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(11/13/91 10:00am)
Six months after School of Social Work Dean Michael Austin announced he would leave the University next spring, a search committee has been formed and officially charged to fill his post. Associate Social Work Dean Peter Vaughan, who will chair the 11-member committee, said yesterday that the panel has met only once "to get the charge from the president and the provost" and has not devised a timetable or a definite plan of action yet. But Vaughan added that since Austin plans to leave in May to take a teaching post at the University of California at Berkeley, "the president and provost would like to name a dean in early spring." The committee's first step will be to decide how they want to conduct what Vaughan termed as a "national search" for a new dean. Vaughan, who has served on other committees in the past, added that the committee will publicize the search through a variety of media. Vaughan said that the committee is looking for a national leader and educator, someone with excellent leadership and development skills, and someone who can act as a mentor for junior faculty. "[But] that's what any dean is," Vaughan said. "[We want to] get the person who the committee sees as the absolute best person for our campus." Along with Vaughan, four members of the committee are faculty from the School of Social Work -- June Axinn, Jane Lowe, Roberta Sands and Mark Stern. Also on the committee are Frederic Burg, vice dean for education at the Medical School, Graduate School of Education Dean Marvin Lazerson, Assistant Nursing Professor Joan Lynaugh and University alumnus Wilbur Hobbes. Two students, who were elected by their peers in the School of Social Work, are also on the committee -- Anthony Butto and Katarzyna Malinowska. Dean Austin announced in May that he would be stepping down from the post he has held for the past seven years. Social Work becomes the tenth of the University's twelve graduate schools to lose or change a dean in the past two and a half years.
(11/08/91 10:00am)
The Revlon Campus Center may not be as large as originally planned because of budget constraints, a student on the Campus Center Building told the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly last night. Stressing that "nothing is written in stone," Annenberg graduate student Pamela Ingelsby said the committee is moving closer to deciding what to include in the center, and added some things will have to be left out to save money. Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson, who chairs the committee, said later last night that the committee is "not really at the point where we've made firm decisions." "[The committee is] trying to cut down the cost and trying to identify priorities," Morrisson said. The committee is currently in the process of deciding "what goes on what floor," but that "floor plans are changing all of the time," Ingelsby said. Ingelsby said the current plans call for the construction of a parking garage at the corner of Walnut and 38th streets. The garage, she said, would have more parking space than the current lot on Walnut Street between 36th and 37th streets, where the center will be built beginning in 1993. The center itself will be comprised of four main sections, three of which are connected. The fourth will be attached only by a plaza and a glass sculpture. The new Book Store will tentatively be located in the bottom of the main "circular" area at the center of the building. The store will also spill over into part of an outlying "rectangular" area. The remainder of the circular area will contain lounge space and eating areas. Part of the outlying "triangular" portion of the building will contain student activities and student government offices and other meeting space. "All students groups who want space can apply for it," Ingelsby said, adding that the groups will be "fighting for office space." A possible banquet room, that has to be "bigger than Bodek [Lounge in Houston Hall]", is also in the planning stages, Ingelsby said. Two elements currently missing are a previously proposed computer lab and library reserve room. "Anything that costs money has been cut out of the plan," Ingelsby joked. But Morrisson insisted that while leaving out those two facilities is one of the ideas under consideration, "nothing is definite." And any cost-saving changes made to the original proposal will be changes to the design without "doing damage to the core elements," she added. "I think most of the [original] program remains intact," Morrisson said. Ingelsby said she addressed GAPSA last night to get suggestions on what graduate students would like in the new Campus Center. Students suggested that the Center be open 24 hours a day, serve as a place for students to wait for Escort Service and SEPTA, and should even contain lockers and showers for commuting students. In other business, GAPSA members unanimously passed a resolution calling for the deans of the University's twelve schools to "turn over the entire amount" of student activities funds distributed to them by the VPUL's office "to the student governments in their schools." Student activities money for the goverments of the individual graduate schools is funnelled from the VPUL's office through the deans of the schools, and ultimately to the students. The resolution did not accuse the deans of withholding money, but GAPSA members said all of the money has not reached the students. GAPSA Chairperson Michael Goldstein said that while the failure of the deans to turn over the money is a problem, he thinks that the deans are just unaware of proper procedure. GAPSA members also passed a resolution demanding that "the School of Arts and Sciences renounce immediately any intentions to cancel, curtail, or suspend the graduate program in Japanese Studies." SAS officials gave conflicting reports earlier this week on the future of the program in wake of the school's decision to suspend admissions to it.
(11/07/91 10:00am)
HIV/AIDS Awareness Week will not be held this February for the second year in a row, despite ongoing claims by graduate students and campus AIDS activists that the administration has failed to make complex health issues known on campus. Student Health Counseling Coordinator Kate Webster said last week she does not plan to organize the awareness session this year because sparse attendance at past events made the program more effort than it was worth. Webster said she plans to have awareness programming throughout the year instead. But the Graduate Students Associations Council this week passed a resolution requesting that Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson "take responsibility for sponsoring and coordinating" the program this year and ensuring that the programs are held every year. The resolution states GSAC's concern "that plans for HIV/AIDS Awareness Week are poorly developed or non-existent." "There's been no indication from the University so far that any concerted planning has gone into an AIDS Awareness Week," GSAC President Anne Cubilie said. In past years, HIV/AIDS Awareness Week, sponsored primarily by Student Health, featured speakers, forums and programs to educate the University about Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, as well as safe sex practices. The annual event was not held last February. "I want to have a few different programs scattered throughout the year," Webster said. "To put all of your energy and resources into one week of programming does not serve the purpose." Webster, who came to the University in December, was not on campus for any of the Awareness Weeks the University held several years in a row. But she said that Student Health officials told her the last program, held in February 1990, was sparsely attended. Contrary to her stance this fall, Webster said last spring that "I would hope [in the future] there would be some program around February that would approach HIV infection awareness." So far this year, Student Health administrators have sponsored no AIDS awareness programs, despite Webster's insistence that there needs to be a constant flow of information about the fatal disease. Webster said she is still planning the events. Like last spring, there is apparently some confusion among University offices about the status of the Awareness Week. In the Office of Student Life, which co-sponsored the program in the past, and in the President's Office, officials did not know whether AIDS Awareness Week was going to be held this February. Executive Assistant to the VPUL Barbara Cassel said yesterday she agrees with GSAC that "there should be an AIDS Awareness Week," adding that she does not know if anyone is planning it. "I think that there needs to be programming raising consciousness and sensitivity to those people [AIDS] has an impact on," Cassel said. "And I think there should be ongoing programming as well." Graduate students and campus AIDS activists last week faulted the administration and Student Health for cancelling the week and for failing to make the "complex" health issues known to students, faculty and staff members. Anthropology graduate student Michael Bazinet said students and faculty members do not understand the many issues surrounding AIDS, saying AIDS Awareness Week is a good way to bring the issue to people's attention. Bazinet also said Student Health officials have exaggerated the impact of low attendance during the week's programs. Bazinet added that he does not agree that events were poorly attended. "Some programs were, and some weren't," he said.
(11/07/91 10:00am)
Cheryl Crowley is searching for a new alma mater. The second-year Oriental Studies graduate student in the Japanese Studies program has been urged to make alternate plans for continuing her education. The University will no longer accept students into the graduate program of Japanese Studies due to a lack of faculty specializing in the area. And students like Crowley who are currently enrolled in the program will be forced to either finish their studies this year or get their degree at another school if two vacant teaching positions in the department are not filled immediately. "It's a vicious cycle," said William Lafleur, professor of Japanese and director of the graduate program. "If we don't have a grad program, it will be difficult to [attract] students. If we don't have students, it will be difficult to [attract] faculty." Lafleur said that in a meeting last Thursday with Donald Fitts, the School of Arts and Sciences's associate dean for graduate studies, he told Fitts that without more faculty, the program could not continue. "I gave them a choice," Lafleur said yesterday. "We could carry on an undergraduate program but we could not have a . . . graduate program [without support from SAS]." Fitts decided to suspend the graduate program, he added. But Fitts said yesterday that the decision was made by Lafleur and that that under the circumstances, it was a wise one. "Arts and Sciences simply cannot afford to add faculty," he said. But SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens, who oversees Fitts, said she was not willing to give up on the program yet. Stevens said last night that while the University has stopped admissions, she hopes to hire faculty to fill the current void. "There is a moratorium at present on new graduate students coming in to do Japanese Studies," Stevens said. "My hope is we'll fill the positions . . . Sometimes it just takes a while." The program currently has two faculty members, only one of whom is tenured. When Lafleur was brought to the University two years ago, one of his responsibilities, he said, was to "rebuild the program" which at one point had employed four tenured professors. Students in the program said that just last year they were assured that the program was in a stage of development, and that this recent change of direction was surprising. "I came here with the understanding that the department was going to be growing," said Japanese Studies graduate student Rosemary Morrison. "It doesn't seem to make any sense." "I am completely devastated," Crowley said. "It's just mad not to have a viable Japanese Studies program." Lafleur added that the open faculty positions at the University are unattractive to prospective applicants because they are junior positions that are poorly defined and "it's a seller's market for people with real expertise in Japan." And with the future of his program up in the air, Lafleur is unsure of the path he will take. "[Without the graduate program] one of the reasons I came here will be gone," he said. "I don't know what the future holds."
(11/05/91 10:00am)
The University will close graduate student admissions to the American Civilization Department next year in a drastic move that some administrators said was designed to cut overcrowding in the department. According to University officials, the one-year moratorium on admissions resulted from a combination of too many students and too few faculty. They insisted vehemently that the department is not being phased out. But others downplayed the overcrowding issue, saying the decision to halt admissions comes in conjunction with the formation of a faculty committee to reexamine the department. The primary intention of the moratorium, said SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens, is to "reevaluate American studies at the University of Pennsylvania." And Donald Fitts, associate dean for graduate studies in the School of Arts and Sciences, said that after the careful evaluation, the department could continue and even be expanded. "At other universities, American studies is a broader subject than at Penn," Fitts said yesterday. "At Penn, [it is a] fairly narrowly focused program." But some of the four faculty and 69 graduate students in the department said they are upset by the decision and feel it could hurt the department in the long run. "I think it's a mistake for us not to be [accepting new students], but that's the dean's decision," said Am Civ Chairperson Murray Murphey, whose department was informed of the decision in August. "The dean wants to slow us up a year." Murphey said the moratorium decision was made by former Associate Dean for Humanities Stephen Nichols, and reaffirmed by his successor Beeman and new SAS Dean Stevens this year. Students did not seem to care who made the decision, but rather that the decision was made at all. "We don't understand why the University doesn't want to support [the department]," said Am Civ graduate student Susan Garfinkel. "I sincerely hope this isn't the beginning of the end." And one student said that administrators fail to realize the importance of the Am Civ program. "It is my perception that at the administrative level there is a real lack of understanding of the nature of the program in American Civilization at Penn," said Am Civ graduate student Gretchen Hackett. Since one of the reasons for halting admissions is the high faculty-to-student ratio, students said that an alternative way to change the situation is to hire more faculty. Garfinkel said that when she entered the department in 1986, there were five more faculty members than there are today. And Hackett said that there are positions that have been "empty for several years" and that resources are bypassing Am Civ and being poured into other departments in the school. But Beeman said that it is "not that simple" to hire new faculty because of the time and money involved in such a "major, major decision." The Am Civ Department has experienced a series of setbacks in recent years, including the defection of former Am Civ Professor Drew Faust to the History Department and the departure of former Am Civ Professor Janice Radway from the University.
(10/31/91 10:00am)
Concerns ranging from the safety of pick-up points to the skill of van drivers were raised by graduate students and administrators at the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly's open forum on Escort Service last night. A push by graduate student leaders to have Escort expanded across the Schuylkill has brought some improvements, but those who attended the forum made it clear that while the changes are welcomed, there is still much more to be done. Associate Vice President for Business Services Steven Murray explained that while short-term steps have been taken, a task force-type effort will be fully examining the problems currently facing Escort Service. "[We will] take a look at what we're doing and how we can do it better," Murray told the group. "A short-term response lets us look at the overall system. [But] we can't be everything to everybody in the short run." The current shuttle only provides drop-off service east of the river, which bothers students who wish to return to the University after dark for academic and other purposes. "Once those of us who live east of the river go home, we're really stranded there," said first-year Law student David Perla. And GAPSA Chairperson Michael Goldstein said that he knows a number of students that live in Center City who leave campus at five and do not come back regardless of whether or not they have things to do here. "The van has to come back anyway," said first-year Wharton graduate student Kim Mounts. But while administrators promised to look into creating a pick-up point in Center City -- even taking a consensus suggestion that a central spot such as 23rd and Walnut Streets be utilized as a pick-up spot -- they did not seem to think that such action will be feasible. "A timetable for that is impossible for me to even fathom," Assistant Director of Transportation and Parking Stephen Carey, said, explaining that the vans have to be back at scheduled pick-up points within an hour. Students also expressed concerns about the safety of the various pick-up points on campus, especially the one at 34th and Chestnut Streets which primarily serves the Law School. "[The shuttle] doesn't add a service to the Law students," Perla said. "It's still not safe to wait for the shuttle." And students lodged a common complaint about the ability of the Escort van drivers to get them home safely. Wharton graduate student Tim Fletcher said he gets upset when "drivers immediately speed off," rather than waiting for the rider to walk to the door. And GAPSA Vice Chair Elizabeth Hunt said she would like to see "drivers that don't smoke and don't play the radio too loudly." Carey said that drivers are instructed to wait until the rider is behind the door. He added that all drivers take a mandatory safe driving class. But one students said she is worried that while some students will benefit from the changes, other students might suffer from them. "I hope you're not going to take service away from students who live west of the river and give it [to those students east of the river]," said Veterinary student Nancy Katz. The administrators said their "master plan" is to make the center of campus safer so that students feel safe enough to start walking again. And in the future, they said, Escort will most likely satisfy the needs of graduate students. "An Escort Service that serves west and east -- that's where we're probably going to end up," Director of Transportation and Parking Robert Furniss said. Furniss and Assistant Director of Transportation and Parking Carey explained the most recent changes in the Green Route Shuttle. Beginning December 2, two vans will run more frequent routes across the Schuylkill starting two hours earlier, at 7 p.m., and running every half hour during the "peak" times of 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
(10/29/91 10:00am)
In the mid 1980s, lesbian and gay graduate students at the University decided they wanted a group to represent their needs. "The graduate students at the University were at a different point in their lives [than undergraduates]," said Brian Crane, one of the four co-chairpersons of the Lesbian and Gay Graduate and Professional Student Association. "Graduate students wanted a separate space. [It was] by no means a hostile separation." So in 1986, several lesbian and gay graduate students got together and formed LG-GAPSA. · For over half a decade, LG-GAPSA has served not only as a social, academic, and sometimes political organization, but simply a place where lesbian and gay students of the University's 12 graduate schools can get to know each other. "[LG-GAPSA] allows people to get together and find out, 'There are other people like me,' " first-year Psychology graduate student Peter Marvit said last week. "People who have been involved in LG-GAPSA [represent] a broad cross-section of the University," added American Civilization doctoral student Crane. "LG-GAPSA] is probably the most widespread in terms of where its members come from." And many LG-GAPSA members said that they were drawn to the organization because of the sense of community it provides. "We provide a forum for people to interact with each other at a social and academic level," Jeff Abrahamson, a December 1990 graduate of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, said last week. Abrahamson added that while members of groups such as the Black Graduate and Professional Student Assembly "pretty much know each other on sight," lesbian and gay students do not have that luxury. "[LG-GAPSA] provides a way to know who the other gay and lesbian students are," he said. While LG-GAPSA is not directly associated with the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, it has had a voting seat on GAPSA for almost five years. GAPSA added LG-GAPSA's voting seat because GAPSA members felt that the organization represented a certain contsituency that was not previously well-represented in the assembly, according to GAPSA Chairperson Michael Goldstein. And LG-GAPSA is funded by GAPSA's Graduate Inter-School Activities Council, the graduate counterpart of the undergraduate Student Activities Council. This year, GISAC has given LG-GAPSA $1800 with which to run its activities. "[They] really do more for the students that participate in them, sometimes than the school governments [do]," Elizabeth Hunt, GAPSA's vice chair for GISAC, said last week. The staple events on LG-GAPSA's calendar of activities are the socials that take place on the first Friday of every month in the Penniman Library in Bennett Hall. LG-GAPSA members said as many as 150 students come to these events each month. Many members said they participate in LG-GAPSA primarily because of the social opportunities it provides. "The people are really friendly and nice," said a woman in the Graduate School of Education, who did not want her name used. "[At socials] people go up to strangers and say hello. I haven't really found that the to be the overall response in terms of Penn." "I like the people," added Marvitt. "[They are] from all walks of life." But LG-GAPSA sponsors other activities aside from the monthly socials. In the past, the organization has sponsored several film series, a talent show to raise money for a local gay charity, and many lectures on issues of interest to members of the lesbian and gay community. And while LG-GAPSA members said the group is not always politically active, the association has been at the forefront of the call for the removal of the Reserve Officer Training Corps from campus. Co-Chairperson James Colgate said that the slow rate at which President Sheldon Hackney is going about solving this issue is of particular concern to the lesbian and gay community. "We want [Hackney] to comply with his own anti-discrimination policy," he said. While most members agree that the group is loosely organized, their principle concern is that LG--GAPSA's goals are achieved. "[LG-GAPSA] operates on consensus rather than as a formalized board," Crane said, adding that the organization of the group is "a little on the loose side." The group tries to have two co-chairpersons each year -- a man and a woman -- a treasurer, and a social coordinator. Beyond that, positions are "broken down on a task basis." "We're loosely organized because we're all graduate students," Colgate said. "Undergraduates seem to have more time." And while most members are unsure as to whether or not LG-GAPSA even has a constitution, it is apparent that this, too, is unimportant. One criticism that lesbian and bisexual women have made of the organization is that only a small percentage of those involved in the group are women. Although LG-GAPSA is designed for both men and women, the group is about 90 percent male, according to History graduate student Abby Schrader, one of the founding members of Penn's Eagerly Awaited Radical Ladies. PEARL expanded and decided to split off from LG-GAPSA, a split which Schrader described as "amicable." Schrader said that she used to regularly attend LG-GAPSA's socials but "the problem was that [only] five women would show up." She added that all the women would leave the socials early and go somewhere for dinner and rent a movie because they felt more comfortable on their own. In the future, Colgate said that LG-GAPSA is considering changing their name to include bisexuals because a significant section of the population is bisexual. And while the name LGB-GAPSA has been proposed, many students feel that the organization would be better served if the name was shorter, not longer. But while members have yet to agree on a name -- proposals include Sexual Minority Union of Graduates and Graduate Alliance of Sexual Minorities -- they do agree that a name change is important. "[It's] a wonderful idea to have the name represent all the people in our organization," Graduate School of Fine Arts student Colgate said. "I like the idea of something short, sweet . . . and all-inclusive," Marvitt said.
(10/22/91 9:00am)
Students in Marketing 101 think they have been robbed. Assistant Marketing Professor Deborah Mitchell "accidentally" administered the same midterm exam as last year, with an added case-study, to the students in both of her Marketing 101 lectures last week. Mitchell told her 4 p.m. class yesterday that while she and her teaching assistants took "elaborate security measures" to ensure the fairness of last Wednesday's exam, many students had an "advantage" since they had seen copies of the exam before it was given. But the students did nothing illegal. For $1.50, the exam was available on file at the University's Tutoring Center for any student who wanted a copy. "No student did anything wrong," Wharton sophomore Barry Freeman said last night. "It was bad decision-making by the professor." Mitchell told the class she admired those who came forward and told her the two exams were the same. Students blamed Mitchell for the entire fiasco and did not understand how she could have "accidentally" given the same test. "[The exam] was taken word for word from last year's . . . exam," Wharton sophomore Lawrence Berger said last night. "She shifted the blame to the students, [but] it's a professor's duty to have a fair test." Since the exam included three parts that matched last year's exam and a case-study that "no one had seen before," Mitchell told the class she would only grade the case-study and throw out the first three sections of the exam. She added she would count the midterm for less than its orignal weight of 20 percent of the grade. Freeman said he does not support Mitchell's decision and feels that students should either get perfect scores or the entire exam should be thrown out. Berger added that the whole thing was "not very fair," because students who had seen the exam prior to its administration could finish the first three parts quickly and had "more time to spend on the case." But one student defended Mitchell's decision. "She's going to do anything possible to make sure this doesn't hurt anybody," said a College junior, who requested anonymity because the tests have not been graded yet. "It was a mistake and mistakes happen." And many students praised Mitchell's teaching skills calling her "well-liked," "captivating" and "entertaining." "She shattered peoples' image of her," said a College senior who also requested not to be identified. And while Mitchell told the class she was "sorry that this happened," she refused to comment further after class. Wharton Vice Dean Janice Bellace said last night it is "unusual" and "unwise" to reuse an exam in a large introductory course. "It is the policy of this school to caution professors against reusing exam questions because old exams frequently are in circulation despite professors efforts to retain all copies," she said. Bellace added that she will "investigate the matter and take appropriate action."
(10/22/91 9:00am)
Two shuttle vans will run more frequent routes from on-campus stops to the area east of the Schuylkill River starting on December 2. The new plan comes in response to graduate student leaders' push for an extended Escort Service to Center City, bound by Market, South and 20th streets. The plan, however, lacks the total accessibility of Escort Service. Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Vice Chairperson Elizabeth Hunt said last night the changes are "not what we asked for." The shuttle vans will cover the area currently covered by the Green Route and will begin service two hours earlier, at 7 p.m. The vans will run every half-hour during peak times and every hour during "off-peak times", according to a statement issued by Biochemistry Professor Emeritus Adelaide Delluva, chairperson of the Safety and Security Committee. Delluva said last night that the changes that were made are "a composite" of the recommendations made by various groups, primarily the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly. Delluva added that since ridership has increased in the last few years, serving 15 times as many passengers in 1991-92 than 1986-87, it is time to "reassess the situation." Hunt said she wants to see Escort Service ultimately extended as far east as it currently extends west. "This is a step in the right direction," Hunt added. But, "I hope it is by no means the final step." And GAPSA Chairperson Michael Goldstein said last night he "is so pleased to see movement forward on [Escort's] part," that he is willing to "go for it." "I understand the massive constraints Escort Service is under, so we're not going to push at this time," Goldstein said. Goldstein added that the University's Escort service needs to be revamped before it can serve students adequately. The route revisions, a result of a "preliminary report," will be in place until a complete study is done on the issue.
(10/21/91 9:00am)
After 10 years as one of the Law School's top administrators, Vice Dean Margo Post Marshak has been named Vice President for Student Affairs at New York University. Marshak said she is "very sad" to be leaving the University, but added that she is looking forward to her new position, which starts January 2. "As I understand it, [I will be] overseeing student housing, student health services and all student activities," she said last night. Marshak said she gained experience in "larger university issues" when she worked in the now defunct Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies. While there, she was involved in programming across school lines, such as the creation of the Benjamin Franklin Scholars program and the College House program. "I've always tried to be a University citizen," Marshak said. "I've always maintained my links with many University offices and with faculty, staff and students across campus." Marshak added that the Law School is one of the schools at the University that does not suffer from the so-called revolving-door effect. "People seem to come to the Law School and stay," she said. "I had never thought that I would leave the University." And while Marshak is very excited to be moving to Washington Square, she will miss her husband Veterinary School Professor Robert Marshak, who will remain at the University. "We plan to see each other on weekends," she said. Both administrators and students said last night that they will miss her. "I'm sorry to have her go," said Law Dean Colin Diver. "Obviously the Law School is losing a great asset," said second-year Law student Marla Weinstein. But, "I'm happy she got the promotion." The matter of who will replace Marshak is something that Diver said he has not had a chance to focus on yet. Marshak said the decision has not been made as to whether a permanent or interim replacement will be found or if the administrators at the Law School will just divide her duties up among them. "This is an opportunity to reconsider the way we do business," Marshak said.
(10/18/91 9:00am)
Prospective law school students are upset with the makers of the Law School Admissions Test because of what one student called "very unfair" practices. Ira Zlotnick, a senior at Brooklyn College, took the October LSAT on Monday, October 7, instead of the regular test date of Saturday, October 5, because he is a religious Jew who celebrates the Sabbath on Saturday. And the LSAT administered on Monday was exactly the same as the one given on Saturday. "I don't understand how they could do that," Zlotnick said. "It's not just a high school test. [This is] serious stuff." Zlotnick said he feels he would have had "an unfair advantage" over the students who took the Saturday exam and has since cancelled his score. And a handful of other students have since cancelled their scores for similar reasons. Jim Vaseleck, a spokesperson for Law School Admission Services, confirmed that the same test was given on both days but defended the decision to do so. "It is difficult for me to believe someone walking out of that test having memorized a 450-word [reading comprehension] passage," Vaseleck said. "[No one has] a meaningful advantage." Vaseleck added that the test has been repeated on one test date each year for the past three years. "It's convenient and cost-effective to administer the same test on Monday and Saturday," he said. "We've done it in the past. I'm sure we'll do it again." Law School Assistant Dean of Admissions Glen Glenn said he was "stunned" that the LSAT normally operates this way. "I'm surprised that they did that," Glenn said. "I didn't know they'd repeat the exam that way." And University students who took the LSAT on the Saturday test date were upset that the students who took the test on Monday would have an idea of what to expect beforehand. "I would definitely think that that's unfair," said College senior Irene Pang. "It really does anger me." Vaseleck said he was not aware of any increase in the number of score cancellations and that the testing service had not received complaints, just questions about the test repetition. Philadelphia was not one of the Monday testing centers. The closest sites were New York City and Washington, D.C. About 1500 students take the special Monday test each year.
(10/17/91 9:00am)
The maker of the Law School Admission Test filed suit against two LSAT tutoring services last week in federal court, accusing the groups of using copyrighted versions of the test without permission. According to the first suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, College Bound, Inc. published material containing the copyrighted September 1989 version of the LSAT and distributed it to its customers. The attorney for Law School Admissions Services, Joanne Sommer, said yesterday that College Bound "xeroxed [an LSAT] in its entirety" and passed it off "as though it were their own." But an official at College Bound, which has offices in Philadelphia, insisted that the company "committed no actionable wrong." "The claims are baseless," said Scott Kornspan, director of field services for the Ronkin Educational Group, the division of College Bound that deals with the tutoring services. "We will defend this vigorously." The suit also alleges that College Bound took questions from various exams and retained the structure of the questions while just changing the names. Sommer said that LSAS is bothered by the actions of College Bound because of the amount of money and skill that go into putting together such an exam. "We're a little upset when someone comes along and uses our material [without paying for it]," she said. "If it had only been one question in the books, we wouldn't be pursuing it." The suit seeks a preliminary injunction against the use of the educational materials and ultimately seeks the payment of damages. Sommer added that while other testing agencies have had similar problems in the past, LSAS has not. The second suit, which was also filed in federal court in Philadelphia, alleges that LSAT Intensive Review, an Austin, Texas-based tutoring center, also used LSAT questions as the basis for their review materials. The owner of LSAT Intensive Review, Tom Lowry, said last night that he had not yet received notice of the suit. "I thought we had resolved our problems with LSAS, but apparently not," Lowry said. "This is bad news for me." College Bound's chairperson also told The Wall Street Journal that the Securities and Exchange Commission is currently investigating the company for circumstances not related to the lawsuit. The SEC's investigation is centered on questions surrounding the circumstances under which the company became a public company. Since Friday's close, College Bound's stock has lost almost 25 percent of its value.
(10/09/91 9:00am)
The Graduate Student Associations Council joined other graduate student leaders yesterday in demanding the removal of ROTC from campus unless it stops discriminating against homosexuals. In a resolution passed almost unanimously, the group called for the administration to "take action at this time toward terminating the ROTC program" by adhering to the University's "advertised policies regarding discrimination against its own students." The resolution was the same one passed without opposition by the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly last week. GSAC President Anne Cubilie said members of the group felt strongly about the issue, especially since noncompliance with the code "puts everyone in jeopardy." "I feel strongly about the University violating its anti-discrimination code," Cubilie said. "I support the anti-discrimination code in the manner in which it exists." "[We] urge the president [Sheldon Hackney] to follow the recommendations of his own committee," she added. "[Having both groups pass the resolutions] speaks to the fact that there's a broad, broad consensus on this issue." "We needed to tell the University Council that they needed to move on this issue," said Bernadette Barker-Plummer, the Annenberg Representative to GSAC. GSAC also passed a resolution calling for the distribution of complete copies of a Faculty Senate committee's report to University Council members. The members of the University Council did not receive every part of the document, which called for ROTC's removal by May 1993 if policies against lesbians and gays are not changed. The ROTC issue is on the agenda of the University Council's meeting this afternoon.
(10/08/91 9:00am)
Adrienne Adler spent her first two years out of college in a part-time, dead-end job. Unable to find "the kind of job [she] wanted," Adler decided to enter graduate school at the University last year, joining the growing ranks of students who are finding the job search difficult, and are in turn applying to the University. Most of the University's twelve graduate and professional schools are receiving more applications than ever before. The class that entered the University in September faced more competition in most cases and is somewhat larger than the class that entered in September 1990. The Nursing School, the graduate division of the School of Arts and Sciences, the Medical School, and the Graduate School of Fine Arts all had increases in applications ranging from approximately three percent in SAS to 16 percent in the Medical School. The Dental School, the School of Social Work and the Graduate School of Education received about 20 percent more applications for this year's incoming class than for last year's. While the number of students entering the Dental School is constant from year to year, enrollment in the School of Social Work increased by almost 40 percent, and enrollment in the Education School increased by over 11 percent over last year's figures. While Graduate School of Education Admissions Director Margaret Harkins partially attributes the increases to a "new interest in education," she said she sees the nation's current recession as a driving force behind the school's popularity this year. "[Students] used to be able to get a job right out of college," Harkins said last week. "All you needed was that diploma. [Now] there is lots of competition for every job." The graduate division of the Engineering School experienced a 15.4 percent jump in applications, coupled with an almost 42 percent increase in enrollment in degree programs. Graduate Engineering Admissions Administrative Assistant Mark Santillo also attributed the increased interest in his school to the poor economy. "It is pretty clear that in a recession the number of people who go back to school increases," Santillo said last week. "[Right now] it is a better investment to go back to school and increase their marketability." Wharton's graduate program has seen a 60 percent increase in applications during the last five years, according to Wharton Graduate Admissions Director John Enyart. "[Our] entering class is larger than it has ever been," Enyart said last week. Enyart said Wharton's situation is different from those of the University's other graduate schools in that increased interest in Wharton is "tied directly to geopolitics." "[Graduate school] could be seen as a safe harbor for a couple of years," he said of the overall trend. "Many offer answers but none of us really know. But many graduate students say the recession is not the main force drawing students back to school. "I find that hard to believe since the cost of education is so high [in the U.S.]," said James Abraham, a first-year Wharton graduate student from Ontario, Canada. "With recession, one of the first things that happens [in Canada, where the cost of education is low] is enrollment in graduate schools goes up." And some administrators agreed, saying that the jump in applications is not a result of the recession. School of Social Work Admissions Director Orneice Leslie cites a heightened national concern about social problems as a primary reason for her school's increased applications. "[There has been] a movement away from the 'I' generation," she said yesterday. "[There is] a young generation of people who want to make a difference." And many students said they simply needed advanced degrees to get the jobs they wanted. "I wanted to have choices . . . within the realm of education," said Alison Cook, a first-year graduate student in the Education School. "There are fields that all you need is a bachelor's degree," said Paul Penkalski, a first-year graduate student in the School of Arts and Sciences. "To get a job [in geology], you need an advanced degree." And Adler said the economy was only one factor, along with her general interest in elementary education, that led her to return to school. Only the Law School and the Veterinary School saw decreases in their applicant pools. Neither school was concerned about the drop in applications nor could they offer a reason for the decrease. Each school has the same number of students enrolled this year. The Admissions Director at the Annenberg School could not be reached for comment.
(10/04/91 9:00am)
fore next week's University Council meeting. "If we don't vote, we've missed the boat," she said. In addition, GAPSA unanimously passed a resolution calling for the distribution of complete copies of the Committee on Conduct's ROTC report to University Council members. Garfinkel said that the members of the University Council did not receive every part of the document, which called for ROTC's removal by June 1993 if policies against gays and lesbians are not changed. In other business, GAPSA also unanimously approved its addendum to the Committee to Diversify Locust Walk report, an addendum compiled by a committee formed to combat the "lack of representation of graduate/professional students on the Committee." Seven undergraduates were on the committee, while graduate students had a single representative. The addendum recommended that the University maintain and augment the academic uses of buildings on the Walk and give the graduate students a greater portion of the Walk for their interests. GAPSA also unanimously elected Anita Robinson, secretary of the Black Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, as Vice Chair for Special Projects. GAPSA also voted to sponsor a fall party on November 22. (CUT LINE) Please see GAPSA, page 5 GAPSA, from page 1
(09/26/91 9:00am)
Graduate student leaders will have their voices heard in a new forum when The Graduate Perspective newspaper appears in each graduate student's mailbox sometime in the next week. Printed in tabloid form, the first issue of Perspective will include articles on such topics as Clarence Thomas's nomination to the Supreme Court, health insurance, and Escort Service, as well as calendar and notices sections and student government pages. The monthly publication will be funded for the school year with $9000 from the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, but GAPSA leaders and the members of the editorial board insist that the newspaper will be editorially independent. "They should be able to do and say what they want," said GAPSA Chairperson Michael Goldstein at last week's GAPSA meeting. "It's going to be as open and uncensored as we can make it," said GAPSA's Vice Chairperson for Communication Bernadette Barker-Plummer, the paper's editorial board coordinator -- the newspaper's version of an editor-in-chief. In the past, GAPSA and other groups such as the Graduate Student Associations Council produced monthly newsletters containing issues important to their organizations. The GAPSA newsletter, though, has been incorporated into Perspective, while GSAC will continue to print a newsletter. The newspaper aims to provide a "forum to reach a broad number of graduate students and get them involved," said GSAC President Anne Cubilie, another member of the editorial board. "We don't think of it as . . . competition to the DP," Barker-Plummer said. "We think of it as complementary." "[It focuses] on issues that are interesting and critical to graduate students that aren't as important to undergraduates," she added. "It's obviously different from the DP," added Cubilie. "It is not a newspaper on that level." The acting editorial board is made up of those who worked on this issue of the paper, but the group said that there are openings for any students who are interested in donating their time.
(09/24/91 9:00am)
It may be just a pile of dirt right now, but if all goes according to schedule, the former Law School dormitory site on Sansom Street will be a brand new Law School Library by 1993. When built, the new five story, 100,000 square foot building will be home to both the new library and many Law student-related services such as the Registrar's Office, the law journals, two seminar rooms and a new dining room. Planning for the new library began in 1986, after the American Bar Association criticized the current library for being inadequate, according to Law School Dean Colin Diver. "We knew that our library was no longer adequate for our needs," Diver said last week. "[But it was] confirmed when the ABA did its regular reaccreditation review in 1986." Biddle Law Library, currently located in Lewis Hall on Sansom and 34th streets, is too small, does not have sufficient seating, and cannot accommodate such modern devices as computers and video equipment. "We didn't have a lot of things contemporary libraries have," said Library Director Elizabeth Kelly, who also chairs the Law School Building Committee. "[The new facility] will put us in the position where we finally have the right amount of space for our student body." "The net result will be a state-of-the-art library that is organized to accommodate traditional research in books and computer assisted research," Kelly added. At the current library's growth rate of approximately 12,000 volumes per year, the library has run out of space for books. The new library has "15-20 years worth of growth space." Kelly noted that the construction of a new building was also necessary because the current library has no more "adaptable space" for other services. "It's hard to retrofit this structure," she said. The new library will also boast new study spaces capable of accomodating as many as 500 computers, a variety of study environments and better lighting. When the new library opens in 1993, the current library space in Lewis Hall will be renovated into classrooms, faculty offices and semi-remote storage spaces for books. The demolition phase of the new project took place in July and the construction phase is expected to begin within the next few weeks. Although the actual $28 million budgeted for the project was approved by the University a year and a half ago, the construction phase was held up for four months due to the University's fiscal crunch. And Diver said that while the direct costs of the new building would be borne by the Law School, the University needed to come up with the funds to invest in a new kitchen and dining facility for English House before Law School construction could begin. The project's architect, Lew Davis, of the New York-based firm Davis, Brody and Associates, said that he forsees "a smooth construction" that will take about 18 months to complete. Davis said he views the new building in a historical context, since the current library's home, Lewis Hall, was built by the same turn of the century architects who worked on the Quadrangle and buildings at Bryn Mawr College and Princeton University. He said he used the same materials for the new building to keep the historical continuity. Davis also said last week that he and his firm were very concerned with designing a building that was not only attractive but pragmatic as well. "We were very involved with the user and the faculty of the Law School," he said. "[It] reflects their concept of how a law library should function." Law Dean Diver said he also believes that beauty and function should go together. "I think it's going to be a terrific building," he said. "Not only is it going to look good, but I think it's going to function well." In addition, the library building will form the Western boundary of a law school quadrangle with law buildings surrounding a courtyard on all sides. Though Davis said he foresees no difficulties, one problem sure to arise is the high level of noise involved with a project of this magnitude. University administrators said they thought they had dealt with the expected noise problem by closing the English House dormitory, located at the edge of the proposed construction site. But administrators and construction managers said last week that they seemed to have overlooked another problem -- Law School classes being held in Lewis Hall. "They neglected to tell us one day they'd be drilling into brick [right outside of a classroom]," Law School Registrar Gary Clinton said Friday. Clinton has been juggling classroom schedules since then to make minimum use of the noisiest classrooms, those which are literally two feet from the noise of the construction work. "It's better safe than sorry in a case like this," he said. Administrators looked at several locations for the new library such as the parking lots at Chestnut and 34th streets and Hill Field before choosing the law dorm site. The demolition of the "small, Spartan" housing, which was home to about 100 students, did not cause much debate, according to Diver. "I don't even think undergraduates live in such dormitories nowadays," Diver said. "[There is] nobody to mourn for those dorms." Law students who would have lived in the Law dorms now live in Graduate Towers or off-campus housing. Kelly said that while she feels that at this point in time the library is "more important," she would still like to see another form of housing just for law students. But while administrators and most Law students said they are not upset by the demolition of the Law dorms, former dorm resident Eric Costello said he feels differently. "I would have lived there for another year," said the third-year Law student. "As dorms go, they weren't bad and certainly they were convenient." And while he realizes that the Law School needs a new library, he said he wishes "they'd managed to figure out another place to put [law students]." "Be it ever so crumbled," Costello added, "there's no place like home." In addition, the old Law school dining room, which was inside the old dormitory, has been demolished. And since Stern Dining Commons in English House is closed this year for renovations, Law School students must eat their meals at Hill House or one of the other dining services locations on campus.
(09/06/91 9:00am)
A group of graduate student leaders will push for Escort Service to be extended to Center City in the wake of the downtown murders of two students this summer, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson Michael Goldstein said yesterday. GAPSA, the Graduate Student Associations Council and several graduate school governments passed resolutions in the spring calling for expanded Escort Service. But Goldstein said the August 10 shooting of Robert Janke, a 22-year-old student in the College of General Studies, at 17th and South streets and the murder of English student Tae Jung Ho August 22 near Walnut and 22nd streets make the issue more urgent. Goldstein said eventually he would like to see Escort Service serve Center City so students can return to campus in the evening if they need to. Goldstein said a growing population of graduate students living across the Schuylkill River need a safe way to travel back and forth from the University. He said 2000 students could be served if the existing shuttle service was extended to Broad Street -- six blocks beyond the current boundary. Goldstein said he knows of some students who leave campus by 5 p.m. because they don't want to have to walk across the Walnut Street Bridge alone at night. "It adversely affected their academics," Goldstein said. The Office of Off-Campus Living said yesterday that in the 1990-1991 academic year, approximately 1800 undergraduate and graduate students lived in Center City. And Eleni Zatz, the director of the office, said yesterday that her office and local realtors have noticed an increase even since last year. "[We] have a sense that more people are moving across the river," Zatz said. Senior Vice President Marna Whittington said yesterday new safety programs are always considered by the University Council Safety and Security Committee. "The question is what does the community want? What fills the most needs?" Whittington said. She added money is not an overriding concern. Rather, she said the University will make an effort to provide transportation that fills the greatest need. "At some point I have to say maybe when a student chooses their off-campus housing they need to consider the transportation that is available if that is something they need," Whittington said. "There is a limit." Biochemistry Professor Emeritus Adelaide Delluva, who chairs the Safety and Security Committee, said the members will consider expansion of transportation services this year. "In view of what has been happening, I think we need to look at this carefully," Delluva said. It currently picks up students at five locations on campus and provides drop-off service east of the Schuylkill River bound by Market, South and 20th Streets. Goldstein said he would like the name of the Green Safety Shuttle changed so that it explicitly explains that it provides limited drop-off service in parts of Center City. The University's Department of Transportation and Parking has already expanded hours and increased the number of on-campus pick-up sites. Stephen Carey, the assistant director of transportation and parking, said yesterday the service already meets the needs of students living in the designated area. Carey said the drivers have considerable leeway to drop students at their door as long as they have time before their next scheduled campus pick-up and provided there are not too many students on board. "The driver will make every attempt to get you as close to your door as possible," Carey said. Escort Service has changed and expanded considerably since it began in 1972, when it was run by University Police. For example, ridership has increased dramatically over the years. Whittington said in the last two months alone, ridership increased 134 percent for the same period of last year. Goldstein, who is also on the Safety and Security Committee, said the shooting deaths of the two students partially encouraged his concern about the issue. However neither student was traveling to or from campus when the shootings occurred.
(09/05/91 9:00am)
Freshmen have long been welcomed with open arms to the University with a convocation with pomp and speeches from the administration. Graduate students were finally given a ceremony to call their own yesterday, and about 300 were officially welcomed at a packed ceremony at College Hall. Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson Michael Goldstein, who has pushed for the creation of such a ceremony, said the ceremony is long overdue. "It bothered me that the University officially and formally welcomed undergraduates to campus but did not do the same for graduate and professional students," Goldstein said earlier this week. President Sheldon Hackney, Provost Michael Aiken, Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson and others addressed the students -- enrolled in programs at all of the 12 schools at the University -- in an attempt to help prevent the problems commonly associated with graduate student life. Hackney discussed the issue of political correctness at the University, a topic he used for his commencement address, explaining that while there is political correctness on campus, "it is not dominant and does not go unchallenged." "Proponents of different ideas must be represented on campus," he said. Morrisson identified isolation as a common problem among graduate students, advising that the students attempt to look beyond the confines of their individual schools and "get to know what the University and the city of Philadelphia has to offer." "You are also part of the larger universe that is the University," she said. Goldstein agreed, explaining that one of the purposes of the assembly and the following reception was to promote friendships among students from different schools. "[This may be] one of the only times that a Vet student will run into a student from the School of Education," he added.
(04/25/91 9:00am)
It's been worse than a "don't call us, we'll call you" kind of year for job seekers. Many students looking to get a start on their careers haven't even gotten a chance to be rejected by potential employers. Instead of flocking to campus as in past years, head hunters looking for able-bodied students to fill entry-level positions have become scarcer and scarcer at the University during this year's recession. According to Career Planning and Placement Service Director Patricia Rose, the number of job recruiters that came to campus to hire non-MBA students dropped almost nine percent from last year. And Rose said that MBA recruiting experienced an even greater decrease. She added that these figures don't show the whole picture behind the hiring crunch, noting that even fewer students are getting interviewed by each company, leaving many students without a thing to do with their degree. And permanent positions for graduates aren't the only jobs being cut during the current economic slow-down. Undergraduates are also getting fewer offers for summer internships, according to CPPS Assistant Director Deb Gould, who coordinates summer jobs and internships. She said that while the number of job listings is "certainly comparable to previous years," many of those companies "are not making as many offers as in the past." Qualified students who were counting on summer positions for experience and a little extra cash are finding themselves squeezed out of the market. "Honestly, I'm extremely discouraged," said Wharton sophomore Linda Pressel, who has applied for 35 summer positions and has yet to receive a "solid offer." Pressel said that the scope of job opportunities has narrowed, with recruiters this year looking for students skilled in finance, accounting and insurance. She is searching for a position in marketing or advertising. College senior Jackie Grimm, who has yet to find a job but has interviews set up in San Francisco, said that she is "discouraged" by news of hiring freezes, adding that her search is even harder because of her liberal arts background. "All of my Wharton friends are getting jobs," Grimm said. "Most of my College friends don't have jobs [or] are going to school." She also said she feels the recruiting processes at CPPS are "geared toward" Wharton students. CPPS Director Rose said that the recession is at least partially to blame for the depleted job situation, but added that she is "confident" students will be hired once the economy picks up. "We hope the economy will pull out of the recession soon and hiring will pick up a little bit in the summer," she said. Rose added that while positions may be harder to find, "students are still getting jobs." She also said that graduates-to-be should not be completely discouraged because "a lot of [jobs] turn up late -- especially smaller employers." Gould said that although she senses that the entire process is more difficult this year, she is "not pessimistic."