1974-1975 Report of the Office of the Ombudsman
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
• Settlement of the Rackin Case • TH INGS TO DO • The Ombudsman as Go-&tween (Freedman) Volume 22. Number 3 September 9. 1975 • DEATHS • STAFF CHANGES • OPENINGS Published Weekly by the University of Pennsylvania COMMONWEALTH INCOME IS UP TRUSTEES: SEPTEMBER 12 AGENDA The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's appropriation to the The Trustees' Executive Board holds its first fall meeting University for 1975-76 is $15.991.000 (including $100,000 for the Friday. September 12. Morning sessions (for Trustees and invitees Museum)- almost a million dollars above the 1974-75 figure. In only) consist of briefings by University officers on topics including addition. the state's PHEAA funds available for institutional WXPN, Ivy Group meetings, and organizing for development, assistance grants is $275,000 more than the figure expected when plus discussion by the Board of fiscal matters for the current year the current budget was made up. and for 1976-77. The increases g1ve some cause for optimism in projecting salary The 2 p.m. session at the Furness Building (open to observers and wage increases at mid-year, Executive Director of Budget Jon under Commonwealth "Sunshine Law"} will have a combination Strauss said. The University budgeted for 1975-76 at no increase of action items and information reports. Items for action include in either state appropriation ($15,056,000) or PHEAA grants the appointments of a Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Studies ($ 125.000). and University Life, an Acting Dean of the Law School and a Of the $935,000 increase in state appropriation this year, Dean for Education (Almanac September 2) as well as faculty $500,000 is restricted (for dental clinics). The remaining $435,000 appointments of those recommended after review in the Provost's plus the potential PH EAA increase of $275.00. added to a Staff Conference. There are also resolutions on Moore School $443,000 contingency fund already in the current budget, provide structure, radiology and the Huebner Foundation. a possible total of S I, 153,000 in contingency funds, Dr. Strauss From the administration will come reports on fall admissions, said. (A 1% annual increase costs about $680,000 in the settlement of the Rackin case (pages 2-3 this issue), completion of unrestricted budgets.) the bond issue for Silverstein Pavilion, progress on energy Things that could temper optimism range from enrollment drop conservation and the status of Graduate Hospital. (reducing tuition income) to energy cost increases and investment Four Trustees' committees will report: Finance and Operations return and other income uncertainty. Enrollment of freshmen and (Mr. Chance); Investment Board (Mr. Stanger); Development transfers is up slightly because the summer "melt" of matriculants (Mr. Eckman); and Health Affairs (Mr. Ballam). was less than expected, but figures on returning upperclassmen will not be firm for another three weeks. A new energy policy is in TRAINING: TWO CITY GRANTS effect to control costs, but investment funds and other variables are in a state of wait-and-see. Two training grants have been awarded by the City of "But overall," said Dr. Strauss, "we are in better shape than Philadelphia to the training and staffing office of the Personnel many had dared hope when we projected our figures at the Department; one to train the unemployed as medical para beginning of this fiscal year." professionals (medical assistants. secretaries and emergency tech nicians); and another to provide training to handicapped persons in keypunching, programming, bookkeeping and clerical skills.· PRIMARY HEALTH CARE A vital part of the program is on-the-job training in cooperating University departments where trainees work for at least half a day Hundreds of hours and thousands of pages of research and at no cost to the department. For example, the Center for testimony went into the 16-page report issued this week by the Emergency Care, under Dr. Gene Cayten's direction, is training Commission on Education for Primary Health Care. unemployed persons as emergency medical technicians while The Commission has distilled its findings into eight conclusions handicapped participants are keypunching for Dr. Theodore and recommendations, calling for a systems approach to the Hershberg's Philadelphia Social History Project. training of physicians and related professionals who deliver "first Jack Glover, director of staffing and training, and Karen contact care" to individuals. Freedman. assistant director for training, initiated the program It proposes new administrative linkages among Penn's health and coordinate its staff of eleven teachers and counselors. care schools and recommends study of the feasibility of merging of After completing their courses, trainees will be placed in some of their facilities. To support its team concept of training, it permanent jobs by the City's Manpower Planning Office and the asks for new practice models and for enlarged scope for medical Mayor's Program for the Handicapped. education, plus systematic evaluation of programs. Departments interested in providing an on-the-job training site It recommends that research in health services and health care for a prospective medical secretary, bookkeeper, junior accoun delivery be increased and made more cohesive; and, to meet tant or typist, may contact Mrs. Freedman at Ext. 5601. "inordinate" extramural influence in health education, it proposes a health policy institute based on existing policy and planning units of the University. OPEN HOUSE AT THE CLUB The report is an Almanac supplement which for cost reasons is There will be an Open House at the Faculty Club on Thursday, not inserted in an issue but is being distributed separately. All September 18, for new faculty and administrators and clerical faculty and administrators outside the health areas will receive it staff who have been employed at the University for at least seven by inter-departmental mail, and in the health area schools it will years. Sponsored by the Club's Board of Govenors and House go to students as well as to faculty, administration and staff. Any Committee. the Open House begins at 4:30p.m. with a guided interested member of the University who has not received a copy tour of the facilities, followed by complimentary cocktails and by the end of this week may request the report from Almanac hors d'oeuvres. A prime rib dinner with champagne completes the (Ext. 5274) or from the office of the Commission chairman, Dr. evening. Reservations are preferred and can be made by calling Alfred P. Fishman (227-3194 from University phones). the Club at Ext. 5616. Settlement of the Rackin Case Friday, September 5, 1975 We are happy to announce that 'the Rackin case' is settled. Agreement has been reached out of court and in the spirit of TERMS OF SETTLEMENT harmony for which we have been striving these past months. I. The Graduate Group in English will invite Dr. Rackin to join its In an open letter on May 20, we agreed that we sought a membership effective July I. 1975. She will be permitted to teach courses settlement that would fully protect Dr. Rackin's position here, but for graduate students in the same manner as other members of the would deal with the future rather than the past and would not Graduate Group in English. She shall be assigned to teach English 574 attempt to assign fault to any party. We believe the settlement "Introduction to Literary Theory.. in the spring of 1976. and a course in agreement completed on August 15 satisfied all of these criteria. the 600 series in literary theory in the fall of 1976 or the spring of 1977. There have been so many varying accounts of the terms of the 2. [Statemmt of Dr. Rack in's salary for 1975-76.] settlement that we have decided to release the full text of the 3. On account of plaintiffs legal fees and legal costs. the University will agreement and its attachments. Since the terms of the agreement pay jointly to Pepper. Hamilton & Scheetz and Dr. Rackin $70.000 on or before September IS. 1975. are carefully drawn, clear and self-explanatory, further comment 4. With respect to all matters related to financial exigency and abolition does not seem necessary. of programs and with respect to any other matters upon which length of We are pleased with the resolution that has been reached and we service as a tenured faculty member may be taken into account, Dr. hope that the entire matter will now recede as it should in an Rackin will be treated by the University in a manner equivalent to other academic community, as we all devote ourselves to our teaching Associate Professors who acquired tenure on July I. 1970. and who and scholarly pursuits. became fully affiliated on July I. 1962. S. Dr. Rackin shall be listed in undergraduate and graduate catalogs, faculty directories and other faculty lists and in all other University publications as "Associate Professor of English in General Honors... She shall be so listed as a member of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. 6. Dr. Rackin's primary fields of interest include Shakespeare and Literary Theory. With respect to course assignments. Dr. Rack in, like any other faculty member, shall be treated in accordance with whatever University policies respecting allocation of teaching resources is generally IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT operative. Catolog listings of the English Department courses shall be FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA followed by a note reading: "Se~ also, courses listed under General Honors... Phyllis Rackin Civil Action 7. As to courses in General Honors or other undergraduate courses taught by Dr. Rackin in subjects in English and American Literature v. above the freshman level, credits shall be counted toward a major in The University of English.