The Summer of '95

For those who were away during the summer, a brief rundown on actions and major news, most of which appeared in either the June 20 or July 18 issue of Almanac:

Transitions

Dr. Barbara Lowery (left) of Nursing is Associate Provost, and Dr. David Hildebrand is the Senate's choice to serve in her place as Past Chair.

Dr. Barry Cooperman stepped down after 13 years as Vice Provost for Research; an acting VPR is to be named and a search begun...Michele Goldfarb of Law School became Acting JIO on the resignation of Steven Blum. A search committee is to be named in September by Provost Chodorow. . .Scott Reikofski became acting director of Greek affairs as Tricia Phaup resigned to begin a new career in a geriatric hospital.

Reappointments of Deans

Three deans' reviews were concluded by the end of FY1995, two of them in time for the Trustees' June meeting, where the reappointments of Deans Colin Diver of Law, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson of The Annenberg School were approved. The reappointment of Dr. Raymond Fonseca of Dental Medicine, completed later, will go to the Trustees in September with a recommendation from the President and the Provost to reappoint him.

In the coming year, reviews of Deans Gregory Farrington of SEAS, Thomas Gerrity of Wharton, and William Kelley of Medicine are to begin. Review committees will be announced in a future issue.

Policies and Procedures

After publication For Comment June 20, a Policy on Position Discontinuation and Staff Transition was published Of Record July 18, and became effective August 15.

Prescription Drug Benefits are no longer provided by Blue Cross but are now provided to Blue Cross subscribers and to those in the new PENN Care plan via PCS Health System, Inc. For details see Almanac June 20, p. 16, Of Record.

New administrative initiatives announced in that issue are Coordinating Penn's Home Pages on the Web and a Review of Procurement Practices in the University and the Health System.

Governance Findings

Results of two Senate mail ballots were forwarded to the President and the Provost: The Proposed Policy on Consensual Sexual Relations was approved 407-267, and the Proposed Policy Governing Sanctions Taken Against Faculty Members was approved 419-79.

The Committee on Open Expression published June 20 its opinion that the deletion of others' electronic messages and use of another's name in e-mail posting would be violations of the Guidelines on Open Expression.

Fiscal/Physical Breakthroughs

Harrisburg came through with $34.47 million; the Trustees passed a $1.9 billion budget for FY96; Alumnus Steve Wynn added a gift of $7.5 million to the Pereleman Quad project (which takes funding over the midpoint); the U.S. Air Force removed the last barrier to IAST construction; and the Libraries started major renovations which cause temporary relocation of Periodicals.