Rodin to step down in 2004

University President Judith Rodin sits in her office on June 20, 2003. Earlier that day, she announced that she would step down in June 2004.[Daniel McQuade/The Summer Pennsylvanian]

University President Judith Rodin announced on Friday, June 20, that she will be stepping down from her post at the end of June 2004. Rodin will remain at Penn, however, in a part-time capacity in the newly-created position of Chancellor, working on fundraising and capital development. "I've accomplished everything I set out to do," she said in an interview Friday. A presidential search committee, overseen by University Board of Trustees Chairman James Riepe, will be formed this September to find a replacement. Riepe said an interim president would likely not be necessary. "We are most appreciative that Dr. Rodin gave us a year's notice so we would not have to do that because I think that really has a way of slowing the process and the transition down," Riepe said. Under her tenure, Penn has seen dramatic growth, including a rise from 16th place to fourth in U.S. News & World Report's 2002 rankings, a tripling of the endowment and more than doubling the amount of federally sponsored research. "We have achieved enormous amounts with the Agenda for Excellence and that strategic plan has been completed," Rodin said, adding that with a new strategic plan currently under development, it was time to step down. "It's a big and long plan, and I think it requires sustained leadership over that next period and that's an eight-to-nine year period. I think that convinced me in looking at it that this was such a good time," she said, adding that the prospect of beginning a new five-year contract in 2004 helped convince her new leadership was necessary. However, Rodin's expertise will still be available to her successor while she serves as Chancellor. "It's a way to have some continuity," Rodin said. "I've built relationships, I have a depth of experience after ten years that the trustees think will be useful to them and frankly, to my successor and I'd like to be able to be helpful." Rodin added that she will also remain on faculty. Rodin became the first female president of an Ivy League institution when she took office in 1994. "I'm most proud about the academic transformation that we've made," Rodin said of her accomplishments, noting the creation of the College House system, initiatives in West Philadelphia and the addition of several hubs such as the Kelly Writers House among the achievements she is most proud of. Rodin's departure makes Penn the seventh Ivy League school have its president step down in recent years. Jeffrey Lehman was named president of Cornell University earlier this year, while Columbia University's president, Lee Bollinger, was appointed last year. In 2001, Lawrence Summers, Shirley Tilghman and Ruth Simmons were elected presidents of Harvard, Princeton and Brown universities, respectively. Other top administrators who have left Penn recently include former Executive Vice President John Fry, Annenberg School Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Dean of the College Richard Beeman. "I have no regrets about stepping down... because I have a busy year ahead and I expect to be president until June 30, 2004, and there's a lot to do and a lot more time to do it," Rodin said.Check back on dailypennsylvanian.com as this story develops.

Comments (11)

Thank you Madame President. sue, attorney nyc

Her accomplishments have been wide ranging. For me one of the major ones is proving that it is possible to maintain high academic standards at the same time as encouraging excellence in athletics. She will be greatly missed although it encouraging that she will remain at the University. Jim McConnell, golf Vero Beach, FL foehi@aol.com

Judith Rodin is the goods. She has rocketed the University and West Philadelphia to new heights. And it's been a wonderfully glorious ride. For all of us. She is an American bad ass. She is a rock star. Judy got game. I'll miss her. Scott Hawley Columbia, SC swh_metigoshe@yahoo.com

Penn will truly miss the guidance and leadership that Dr. Rodin has given to this University. She has guided Penn through some very difficult times and made it one of the premier Univesities in this country. She leaves very big shoes to fill. She will be sorely missed. Good Luck Dr. Rodin in your future endeavours. 2001 Alumni, Analyst Chicago

It's time for a change. In the year I've been on campus I have yet to see the heralded President Rodin speak even once. Perhaps she deserves all the praise she's getting for taking Penn from 16th to whatever in the useless U.S. News rankings, but she seems too busy sitting on her corporate boards to actually communicate her vision to students. Med Student, Med Student phily

Med Student: Perhaps that is your fault. While I was at Penn, I met Rodin on numerous occasions. I was involved in Student Government (on the Class Boards). I attended a couple open functions at her home. One summer when I worked on campus, I attended several of the brown bag lunch lectures on Locust Walk, which she spoke at several times. Penn is a large university and I'm not really sure what you expect of her. Morning announcements over a campus-wide PA system? Point is, stop complaining. She did an amazing job with this university. If you want to hear or see her, make a point of doing so. She's not going to come knocking on your door. Matt

I want to thank Judith Rodin for her wonderful work at the University of Pennsylvania. I graduated in 1972 and have been an alumni representative for about 7 years. Each year the seniors who apply get stronger and more determined to attend Penn. I hope that Dr. Rodin remains involved with the university and goes on to other worthy endeavors. I hope the University of Pennsylvania finds someone with her remarkable skills. Robert Edelman, psychiatrist-child/adolescent Pittsburgh, PA robert.edelman@yfcs.com

Thanks so much to Judith Rodin. As a senior, I am so glad that she is here for my last year. She has done a wonderful job and been a great role model for women. Thanks. liz, student philly

As an alumnus of both the College and the Medical School with many years of roots at Penn, I want to take this opportunity to thank Judith Rodin for her superb leadership of the University for the past decade. The job of shepherding the University through the nineties and into the twenty-first century, particularly after the divisive Hackney years, was not an easy job, but Dr. Rodin handled it with an aplomb that exceeded even her most ardent admirers' expectations. Having left Penn medical school to do my internship and residency at Yale, where she served as Provost, I was familiar with her in the early nineties, and she was admired and valued in New Haven as well. Having grown up in Southwest Philadelphia as a girl of modest background, hers was a truly American success story. She graduated from Girls High and from Penn in the sixties and went on to the heights of academic distinction and administrative achievement. She is a role model for us all and the only possible emotion to feel is gratitude for the depth of her commitment to the University and the quality of her achievement. Dr. Rodin, as the person who did so much to make us proud of being Penn people, we salute you and wish you all the best in the subsequent chapters of your life. Thank you so much. Victor Patin, MD, Physician Connecticut addmd@prodigy.net

I concur with the sentiments here (or at least the overwhelming majority of them) that President Rodin did an unbelievable job in enhancing the quality and prestige of Penn. While I understand her desire to move on rather than remain as President for a third 5 year term, I believe she is still the best person to lead Penn at this time. I hope there will soon be a movement to convince Dr. Rodin to reconsider her decision to step down from the Presidency. I think her shoes are just about impossible to fill! Bigkahuna

Did Rodin encourage and promote differing political viewpoints? Did she push for conservative professors to be hired to help diversify a mostly liberal faculty? Did she invite conservatives to speak on campus? Dick Cheney was invited by the leadership of the Wharton School. Did she invite anti-American people to visit campus? Anti-American and Capitalism hater Desmond Tutu spoke at the last commencement; this may have been the final straw that forced the resignation as President. Is Penn better off since 1994? In some ways yes, in other ways it is the same. Rodin did ok for improving the "look and feel" of campus. We realize that much of the leadership came from others. 34th street between walnut and spruce still needs new sidewalks and street level lighting like spruce st between 34th and 38th sts. Walkways on campus still need upgrading from blacktop to bricks. This will also cut down the crime rate. We need the new president to be "fair and balanced" when it comes to political agenda. We also need the new pres to push for objective reporting without a liberal slant when it comes to publishing the daily pennsylvanian. Sean Lee

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