Trustees approve $22M for Public Policy Center

The Executive Committee of the University Board of Trustees met yesterday to review Penn President Amy Gutmann's first five months in office and discuss her long-term goals.

The annual abbreviated session is usually held in New York, but the trustees gathered on campus this year to formalize four Budget and Finance Committee resolutions -- including the authorization of $22 million for the construction of the new site for the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

The abbreviated schedule featured a closed session during which Gutmann, the Executive Committee and several key University officials discussed the specifics of Gutmann's Penn compact.

The Penn compact -- a three-pronged list of Gutmann's priorities, including increasing access, integrating knowledge and engaging locally and globally -- was first showcased by the president at her inauguration.

"I think the trustees and all of us want to know what does that truly mean?" University Secretary Leslie Kruhly said in reference to the compact.

The full Board of Trustees met for the first time this academic year in October, and will meet again in February.

Though only the 14 trustees comprising the Executive Committee met during the December session, Kruhly noted that the more relaxed atmosphere allows the trustees to better evaluate the future of the University.

"The trustees really like this meeting because it gives them a chance to sit back and really think long term," Kruhly said of the December session.

Prior to the closed session, the Budget and Finance Committee held an open meeting, during which four proposals were passed concerning the refinancing of debt and bonds, a joint venture by the University Health System and the Public Policy Center.

The new 40,000-square-foot building will replace the former Hillel building, located on 36th Street between Locust Walk and Walnut Street.

"It's not one of the jewels in our crown -- let's leave it at that," Gutmann said of the building, which will be knocked down to make way for the Public Policy Center.

The new center will "bring the academic core to physical core of campus," Gutmann said, specifically highlighting the first-floor forum which will be designed to facilitate debates and speaker sessions.

The final session -- an open meeting of the Executive Committee -- featured addresses by Interim Provost Peter Conn, Chairman of the University Board of Trustees James Riepe and Gutmann.

Riepe noted that Gutmann's "learning curve has been accomplished at warp speed."

Several new appointments announced by Gutmann over the past few weeks were made official at the meeting.

"The new administration is very solidly on the ground," Riepe said.

However, some holes still remain, in particular for the position of a permanent provost. Gutmann said that the national search for a new provost is under way and on schedule.

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