Click for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Forecast
HOME ISSUE

CALENDAR

BETWEEN ISSUES ARCHIVE DEADLINES CONTACT US
 
 
Print This Issue
Front Page
Contents
Crimes
Directory
All About Teaching
Subscribe to E-Alamanc!
Staffbox
Guidelines
 

 

Council Meeting Coverage

At the final Council meeting of the semester last Wednesday, Council moderator Dr. Janice Bellace noted that it was Dr. Judith Rodin's last such meeting as President and how Dr. Rodin has demonstrated "her commitment to the University and her passion for excellence in everything the University does." Dr. Bellace add that,  "we are all grateful for her inspired and energetic leadership with the University, which has made the place move forward so greatly from when she first came."

GAPSA reported that its new chair for next year will be Simi Wilhelm; the UA reported that its new chair next year will be Jason Levine.

President Rodin then took the opportunity to reminisce about how special the University Council structure is, giving faculty, staff and student groups a forum to "debate with civility," recalling that there was nothing like it at Yale where she had come from 10 years ago. Dr. Rodin described Council as a "pressure valve," a "response vehicle," a "warning sign," and a "conscience." She thanked everyone who had expended energy on behalf of their constituencies to make Council an effective group. She cited examples of progress that emanated from the "energy at Council deliberations," such as the privacy officer, safety improvements, gender and minority equity, and MLK Day as a Penn holiday.

Chaplain Will Gipson gave a report on the Dialogues on Race, as chair of the steering committee which presented diversity-related events and a website (www.upenn.edu/dialogues_on_race/).  Rev. Gipson said that there are plans to include other groups, such as the Latino organizations on campus. President Rodin said that the Dialogues are a "really important first step" in helping the community "learn to talk with one another."

Dr. Dennis Culhane, chair of the Pluralism Committee, gave the final report in which he stressed the importance of measuring success of interactions among students and how the on campus housing policy is not consistent with the University's non-discrimination policy. Provost Robert Barchi said that while the administration has made efforts to be responsive to individual issues and complaints, it is a much more involved process to change a University policy. He said that would require serious deliberations involving many administrators.

Dr. Sohrab Rabii, chair of the International Programs Committee, gave the final report which involved the ongoing question of how to provide affordable short-term housing for visiting international  scholars; how to handle the homeland security requirements as well as coping with fraudulent material being submitted by some applicants, primarily from the People's Republic of China. He also noted that long-time executive director of International Programs Dr. Joyce Randolph will be retiring.

 

 


  Almanac, Vol. 50, No. 32, May 4, 2004

HOME ISSUE CALENDAR BETWEEN ISSUES ARCHIVE DEADLINES CONTACT US