I could function here without her." Byrne, who has worked at the University for 12 years and has worked in Whittington's Franklin Building office for four, said she tries to make Whittington's life "just a little bit easier." "I handle Marna's life, basically . . . making sure she's in the right place at the right time," Byrne said Tuesday. Byrne added she finds her job "very interesting." "I love my job," she said. "We are never in a slow time here. There's always so much going on and . . . pretty much everything that's going on [at the University] we're exposed to." "We work hard and we work long but it's worth it," Byrne added. Marie Gallagher is making a return trip to the University. She became Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson's secretary last August, 20 years after serving as head secretary in the Finance department. "This is my second time around," Gallagher said earlier this week. Gallagher said she really enjoys working with Morrisson. "I just think she's an incredible person and I really enjoy her dedication to the students -- I'm really touched by that," Gallagher said. Morrisson described Gallagher's role as the extension of her job. "We have to work as a team," Morrisson said yesterday. "She truly keeps my professional . . . life in order." Morrisson added she admires the job Gallagher and other administrator's secretaries do. "People in roles like Marie's are in such critical roles at the University," she said. Patty Villa's 12 years at the University have been busy. She worked in the President's office, the budget office and the Institute for Research on Higher Education before joining Senior Vice President for Planning and Development Rick Nahm's office a year and a half ago. Villa, who was praised by other secretaries at the University for the "star quality" job she does, said yesterday she really enjoys her relatively new position at the University. "It's fun," Villa said. "I really can't complain." Villa added she tries to make the office run well so that Nahm can concentrate on his duties at the University. "I think [the office] runs pretty smoothly," she said. "[It leaves] one less thing for him to worry about."
(04/22/92 9:00am)
The Ombudsman's Office received a 14 percent increase in complaints last year, but handled fewer harassment cases than the previous two academic years, according to the Ombudsman's annual report published in this week's Almanac. According to the report, issued by University Ombudsman Daniel Perlmutter, the 14 harassment complaints -- eight fewer than last year -- were split unequally between alleged acts of sexual and racial harassment. Two alleged incidents involved racial harassment, while 12 involved charges of sexual harassment. Half of the sexual harassment complaints, which primarily involved students, were "brought by women who alleged that demands of a sexual nature were made that left them feeling uncomfortable and threatened," the report states. Five of the 12 cases involved gender-related complaints arising from comments directed at women. "The most blatantly offensive comments were lewd references to female anatomy," according to the report. Perlmutter declined to comment on the report yesterday, saying "I would like to have it just stand for itself." The job of the Ombudsman's office is to respond to the needs of University students, faculty and staff, by informing people of their rights, helping to protect their rights and promoting better lines of communication. All complaints to the office are heard confidentially, and the Ombudsman's office acts in an advisory capacity to those members of the University community with complaints. The 1990-91 report shows that more than twice as many complaints were filed with the office in the category of academic / procedural complaints than during the previous year. Academic / procedural complaints refer to complaints surrounding rules and procedures. The report also states that more undergraduates filed complaints with the Ombudsman than any other group. Microbiology Professor Helen Davies, who said she has not read the report yet, said last night she thinks the Ombudsman's office is very effective. "The general response I have is three cheers for the Ombudsman," said Davies, a prominent faculty activist. "[It has been] extremely important in the University for seeing that people got due process quickly without going into formal procedure." Davies added that she thinks the University's new harassment policies, which were implemented last fall and therefore had no impact on the statistics in this week's report, could act as a deterrent for future harassment. "[But] there will always be a need for the offices that can deal with harassment," she added.
(04/21/92 9:00am)
The Ombudsman's Office received a 14 percent increase in complaints last year, but handled fewer harassment cases than the previous two academic years, according to the Ombudsman's annual report published in this week's Almanac. According to the report, issued by University Ombudsman Daniel Perlmutter, the 14 harassment complaints -- eight fewer than last year -- were split unequally between alleged acts of sexual and racial harassment. Two alleged incidents involved racial harassment, while 12 involved charges of sexual harassment. Half of the sexual harassment complaints, which primarily involved students, were "brought by women who alleged that demands of a sexual nature were made that left them feeling uncomfortable and threatened," the report states. Five of the 12 cases involved gender-related complaints arising from comments directed at women. "The most blatantly offensive comments were lewd references to female anatomy," according to the report. Perlmutter declined to comment on the report yesterday, saying "I would like to have it just stand for itself." The job of the Ombudsman's office is to respond to the needs of University students, faculty and staff, by informing people of their rights, helping to protect their rights and promoting better lines of communication. All complaints to the office are heard confidentially, and the Ombudsman's office acts in an advisory capacity to those members of the University community with complaints. The 1990-91 report shows that more than twice as many complaints were filed with the office in the category of academic / procedural complaints than during the previous year. Academic / procedural complaints refer to complaints surrounding rules and procedures. The report also states that more undergraduates filed complaints with the Ombudsman than any other group. Microbiology Professor Helen Davies, who said she has not read the report yet, said last night she thinks the Ombudsman's office is very effective. "The general response I have is three cheers for the Ombudsman," said Davies, a prominent faculty activist. "[It has been] extremely important in the University for seeing that people got due process quickly without going into formal procedure." Davies added that she thinks the University's new harassment policies, which were implemented last fall and therefore had no impact on the statistics in this week's report, could act as a deterrent for future harassment. "[But] there will always be a need for the offices that can deal with harassment," she added.
(04/21/92 9:00am)
A lawyer representing the coalition suing the University over the number of Mayor's Scholarships it provides said he "intends" to file papers in court today forcing the City of Philadelphia to enter the lawsuit. Thomas Gilhool, a lawyer for the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, said yesterday that the coalition of labor unions, student groups and individuals suing the University will "bring the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia and other members of the executive branch [of the City]" into the lawsuit. Gilhool said Mayor Edward Rendell and the city will have the opportunity to decide on which side of the suit they will join. "We are [forcing them to join] as 'involuntary plaintiffs' or 'plaintiffs' or 'defendants,' dependent in the first instance on their choice and dependent ultimately upon the facts and the requirements of the laws," he said. Plaintiffs in the suit argue that a 1977 ordinance requires the University to award Philadelphia high school students 125 new scholarships each year, totalling 500 at any one time. The University maintains the ordinance requires only 125 awards at a time. A Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge dismissed the coalition's initial suit last week because the plaintiffs failed to name the city and the mayor as parties to the suit. He noted that the ordinance at the heart of the dispute is a contract between the city and the University. Gilhool said he does not know how the city will choose to join the suit. But Rendell has said publicly in the past that he supports the University in the dispute. Rendell's chief legal advisor, Judith Harris, concluded in February that the University's interpretation of the 1977 ordinance is correct. Based on Harris's opinion, Rendell announced the city would not join the plaintiffs in suing the University. Former Mayor Wilson Goode had been preparing to join the suit late last year, when Rendell asked him to hold off on the move. Gilhool, who was given 20 days from the middle of last week to file an amended suit, said the suit has not changed significantly. "We have learned very much in the weeks and months since we first filed the case and will be updating the papers to incorporate that learning," Gilhool said. "[And] there are brand new, fresh faces who have not been in the courtroom before," he added. University General Counsel Shelley Green said yesterday she had not officially been informed of Gilhool's intention to file new papers but added that she is not surprised at the action. "There was no reason it couldn't have been filed the same day," Green said. Arthur Makadon, the University's lawyer, said yesterday that he had not heard about the filing of new papers, adding that the University will "respond in due course."
(04/17/92 9:00am)
The University has established a French Institute for Culture and Technology to increase understanding of French culture, technology, research and development with a $100,000 gift from the French government. Romance Languages Professor Stephen Nichols, who traveled to New York City last spring to negotiate with a representative of the French government about instituting the program, said the government's donation of start-up money was an "unprecedented" act. "For the first time, the French government went into partnership with an American university," Nichols said yesterday. "It is unique -- that is not my term, that is the term the French themselves are using." Nichols added that the French government was so pleased with the idea of the Institute that they are looking to establish similar ones at other schools, using the University as a model. The French were particularly impressed with the interdisciplinary nature of the University, he said. The new Institute will be a collaborative effort -- potentially involving all of the University's schools -- that will take a "new approach to the awareness of French culture and technology," Nichols said. Although the concrete details have not been worked out yet, Provost Michael Aiken said yesterday that he expects the Institute to be located in Lauder-Fischer Hall, but administered out of the School of Arts and Sciences. A director of the Institute has not yet been named, Aiken said, adding that he hopes to select one soon so the Institute can "hit the ground running in the summer and fall." He also said that the University will be looking to the 147 French firms in the Delaware Valley and University alumni for their financial support. According to the University's Institute proposal, the Institute will ideally be self-supporting in the long-run, but the total Institute budget has not yet been established. The Institute's purposes, which are outlined in the proposal, include encouraging research and teaching about France and French language and culture, disseminating literature about these activities to the University community and raising money for programs. Aiken said the Institute is an extension of the University's efforts to internationalize its scope. "It's part of the whole international effort," he said. "[We want to] focus our energies on developing and nurturing current relationships and new relationships with French institutions that would be beneficial to Penn and vice versa." In the long term, the Institute will host speakers, provide graduate student fellowships for study in France, sponsor visiting professors for varying terms and hold a yearly colloquium, the proposal states. The Institute was officially inaugurated earlier this month during a visit by the French ambassador to the United States. 'It's part of the whole international effort. [We want to] focus our energies on developing and nurturing current relationships and new relationships with French institutions that would be beneficial to Penn and vice versa.' Provost Michael Aiken
(04/16/92 9:00am)
The University's four undergraduate schools have approved a new judicial charter and a new Code of Academic Integrity which will be implemented on July 1. The newly-approved judicial charter, which was proposed last May, will not provide for the splitting of the Judicial Inquiry Officer's job into a "prosecutorial" JIO and a "settlement" JIO as was called for by student leaders last spring. At the time, students said the system makes it uncomfortable for them to negotiate settlements with the same person who could use any admissions of guilt to prosecute them. The changes in the charter state that revealing information on pending cases is punishable. In addition, the changes state that the charter should be reviewed regularly. The charter also creates standing judicial panels and provides for advisors for respondents in each case at all times during the judicial process, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Science Professor David Pope, chairperson of the Oversight Committee, said yesterday. Changes in the Code of Academic Integrity clarify what constitutes a violation of the code and encourage greater student input in both enforcing the code and altering it in the future, Pope added. Pope said he is pleased that the policies have been approved by the undergraduate schools and said he hopes this is the first step toward greater student involvement in the judicial process in the future. "[My hope is that] at some point we would get to this state of grace where the system is almost entirely student-run," Pope said. Pope also said the new Code of Academic Integrity gives professors greater leeway in punishing students for code violations. For example, the code allows faculty members to fail students for cheating, even if the violation occurred on a minor class assignment. Pope added that he believes this option will encourage more professors to utilize the judicial system, which he said currently frustrates faculty. "I think it benefits everybody," Pope said. "There is a widespread belief . . . that in order for the [student] to be punished, the faculty member is put on trial." Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson said yesterday the University community will be able to judge how the codes work when they are implemented. "I think that it is the result of an awful lot of work, and we have to put it into place to see how it works," Morrisson said. The School of Arts and Sciences and the Nursing School and the Wharton School approved the policies last semester and the Engineering School notified Provost Michael Aiken earlier this semester. The Code of Academic Integrity had to be voted on by the faculty of each school, while the judicial charter was accepted by the dean of each school in the manner that school deemed correct. Only some of the University's 12 graduate schools have approved the codes. 'There is a widespread belief . . . that in order for the [student] to be punished, the faculty member is put on trial.' David Pope Oversight Committee chairperson
(04/03/92 10:00am)
Over 500 University students plan to show their support for abortion rights Sunday, joining an expected one million people in a rally in Washington D.C. Penn Pro-Choice President Raji Jagadeesan said this week that her organization has reserved 11 Greyhound buses to take University students to the National March for Women's Rights and expects to sell out the remaining $20 tickets by Sunday. And a National Organization for Women spokesperson said yesterday that she expects about 80 buses to travel to Washington from the Philadelphia area and "at least three or four times as many people to go by car." NOW member and Philadelphia March Coordinator Kathy Miller said she expects only a small number of proponents of abortion restriction to attend the rally, but said she does not know of any organized counter march. Neither Penn Pro-Life nor the Penn Coalition for Life will be sending University students to Washington to counter the rally. Jagadeesan said one of the purposes of the march is to convince legislators that a woman's right to choose must be preserved. "[The march] will be a clear sign to legislators that there are hundreds of thousands of pro-choice supporters out there and they vote," the College junior said. "I think abortion rights in this country are pretty much an endangered species. Our only recourse is through legislative means." Jagadeesan said NOW President Patricia Ireland and National Abortion Rights Action League Executive Director Kate Michelman will speak at the march. She also said actresses Faye Dunaway, Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Molly Ringwald and Jane Fonda will attend the rally. Jagadeesan added that Democratic presidential candidates Jerry Brown and Bill Clinton may also attend the event. The U.S. Supreme Court will begin hearings on a case testing the constitutionality of the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act -- one of the toughest in the country -- later this month. Supporters of abortion rights said they think Roe vs. Wade will be overturned by this summer. The upcoming case is one of the reasons for gathering in Washington, they said. The Penn Pro-Choice delegation will congregate in the nation's capital and will join up with students from other colleges and universities. Members of the group will carry a large banner so that those who drive to the rally will easily be able to find them. Members of Penn Pro-Choice said this week that they are "excited" to show their support on Sunday. "This week we've seen a lot of enthusiasm," Cindy Brown, a graduate student in the School of Social Work, said. "People really do care . . . there is going to be a presence in Washington. I'm really looking forward to going." "It's amazing how many people come up to us on Locust Walk," Jagadeesan said. "We've had a great response." Executive Director of the Christian Association Beverly Dale, a member of the Religious Coalition for Change, said yesterday she will be bringing a mini-van of students to Washington and meeting up with religious leaders to "make a positive religious statement." Michael McDonagle, Director of the Pro-Life Coalition of Southeastern Pennsylvania, said yesterday he is "not planning to go to D.C. to counter the march." But McDonagle added that members of Operation Rescue will make the trip. Kevin Welch, co-president of the Penn Coalition for Life, said yesterday that while his organization is not sending anyone, he hopes those against abortion will show their support. "We are fully aware of the other side and encourage anyone who is pro-life to show their support for everyone who supports the rights of unborn children," Welch said. Penn Pro-Choice's buses will leave from Houston Hall at 7 a.m. Sunday and should return about 9 p.m.
(04/01/92 10:00am)
Approximately 200 remaining tickets for University of Oklahoma Law Professor Anita Hill's lecture Saturday will be available starting at noon today on 36th Street and Locust Walk, Connaissance Chairperson Meg O'Leary said yesterday. Connaissance members, who gave away about 700 tickets on Monday in approximately two hours, will give out its last tickets today on a first-come-first-served basis. O'Leary said the group would have distributed the tickets until the supply ran out on Monday, but one Connaissance member mistakenly walked away with the 200 tickets she was scheduled to hand out. O'Leary said she knew tickets to the lecture would be popular, but said she did not anticipate the rush for tickets. "We knew they would go quickly," the College junior said. But, "they went much more quickly than we had expected." Members of the University community with a valid PennCard can pick up one ticket each for free today. Connaissance and the Women's Studies Program's Judy Berkowitz Endowed Lectureship are co-sponsoring Hill's visit. The $11,000 cost was shared by the two groups. Women's Studies is in charge of distributing the tickets for the other 800 seats in Irvine Auditorium for the lecture, O'Leary said. She criticized Women's Studies for not making more tickets available to students. "We want as many students as possible [to attend] . . . Our primary interest is in the students," O'Leary said. "We think they put their personal interests ahead of the University's." O'Leary said Women's Studies invited members of their "constituencies," which include members of the Penn Women's Trustees Council. Program officials also provided an open sign-up sheet at the Law School, she said. "It has gone beyond a VIP list," O'Leary said. "It's 800 people large. That's just not reasonable." O'Leary added that if Women's Studies has any tickets remaining, they will become available to students, but said she does not know if there are any left. Carroll Smith-Rosenberg, director of the Women's Studies Program, could not be reached for comment last night. A message on Women's Studies' Voice Mail yesterday said the program is "attempting to arrange for a hall for more seating or for a closed circuit TV presentation." Some students who waited in the ticket line Monday, which at one point extended down Locust Walk almost to Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, said they were upset that they did not get a seat. "I thought it would be easier to get a ticket," College sophomore Davora Cohen said. "I was a little disappointed." Hill, who is known for testifying that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her several years ago, will speak at 5 p.m. on Saturday in Irvine Auditorium.
(03/06/92 10:00am)
Approximately 14 University students will be able to visit the former Soviet Union for under $30 a day. For the second year in a row, Peter Steiner, chairperson of the Slavic Languages and Literatures Department, will lead an exchange program between the University and Moscow State University. Steiner said this week that the trip -- which will only cost $400 because it is subsidized by the University -- aims to "introduce the students to Russia." "[It is meant to be] an educational experience -- not just tourism," Steiner said. The students will spend time with Moscow State students and stay with them in their dorms during the two-week visit in May. Steiner said the students will visit museums and monuments, attend lectures and take part in other programming prepared by Moscow State. He added that he hopes the group will be able to take some trips to places such as Leningrad, but he said traveling in Russia is difficult. But traveling is not the only problem the program will be facing in the former Soviet Union right now, Steiner said. He added the economy abroad has had its effect on the program. "The economic situation has changed the nature of the exchange," he said. Steiner said the Moscow State students originally planned to travel to the University this month, as they did a year ago, but the price of airfare was too high and the students could not afford to make the trip. Assistant Provost Jean Morse said yesterday while she is unsure whether the second part of the exchange will be completed, "we have invited them to come next fall." Applications for the exchange program are available in the Slavic Languages and Literatures Department and are due by April 3. The applications require a parent's signature. Steiner said he encourages freshmen, sophomores and juniors from all schools of the University -- including those who are not specialists in Russian or Russian History -- to apply. Steiner added many students who went on the trip last year benefited greatly from the experience. "It was a very nice exchange," he said. "I was surprised at the depth of the experience."
(03/04/92 10:00am)
She withdrew from school and from her friends. She could not hold a job because she could not talk to male customers. She always had to double-bolt the doors and turn off the electric garage door because she was afraid that someone would come in and "get" her. Even now, the Harvard University student who said she was raped last January by a University Zeta Beta Tau fraternity brother does not go out after dark, and carries mace and a "zapper" wherever she goes. "My life was just a mess," said the woman, who asked that her name not be revealed. "I didn't trust anybody." The woman, who spoke softly, praised the University's decision to expel the ZBT brother after the University's judicial system found him guilty of raping her at a January 1991 party in the house. "I felt as though I had gained some of the personal power back that this guy had deprived me of," she said earlier this week. "I knew he would have to seriously think about what he had done." The ZBT brother, whose name has not been released, was a sophomore at the time of the incident. ZBT President Matthew Feinsod did not return messages left at his room last night. The woman, who was a Harvard freshman last January, said she was visiting her sister, who is a University student, at the time of the incident. She said this week that she does not want to be identified because her sister is still a University student. After filing charges against the University student with the Harvard University Police Department in March, the woman met with Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Dianne Granlund, whose office then decided the case would not be prosecuted. The woman said the lack of physical evidence, the youth of the perpetrator and the delay in reporting the incident all factored into the decision. She added that she was told that in "a case between two Ivy League students . . . a Philadelphia jury would not be sympathetic." But she said the University stood by her, continuing to investigate her claim. "[And after the ruling] I felt as though someone had listened to me and believed my story," she added. "It was a great feeling for me." The woman said she was raped during the ZBT party after she had drunk three beers in less than 45 minutes. The woman said that despite the alcohol, she could think, but could physically feel the effects of the beers. She said the University student took her to an upstairs bedroom, then fondled her, performed oral sex and forced her to have sex. After the incident, between midnight and 12:30 a.m., the woman said she went downstairs and told her sister they "had to leave," although she did not tell her that she had been raped. She said she asked her sister if her lips were fat, if she had a hickey on her neck and if her hair was messed up. Her sister said "yes," she said. The student said the two women then went to another fraternity party. She said she went to the bathroom at the second party and noticed she was bleeding. At this point, she said, she insisted that they leave and told her sister "this guy had hurt me physically." "She was stunned," the woman said. "She didn't reply. I just think she didn't expect that to happen." The woman added that her sister did not know the ZBT brother who she said raped her. Over a year after the incident, the woman said she is still trying to get her life back in order. "I'm back at Harvard . . . I took about a year off to regain my life," she said. "I've begun to get over my fear of people. At first I was afraid of everyone, I wasn't even able to talk to a man." But now, she said, she knows that all men are not like the one who she said raped her. But the woman said she no longer goes out to parties, preferring to stay at home where she feels safer. "I will never put myself in that situation again," she said. "I would much rather stay at home than go to a fraternity party." The student said she did not tell her friends about the incident or report it to authorities right away because she was denying it herself. But after frequent bouts of crying, she said, her relationships began to change. "I didn't tell all of them," she said. "But they saw the bruises all over my body and they could tell something had happened. After a while, I pushed everyone away. [Then] they definitely started to treat me differently." "I used to be afraid of the stigma of rape but now I'm not," the woman added. The student said she encourages all women who have been raped to "speak out" about what has happened to them. "They can't be quiet about it or else it's going to continue," she said. "Yes, it does happen to you or someone you know. Yes, it happens at Penn, at Harvard, at Ivy League schools. By keeping it to yourself, it's not going to go away." And the woman said she hopes to use her experiences to help other women who have been raped talk through their own traumatic experiences. She added that she is studying to become a lawyer and hopes she will be able to enact legislation that will improve the judicial processes associated with rape cases. "Very few men are prosecuted for the rapes they commit," she said. "If you can get [rapes] more easily prosecuted, more women will come forward and fewer men will do this."
(03/03/92 10:00am)
While University of the Arts professor Camille Paglia's fame has grown during the past year, her controversial views have not met with increased support in traditional feminist circles. Characterized most favorably as a neo-conservative and least favorably as a sell-out to traditional power structures, Paglia's work, views and actions have continuously stirred up controversy over the years. Many members of the University community offer varying explanations for Paglia's views. But they -- as well as most involved in the women's movement -- vehemently disagree with the unorthodox stances she has taken. They contest Paglia's assertions that women's own behavior is to blame if they have been raped by acquaintances, and that it is unrealistic to expect men to change their attitudes. And many women disagree with Paglia's assertion that campus judicial systems are unable to handle allegations of acquaintance rape. Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape executive board member Beth Kaplan said yesterday women are never at fault in an acquaintance rape situation. "Women have the right to do, to say, to dress, however they want, but . . . our actions can be misinterpreted," Kaplan said. "If someone is raped, it is never, ever her fault. It's the one who rapes who is responsible for the rape." And several women said a woman should not be questioned about her drinking habits after a rape, since the law says an incident is rape if a woman is unable to consent to sex. Defending the University's judicial process, students and administrators said last night women need options outside the legal system in pursuing their cases. "I feel that University administrators have a responsibility to deal wth misconduct committed in the University community," former Judicial Inquiry Officer Constance Goodman said last night. "Acquaintance rape is now being recognized particularly in the college setting for just what it is. The violative act needs to be considered in the context of the community's behavioral standards." "At our University, acquaintance rape is unacceptable and is deserving of the most severe sactioning," Goodman added. "One thing [I would ask] is 'what has her contact been with survivors?' " DiLapi said. DiLapi also disputed Paglia's characterization that feminists stifle women's abilities to deal with gender issues. "I don't think that feminists are the problem . . . they don't have an integral hold on society," DiLapi added. And DiLapi said Paglia's stance may have arisen out of fear: "It's just too painful to understand that women's vulnerablity comes from status as females -- no more, no less." Goodman also criticized Paglia's assertions that "fraternity parties are all about scoring." She said this attitude is true of some houses, but that fraternity members' views are changing. "I believe that some fraternities still worship the scoring goal. However, I don't think that such a behavioral pattern is only applicable in the party setting," Goodman said. "There seems to be some hopeful movement on our campus as evidenced by recent statements by fraternity members, as well as non-fraternity men, that their sensitivity is increasing as well as their fundamental understanding of male-female relationships." University members have not been the only ones to condemn Paglia's opinions. When her book -- Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson -- was first released by Yale University Press, two women reportedly returned the book to a New Haven bookstore, saying it was "morally incorrect."
(02/28/92 10:00am)
A state Republican leader yesterday vowed to support the University's efforts to retain state funding -- despite threats from other local legislators not to fight for the University. But the executive director of the Senate Appropriations Committee said the unpopularity of Gov. Robert Casey's proposed tax increase may further complicate the University's chances to retain state funding. Ryan said Casey's budget proposal announced earlier this month -- which ignored the University's request for $41.2 million -- surprised him. Ryan, whose role has been pivotal in arguing the University's case in past state budget battles, added he is upset with Casey's choice to eliminate the University's allocation entirely rather than phasing it out gradually. "I don't think under any set of circumstances it is morally right for the Governor to cut off the [University's] financial head with one fell swoop," he said. The minority leader added that the Veterinary School, the only one in Pennsylvania, is instrumental to the University's case for securing state funding. "[The Vet School] is far easier to sell than is the University," he said. Casey's proposal is the beginning of the state's six-month budget process. Both houses of the General Assembly will consider the proposal before devising the final budget for fiscal year 1993. Currently, the state Senate Appropriations Committee is conducting hearings and reviewing the details of the Governor's proposal, Executive Director of the Senate Appropriations Committee Bob Bittenbender said yesterday. Bittenbender said it is too early to tell how different the final budget will be from the Governor's proposal. He added that although he "support[s] the University," he is not optimistic about the University's chances of receiving funding. "I'm not sure how realistic it is at this point in the process that we'll be in the position to restore that [funding]," Bittenbender said. Bittenbender added "certain members of the General Assembly" will not support Casey's proposed tax increase, which would add $76.5 million to the state's annual income. If the taxes are not passed, this amount would have to be cut from Casey's proposal in order to balance the budget. He added that many Republicans support an unfinalized program to "repair the business tax climate" which could cost approximately $30 million. If passed, an additional $30 million would have to be cut from the rest of the budget to compensate for the program. "After that, additional cuts could be used to start to restore some of the cuts of the Governor, including the University of Pennsylvania," Bittenbender said. In the past, the state legislature has consistently increased the University's appropriation level over Casey's proposal. But this support was threatened when President Sheldon Hackney received a letter from 20 local state legislators saying they will not help the University regain its funding due to a controversial lawsuit. The legislators said they believe the University should provide more Mayor's Scholarships to needy Philadelphia schoolchildren.
(02/25/92 10:00am)
Some members of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee are seriously considering leaving University Council, representatives said yesterday. "The probability is that the faculty will withdraw [from Council]," said City Planning Professor Anthony Tomazinis. Tomazinis and Faculty Senate Past Chairperson Almarin Phillips said SEC would be least likely to remain on Council in its present form. They sit on a three-member SEC subcommittee headed by Phillips which has been examining the structure and function of Council. Phillips added that his subcommittee's report will include "constructive" suggestions for Council reform and said that ultimately SEC "might continue to participate." But other SEC members have mixed feelings about whether SEC should withdraw from Council. Faculty Senate Chairperson-elect David Hildebrand said last week he has still not decided where he stands. "[My position reminds me of] a sign in [Deputy Provost] Dick Clellend's office -- 'the answer is maybe and that's final,' " Hildebrand said. "That's where I am on Council right now." Some SEC members have criticized the atmosphere at Council meetings, saying that many student members are only interested in furthering their own agendas, while others have suggested the problems lie with the large size of the body. Hildebrand said he finds Council meetings "frustrating." "Nothing works," Tomazinis said. "[It's the] administrators dueling with two or three students -- that's not a University Council." Hildebrand added he does not blame Council members, although the structure causes a lot of the problems. Phillips said the SEC subcommittee will "recommend significant changes" to the existing Council by-laws. He would not specify which by-laws the committee would suggest changing in its plan, which will be presented to SEC next week. "As I perceive it, it's time that something be done," he said. Two years ago, Council members attempted to reform the format of the body's meetings by creating the role of moderator, a job that had been previously assumed by President Sheldon Hackney. Most Council members said they agree the atmosphere at Council has improved since the addition of an independent moderator. But SEC members disagree over whether the situation has improved enough to make Council an effective advisory body. "[Council members] have been better behaved in the past two years," Phillips said. He added he is unsure whether to attribute the improvement to the moderator or to changes in what Council discusses and the consituencies' representatives. Finance Professor Emeritus Jean Crockett said she hopes SEC members remain in Council because the changes made in Council have "greatly improved, if not solved" any problems in the body. While students leaders do not take the faculty members' threat of Council withdrawal very seriously since they discuss it annually, student Council members said yesterday they hope faculty members will not desert the body. Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Mitchell Winston, who in the past has urged SEC members to remain on Council, said yesterday the format has improved the meetings and he is willing to discuss possible structural changes with SEC members. "I don't think they'll leave this forum," Winston said. But he added that he can understand faculty members' complaints because "no one gains from a waste of time." Graduate student activist Elizabeth Hunt said she is angered by SEC's "remarkably childish" threats. "Students are using University Council to its fullest advantage," Hunt said. "[If we have to,[ we will continue the forum as best we can without them. The faculty should quit [threatening to] take their toys and go home."
(02/24/92 10:00am)
In preparing to begin the search for a permanent Judicial Inquiry Officer, Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson found that often disputing University constituencies agreed on what to look for in a new JIO. Morrisson said last week that although she received input from a variety of different organizations and administrators, from the Undergraduate Assembly and the Black Student League to University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich, the diverse groups agreed on what characterizes a good JIO. "There was a lot of consensus," Morrisson said. "I think . . . this position has been of such interest and so many people have something to say." Morrisson said people desire impartiality, fairness and sensitivity to the educational environment in a JIO. Acting Associate VPUL Barbara Cassel said the JIO must also understand student needs, have the ability to negotiate and resolve conflicts, possess a high level of interpersonal skills and be of good character. Cassel added that she is optimistic about using the ideas of the various constituencies. "I think nothing but positive [results] can come out of this exchange," she said. "It takes a very unusual person to be able to do this well," Provost Michael Aiken said. A JIO search committee, which will be headed by Cassel, will be put into place this week. The VPUL's office is currently looking for students to serve on the committee. Morrisson said she hopes to have a replacement by the end of the semester for Interim JIO Jane Combrinck-Graham, who took the year off from her job as Associate Director of Risk Management following the resignation of former JIO Constance Goodman last summer. Morrisson said it is her understanding that Combrinck-Graham is "not interested" in taking the permanent position. But Combrinck-Graham said last week that she has not made a final decision on the matter. "It's never wise to say 'absolutely no' until you know what it is you're saying no to," she said, adding that she has yet to see a detailed job description. Combrinck-Graham added that should she choose not to be considered for the position, she would volunteer to help the search committee. "A candidate for a position has as many questions for a search committee as that search committee has for a candidate," she said.
(02/21/92 10:00am)
unclear and STEPHEN GLASS A Georgia court ruled yesterday to allow a student newspaper access to all judicial records involving organizations, a judgement that may force colleges across the nation to open up their judicial records. The Red and Black, the independent student newspaper of the University of Georgia, won a partial victory yesterday in its lawsuit aimed at gaining access to its school's Organization Court -- the body that investigates student groups, specifically fraternities and sororities. Currently, most of the University's judicial records are confidential and are not released to the public. It is unclear how the decision will affect the University, and administrators could not be reached for comment late last night. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Frank Hull ruled that the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act of 1974 -- which the University uses as the backbone of its general records policy -- does not apply to disciplinary records, Red and Black Editor-in-Chief Lance Helms said last night. Hull ruled that FERPA, which is commonly referred to as the Buckley Amendment, only applies to academic performance records, Helms said. FERPA does not allow a college to release a student's "educational records" to anyone besides the student and applies to any school that receives federal funding. Hull ruled that the newspaper be allowed to see any records of meetings and hearings, but the judge denied the request that reporters be permitted to attend, Helms said. Former Red and Black Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Squillante, who filed suit along with the paper in July, said she believes the suit will have national ramifications. "This ruling is definitely going to bring Buckley back into the spotlight," Squillante said last night. "This will take further the question of exactly what an educational record is. The interpretation for educational records can not be a blanket use anymore." Helms said the Red and Black will appeal the judge's decision to the state supreme court to fight for access to the meetings. The Red and Black argued that it should be allowed to attend meetings and hearings of the student court and to have access to its records under Georgia's Open Meetings Act. The Board of Regents of the state university system, one of the defendants in the suit, claimed the records are protected under FERPA. But according to Helms, the judge rejected this opinion. The newspaper had filed suit in July 1991 against the Board of Regents of the state university system, Charles Knapp, the school president, and William Bracewell, director of the Judicial Programs Office at the school. The judge dismissed Knapp from the suit yesterday.
(02/21/92 10:00am)
Provost Michael Aiken said yesterday that by "the middle of next week" he will publicly discuss plans on how the University will deal with Gov. Robert Casey's proposed elimination of all state funding to the University. Earlier this month, Casey's proposed executive budget ignored the University's request for $41.2 million and instead cut all state funding beginning in July -- a proposal that leaves the University with a $37 million shortfall. The state legislature will debate and revise the budget before returning it to Casey for his signature later this spring. University lobbyist James Shada said last night that the University is currently discussing the budget situation with state legislators. "We have gotten some encouragement from leaders," Shada said. "But no one at this time knows where the money is going to come from." Shada and Executive Vice President Marna Whittington said last night that the budget is very tight and that it is too early to predict exactly how much, if any, of the funding legislators will appropriate to the University. "We're still digesting the budget," Shada said. "It takes a long time to swallow the thing." "These are difficult times financially," Whittington added. "There are a lot of demands on the budget." President Sheldon Hackney has received a letter from 20 local state representatives who say they will not help the University secure state funding unless administrators agree to settle a controversial lawsuit demanding more scholarships be given to needy Philadelphia high school students. "We are addressing that issue," Shada said. "We will be talking to [state legislators] about this as the case develops." Shada said that state legislators have been most receptive to the Veterinary School's fiscal crisis. The Vet School receives 40 percent of its budget from the state. "I guess we've had the most positive response on the Vet School," Shada said. "[The state legislators] like to be helpful, but they are just not sure where the money is coming from." Last year, the governor proposed halving the University's appropriation, a loss of $18.6 million. The University proposed cutting at least 300 faculty and staff positions and postponing almost all building projects not yet underway to cushion the fiscal blow. The University also proposed running a multi-million dollar deficit.
(02/20/92 10:00am)
and STEPHEN GLASS A decision is expected in a Georgia lawsuit this week that could force the University to open up the Judicial Inquiry Office's records and hearings. Because of the specific nature of the suit, its outcome could affect cases related to fraternity and sorority misconduct. The independent campus newspaper at the University of Georgia filed suit in July against the state school system for denying it access to the hearings and documents involving hazing against a fraternity. They claim Georgia's open-meeting law mandates the hearings be open to the public. The newspaper's claim challenges the university's contention that judicial hearings and documents are covered under a federal law protecting an individual student's "educational records" -- an inteprepretation that has provided the backbone for the University's general records policy. Reporters from The Red and Black have attempted to sit in on judicial hearings for the past two years, but once inside were always forced to leave. "[Once inside, the reporters] would stand up and read the Georgia open meetings act, and they would be [kicked out]," former Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Squillante said. "The time I went I could not even get in the door." Squillante said since the University of Georgia is a state school, "it is an arm of the state" and therefore the law must apply. Squillante and The Red and Black Publishing Company, Inc. sued the Georgia's University System Board of Regents and several university administrators, including the president. Although University of Georgia spokesperson Tom Jackson said it is the school's policy "not to comment on cases in litigation," Squillante said the school's lawyers are justifying their stance through the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act of 1974. FERPA, also known as the Buckley Amendment, does not allow anyone to access college students' "educational records," at any school receiving federal funding, without student consent. It also allows students to see their own records. FERPA also provides the backbone for the University's complicated records system. According to a Student Press Law Center official, The Red and Black's case "may have a significant impact" on the release of judicial records at all universities, both private and public. "Even if they settle the case under Georgia law, the roadblock has come up," the official, who asked to remain anonymous, said. "The explicit refusal [of access] was under FERPA, so that has to be addressed." "[FERPA was] passed 20 years ago and its purpose was to protect the privacy rights of student educational records," the official said. "[The definition of educational records is] pretty grey in FERPA." Associate General Counsel Neil Hamburg declined to comment on the case yesterday since he had not seen it. "We are definitely hopeful for a victory," current Editor-in-Chief Lance Helms said this week. The newspaper has sued for the rights to the University's Organization Court, the judiciary branch that investigates student groups, primarily fraternities and sororities. "We decided we would begin [with Organization Court] since it is most obviously in need of access especially since it does not deal with individuals educational records," Squillante said. Squillante said she believes it would be educational for the students at colleges to understand how internal court systems work. She added that the newspaper currently meets with judicial adminstrators weekly to get an outline of recent cases. Squillante said that if the press had full access to the Organizational Court, it would act as a check system to it. She added she hoped similar litigation would work to open other segments of the judicial system.
(02/19/92 10:00am)
The University has turned over the investigation of a string of fires in Hill House last week to the Philadelphia Fire Marshall's office. The University's Department of Fire and Occupational Safety noticed during a routine check that the three fires, one of which burned early last Thursday morning and two of which occurred early Saturday morning, formed a pattern which officials found "suspicious." "All three [fires] take place at very odd times," James Miller, director of fire and occupational safety, said yesterday. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see we have a problem." And Hill House Master Robert Lucid said last night he is concerned about the recent string of fires. "[There is] some evidence that there has been one or more instances of deliberate fire-setting," Lucid said. "We are concerned about what we perceive to be the pattern and we're trying to get to the bottom of it." Lieutenant Joseph Lynch of the Fire Marshall's office said yesterday the investigation is only in its "preliminary stages," and officials said it is too early to tell if students are responsible for the fires. "We don't have a prime suspect," Miller said. Officials added they do not know how long the investigation will last. Miller, who said the fires were "of malicious intent," said any investigation like this one includes interviewing the people who witnessed the fires, those who reported them and even those involved with putting them out. Miller added that his primary goal is to stop the recurring fires before they cause any serious damage. Hill House personnel are "in high gear," watching out for another fire that could fit the pattern. "Our main concern is stopping it," Miller said. "This is the type of prank that kills people." University Police said earlier this week that the fires caused little damage to the Walnut Street dormitory. In the first fire, which occurred at 3:15 a.m. last Thursday morning, a pile of clothes on top of a washing machine caught fire. In the second fire, an unknown person or persons detonated a smoke bomb in a fifth floor lounge on the southeast corner of the building at 3:14 a.m. Saturday. The third fire broke out at 6:34 a.m. Saturday when a student using a stove on the second floor allowed a cloth to become ignited by the burners underneath it.
