Editorial | Failing facilities

Last week, the University's Board of Trustees - convened to discuss the largest issues facing the University. On its list was Student Health Services, one of the most important Penn services provided to many students.

Unfortunately, the office is woefully under-equipped.

As Student Health Services Director Evelyn Weiner told the trustees' Student Life Committee, the office gets more than 50,000 visits each year. Visitors, however, must trek past the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to the dingy basement of the Penn Tower building.

And don't think the tucked-away location has resulted in better facilities - renovations are required simply to keep the current facility up to capacity. The current tight space also isn't very conducive to student privacy.

Moreover, the facility is more than 10 blocks from the vast number of Penn students who reside off campus.

The office is so remote that one trustee member even had to ask where it was located. You can be certain that no trustee asked the location of Huntsman Hall, the gym or the admissions office. Those buildings and offices occupy great facilities in the core of Penn's campus.

As should SHS.

With such a well-respected and top-tier medical school and hospital nearby, the facilities accorded to SHS are an embarrassment for the University. And it's only going to get worse as demands for health services increase.

"There is no way we can improve the efficiency . and maintain the quality of care that we have with the facilities that we have," Weiner told the trustees.

The facilities used by Counseling and Psychological Services, located much closer to the heart of Penn's campus, are somewhat better - but with so many visitors the small space still suffers from overcrowding.

Administrators promised to "look into it." We sure hope they do. Students deserve better, especially after dishing out $252 a year in clinical fees.

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