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Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: News
Stetson Departure: Former dean's trademark: his willingness to talk
Anthony Campisi
When reporters wanted to know more about a mysterious drop in SAT scores or a growing trend of deferred college acceptances, there was one person they could call year in and year out for admissions insight: Lee Stetson.
Stetson - who until his unexplained departure in August served as Penn's admissions dean for 29 years - helped propel the University from a well-regarded regional institution to a national and international force.
And along the way, he developed into a fixture of the media's coverage of higher education.
Before Stetson came to Penn, when "education reporters reached out for quotes, they reached for Harvard, Yale [and] Princeton" universities, said Art Casciato, the former head of Penn's Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
But Stetson's "style and aplomb" won over reporters, Casciato said, and they began seeing Stetson as a key force in the admissions world.
Alan Finder, a New York Times education reporter, agreed that Stetson's willingness to be forthcoming and make himself available to journalists was one of the reasons why he "got more than his share" of coverage.
It was this spirit of openness and transparency that allowed The Christian Science Monitor to do an in-depth profile of the Penn admissions process in 1998.
In that article, a Monitor reporter gained a seat at the table around which Stetson and his admissions staff decided who would be accepted to the University.
Allowing reporters that kind of access to such a delicate process was "extremely unusual," college consultant Shirley Bloomquist said. "Lee was a risk taker."
Bloomquist also said Stetson's public advocacy for early decision made Penn one of the first schools to acknowledge that applying early helps a high schooler's chances of getting in.
Because of this and other stances, Stetson was seen by others in the profession as "a voice of reason," says admissions consultant Steve Antonoff.
All this helped push Stetson into his role as a "national spokesman" for Penn, according to University spokeswoman Lori Doyle.
Stetson - who until his unexplained departure in August served as Penn's admissions dean for 29 years - helped propel the University from a well-regarded regional institution to a national and international force.
And along the way, he developed into a fixture of the media's coverage of higher education.
Before Stetson came to Penn, when "education reporters reached out for quotes, they reached for Harvard, Yale [and] Princeton" universities, said Art Casciato, the former head of Penn's Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
But Stetson's "style and aplomb" won over reporters, Casciato said, and they began seeing Stetson as a key force in the admissions world.
Alan Finder, a New York Times education reporter, agreed that Stetson's willingness to be forthcoming and make himself available to journalists was one of the reasons why he "got more than his share" of coverage.
It was this spirit of openness and transparency that allowed The Christian Science Monitor to do an in-depth profile of the Penn admissions process in 1998.
In that article, a Monitor reporter gained a seat at the table around which Stetson and his admissions staff decided who would be accepted to the University.
Allowing reporters that kind of access to such a delicate process was "extremely unusual," college consultant Shirley Bloomquist said. "Lee was a risk taker."
Bloomquist also said Stetson's public advocacy for early decision made Penn one of the first schools to acknowledge that applying early helps a high schooler's chances of getting in.
Because of this and other stances, Stetson was seen by others in the profession as "a voice of reason," says admissions consultant Steve Antonoff.
All this helped push Stetson into his role as a "national spokesman" for Penn, according to University spokeswoman Lori Doyle.
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 12
Simi Shah
posted 10/03/07 @ 5:11 AM EST
Way to stay on this, DP!
Alum
posted 10/03/07 @ 8:26 AM EST
Indeed! Keep up the pressure!
parent of a sophomore
posted 10/03/07 @ 9:18 AM EST
A good story. Keep up the work and the pressure. Stetson was (is)outstanding. He is a very dignified and gracious person. Since he appeared in Texas at the big admissions' conference this past weekend, I'm thinking it's his way of saying, "I have nothing to hide. (Continued…)
Another Penn Alum
posted 10/03/07 @ 1:28 PM EST
"Sooner or later this story will break as will the story re: Ms. Gutman's departure."
Except that--your single-handed campaign to precipitate it earlier notwithstanding--the latter story will not break for several years to come. (Continued…)
John
posted 10/03/07 @ 2:07 PM EST
I know why Stetson resigned.
I'll never tell, though.
Clenched jaw
posted 10/03/07 @ 4:42 PM EST
A lot of people are articulate and transparent about their professional lives. Amazingly enough, they clam up when you ask them if the weight they gained over the last few years has made them less sexually active. (Continued…)
blah
posted 10/03/07 @ 5:03 PM EST
This is not investigative journalism. The Ivygate blog is doing a better job of digging, and they have eight schools to cover.
Alumni
posted 10/03/07 @ 9:24 PM EST
Penn needs a new President and Provost who know what they're doing - the current occupants are completely in over their heads as evidenced by their bad hires and chronic mismanagement. (Continued…)
Watching
posted 10/04/07 @ 9:24 AM EST
At first I assumed Stetson had done something wrong/questionable. Now, the longer Penn Stonewalls this, the more I am wondering whether Penn is actually the party inthe wrong, with Stetson being the good guy. (Continued…)
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