Rodin focuses on community, academics in 'State of U.' speech

and Edward Sherwin The state of the University is strong, University President Judith Rodin said yesterday as she delivered an annual address at University Council's second meeting of the year. Rodin's "State of the University" speech focused on the progress of the six academic initiatives of Penn's Agenda for Excellence -- the oft-invoked 3-year-old plan for academic enrichment and campus improvement -- and Penn's relationship with the West Philadelphia community. Interim Provost Michael Wachter also spoke, primarily on the University's new college house system. Council's bylaws mandate that the president and provost address the faculty, staff and student-composed advisory body each October on the state of the University and the accomplishments of the previous academic year. Rodin said that "with only a limited amount of time and an enormous amount of accomplishments," she chose to focus her remarks on those issues that had drawn the most interest from members of Council. After reviewing admissions statistics for the current freshman class -- including a record-low 29 percent acceptance rate and a record-high average Scholastic Assessment Test score of 1401 -- Rodin dove into updates on interdisciplinary programs, fundraising and the specific goals of the Agenda. But most of the 50 minutes dedicated to the president's report went to a discussion of the University's plan, announced in June, to bring a new public "demonstration" school to the corner of 42nd and Spruce streets. In its agreement with the School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Penn pledged to give the school up to $700,000 annually while using the site as a training ground for students and programs from the Graduate School of Education. Rodin turned some of her time over to Education Dean Susan Fuhrman and Rodin's Chief of Staff Steve Schutt, the two Penn officials heading up the University's work on the school plan, for a more detailed description of the project. "By and large, students who live in the region will be able to attend the school," Schutt said in response to a question about the accessibility of the new school to area children. Wachter also highlighted several of the University's academic initiatives from the last year, noting that he could not "think of a time when the pace of change or the depth of change has been deeper" in his three decades at Penn. He turned over most of his presentation time to Director of College Houses and Academic Services David Brownlee, who briefed Council on the progress of the University's new residential system. In other Council business, Physiology Professor Martin Pring spoke on the progress of the behind-schedule GreekNet initiative, in which the University plans to equip all fraternity and sorority houses with high-speed Ethernet connections. Though work on only four houses has been completed, Pring said the remaining buildings will be wired over the next two summers. Faculty Senate Chairperson John Keene reported that Council's Steering Committee charged two committees -- Admissions and Financial Aid and Pluralism -- with the task of studying the issue of minority permanence. A report from the Pluralism Committee is expected at Council's November or December meeting, the professor of city and regional planning said.

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