Interim director appointed to Office of Student Conduct

Director of the Alcohol and Other Drug Program Initiatives Julie Lyzinski Nettleton has been named interim director of the Office of Student Conduct, replacing Michele Goldfarb.

Beginning her interim term on June 16, Nettleton will serve until Goldfarb’s permanent replacement is appointed. She will continue to lead the AOD — where she has worked since 2005 — while serving as interim director of the OSC.

"I am grateful to have wonderful staff at both AOD and OSC, as well as the support of my colleagues in University Life and the Provost's Office," Nettleton said. "And, I'm getting plenty of exercise walking between both offices!"

The OSC deals with matters of student discipline, including academic integrity issues and other student misconduct. Nettleton said that as interim director, she will oversee the office, review cases, support the staff and act as a resource for others on campus on issues such as Student Conduct and Academic Integrity.

“As Director of Alcohol and Other Drug Program Initiatives, Julie has demonstrated remarkable skill and sensitivity in understanding — and helping to navigate — the challenges faced by our students,” Vice Provost for Education Andrew Binns said in an email. “This experience will be a great asset to her work in student conduct, as will her close connections to her colleagues in the Division of University Life and around the University, who partner with us every day in advancing student life at Penn.”

Currently a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education, Nettleton holds a M.Ed. in human services and counseling from DePaul University and a bachelor's degree magna cum laude in psychology and sociology from the University of Notre Dame.

"My primary goal is to maintain an effective and efficient process for investigating and responding to cases," Nettleton said. "I am working closely with the OSC staff to ensure that they are supported during this transition."

Former OSC Director Michele Goldfarb held the position since 2012 and from 1996 to 2006. She has accepted a position as a staff attorney on the central legal staff of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

Calling her most recent post "challenging and new," Goldfarb said that her 13 cumulative years as Director of the OSC led her to a point where she "wanted to accept a new challenge with a different kind of job."

During her time at Penn, Goldfarb also served as director of the Penn Women’s Center, associate University ombudsman and as an instructor in the School of Law.

“The OSC involved a lot of sensitive matters, a lot of confidential matters, and it was demanding in terms of being an educator,” Goldfarb said. “It was very interesting for a very long time. I felt I needed to do something new.”

Binns said that the administration aims to have a permanent director in place by the end of the fall semester.

Though Nettleton’s instatement as OSC Director is temporary, Binns has high hopes for her performance.

“She has begun the job with customary energy and insight, and we look forward to her contributions in the coming year,” Binns said.

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