University deans seek visionary, fundraiser

With the search for Rodin's successor underway, the deans of Penn's undergraduate and graduate schools agree that finding a replacement will be no easy task.

"It will be difficult to see President Rodin leave," Dean of the School of Nursing Afaf Meleis said. "She transformed the campus and image of Penn both nationally and internationally."

"She leaves huge shoes to fill," agreed Richard Gelles, dean of the School of Social Work.

In replacing Rodin, almost all the deans of Penn's various schools stressed that her successor must show a commitment to the qualities that characterize the University; to "the uniqueness of Penn's pragmatic imagination that was Franklin's vision and is today still ours," Wharton Dean Patrick Harker said.

He or she must be someone who is "sensitive" to Penn's history, yet with a "balanced vision of the future so that we can hedge forward," Meleis said.

Law School Dean Michael Fitts wrote in an e-mail that Rodin's successor "will need to focus on continuing to build the strength of the faculty and the intellectual connections between the schools."

Graduate School of Education Dean Susan Fuhrman agreed, adding that the next president, like Rodin, must "maintain Penn's momentum" in its dedication to "solving real-world problems" and its "commitment to excellence in teaching and learning."

To this list, College Dean Rebecca Bushnell added a commitment to "the interdisciplinary character of our teaching and research."

Many also stress that the next president must be able to foster a strong relationship between the University and its West Philadelphia surroundings. According to Fitts, Rodin's replacement must build upon the improvements she made in the "physical environment" as well as "the community's self-confidence."

Additionally, and most importantly, the next president must be "sensitive to gender, culture and race issues and the notion that the University was founded on diversity in all areas, of thought, of philosophy... et cetera," Meleis said.

Most deans agree that Penn's next president should be someone who not only encompasses the vision of the University, but embodies many of the traits of Rodin herself. Indeed, according to many, one of the most desired characteristics in a new president is strong fundraising, a skill which was one of Rodin's greatest assets.

Penn's "next president will face many challenges in guiding the financial future of the University," Bushnell said.

Indeed, as the new president takes charge, Penn will be beginning "the process of gearing up for a new development campaign, so fundraising will be a necessary skill," Gelles added.

Accessibility is another key trait.

"For us as deans, we like a president who is accessible, who works alongside the dean -- facilitating each other's roles," Meleis said.

School of Arts and Sciences Dean Sam Preston said that Rodin's replacement must be "forceful," yet a "good listener" and a "communicator" with a "strong scholarly record" and having "high-level administrative experience in a university."

Most importantly, the president must be characterized by "honesty, integrity and trustworthiness," Preston said. These are the "hallmark[s] of a university, which should be well represented by its leader."

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