From the Trustee Docket
Penn State Intercom......September 27, 2001

Research to benefit from $700,000 gift

A faculty member and his wife have given more than $700,000 to the Eberly College of Science and the Department of Chemical Engineering in support of protein engineering research, President Graham B. Spanier told the Board of Trustees on Sept. 21.

The gift came from Evan Pugh professor of chemistry and holder of the Eberly Family chair in chemistry Stephen Benkovic and his wife, Patricia.

Spanier said that through their gift, the Benkovics want to foster a collaborative research effort between relevant faculty in the Eberly College and the Department of Chemical Engineering. Protein engineering uses the tools of molecular biology and chemical engineering to synthesize and isolate new proteins for a wide range of uses, including as therapeutics, biosensing, catalysis and as structural elements.

For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/bot21sept01benkovic.html.

Academic integrity a fundamental value

Academic integrity is at the heart of all of the University's endeavors and over the past year, steps have been taken to establish a stronger climate of academic integrity at Penn State.

"During the 2000-2001 academic year, the University launched a new approach to invigorate high expectations for personal and academic integrity," John Cahir, vice provost and dean for undergraduate education, told the Board of Trustees on Sept. 20.

Last year, a University Faculty Senate-Provost's Commission on Academic Integrity was charged with improving the University's academic integrity climate. According to Cahir, the group's findings led to a new academic integrity policy, adopted by the Faculty Senate, that gives the faculty in each of the University's academic colleges a major role in dealing with academic dishonesty.

For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/bot20sept01integrity.html.

Arts and Architecture dean reviews growth

Stressing the college's unifying theme of diversity and creativity, College of Arts and Architecture Dean Richard Durst informed the Board of Trustees at their meeting Sept. 20 that the college is expanding as it enhances the education of many students in a technologically advanced environment.

The college leadership and faculty work together to enable more diversification within these classrooms. In the past year, search committees supported the concept with outstanding success in hiring women and minorities.

A more diverse student population also is appearing in the classrooms within the college, thanks to more aggressive recruitment efforts. The Charter High School of Architecture and Design in Philadelphia, a school with a 95 percent minority enrollment, for example, will bring its entire junior and senior classes for a campus visit this fall.

For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/bot20sept01durst.html.

Trustees approve property sales

The Board of Trustees on Sept. 21 approved the sale of one off-campus University-owned property to a charitable organization and of another to a pair of Centre County men.

The University will sell 40.7 acres in Patton Township to the Second Mile, former Penn State football defensive coach Jerry Sandusky's nonprofit group for prevention, early intervention and community-based programs for Pennsylvania youth.

The University recently received an offer from David L. Nevins and Thomas F. Songer II to purchase the other property to be sold, a 15.6-acre parcel in Ferguson Township and State College Borough.

For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/botsept01opp.html.

Trustees renew terms for investment council reps

The Board of Trustees renewed the one-year terms of its five non-University representatives to the Penn State Investment Council on Sept. 21.

The board established the Council last September to provide direct oversight of the University's endowment and long-term investment program in response to Penn State's increasing asset base and complex marketing strategies. The council regularly reviews asset allocation, new asset classes, investment strategies, and manager performance, and provides semi-annual updates and reports regarding investment performance to the Board of Trustees.

For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/bot21sept01invest.html.

Flexibility, partnerships are themes of programs

Flexibility and partnerships are the common threads that run through the University's endeavors to assist faculty, staff and students achieve a better balance between the conflicting demands of professional and personal pursuits, the University's human resources chief told the Board of Trustees on Sept. 21.

Billie Willits, assistant vice president for human resources, outlined various programs and policies that provide support in a variety of forms such as procedural, monetary, time, emotional and/or informational to employees.

For the full story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/bot21sept01child.html.

Trustees approve program changes

The following changes have been made to undergraduate academic programs at the University.

College of the Liberal Arts

n Applied French option for the major in French: New option

The option will allow students to pursue an individualized, integrated and interdisciplinary program combining the study of French language, literature and culture with study in another field.

n Technical writing and translation option for the major in French: Drop of option

Student interest in the option has been decreasing steadily over the past several years, and the number of students in the option has decreased as well. The students currently enrolled will be given the opportunity to either complete their degrees in the option or to switch to the new applied French option.

College of Arts and Architecture; School of Information Sciences and Technology

n Digital arts and information sciences and technology minor: New minor

The new minor will provide students with a basic introduction to the core curriculum of the School of Information Sciences and Technology combined with a selection of interdisciplinary digital media courses in the arts. Students in both disciplines will be better prepared for personal and professional advancement by learning to explore digital media as fine arts tools that engage them in critical and creative ways beyond the technical mastery of software and hardware.

Back