Staff Editorial: Filling the major gaps

Maybe the University has turned over a new leaf. Last fall, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Richard Beeman announced that he would be stepping down at the end of the academic year to spend a year teaching at Oxford University. Immediately, Penn responded by appointing CAS Associate Dean Rebecca Bushnell to take Beeman's spot, eliminating the possibility of having another dean search drag on for months. Then, last week, the Wharton School found a replacement for outgoing Vice Dean Thomas Dunfee before his term was up. And on Thursday, the University announced that it had selected a successor for outgoing Dental School Dean Raymond Fonseca -- four full months before he is set to leave office. While we know very little about University of Alabama Professor Marjorie Jeffcoat, Penn's ability to create a transition period before Fonseca's departure is a sign of progress. In recent years, it has become a tradition for administrative searches to linger for months, leaving a temporary official in place for an extended period. The University seems to be no closer to appointing a permanent dean for the School of Social Work than it was when Ira Schwartz stepped down in July 2001. So in filling what would have been three more administrative gaps before they opened up, the University may have finally realized the importance of permanent leadership at the top. But Penn cannot rest on its laurels just yet. With Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson's term coming to an end this spring, the University has another set of large shoes to fill in a position that has become vital for publicity and fundraising. In addition, while no one is doubting the ability of interim Social Work Dean Richard Gelles, that interim tag has been in place for far too long. The search for a new Social Work dean has taken more than 18 months and must be resolved before Gelles begins year three in his interim chair. We applaud the University for its recent administrative appointments, but officials must remember that schools need permanent leadership to function at their peak.

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