Staff Editorial: An opportunity for change

The impending departure of Director of College Houses and Academic Services David Brownlee robs the college house system of its most dedicated servant and its most vocal cheerleader. At the system's helm since the very beginning, Brownlee has had more to do with the implementation and opertation of the college houses than any other person during the last five years.

Losing a man with as much experience with -- and investment in -- the system as Brownlee also presents the college houses with a unique opportunity. Since its inception in 1998, the houses have been directed by one man, responsible not only for running them during their first three years but also for producing the 1997 report that led to their creation.

The appointment of Stouffer College House Faculty Master Philip Nichols is a much-needed infusion of fresh blood. Nichols should be able to take a more critical distance from the college houses than did Brownlee to better evaluate where they succeed and where they fail.

Nichols needs to rethink and redefine the role and mission of the college houses. They will not become, no matter how hard administrators try, the all-inclusive social, residential and academic communities that the University wants them to be.

The smaller college houses, such as DuBois and Nichols' own Stouffer, as well as the residential programs, including the Perspectives in Humanities program and the Science and Technology Wing, have had great success at building in-house community. The 800-plus resident high rises have had significantly less. In terms of community, size does matter.

Nichols must also focus on the area in which the college house system has proven most effective. Academic services such as writing tutors, the WHEEL and information technology advisors have made for great success in providing students with the academic resources they need and that are often hard to find at a university as large as Penn.

And it is imperative that Nichols recognize that integrating dining into the college houses is a lost cause. Dining Services, already bleeding red ink, simply does not have the means to make that a reality.

Though not nearly as successful as the architects of the college house system had hoped, building community in the houses has not been a total failure, and it is important that efforts to do so continue. They have, in fact, seen results in certain areas. Nichols has the opportunity to remake the college house system, but to do so he must develop the system's strengths rather than focus on its perennial failures.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.