Fight Back Before It's Too Late!

Patriot-News Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Editorial
SCHOOL RAID ; Dickinson Law's governors should put a stop to relocation attempt
Of the Patriot-News
For nearly 170 years, the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle has done quite nicely, turning out some of Pennsylvania's most respected lawyers and public figures. In 1997, when Dickinson Law merged with Penn State, university President Graham Spanier called ?it one of the finest law schools in the nation.?? Its students consistently ranked first or second among the state's seven law schools in passing the state bar examination.

But today we are told that the law school's facilities are ?inadequate,?? that it ranks in the ?third tier,?? that it can't raise enough funds to become first-rate, and that it needs to be moved to University Park to join 40,000 or so other students on the main PSU campus.

So what's happened over the last five years?

Well, for one thing, the cost of tuition at Dickinson Law has risen nearly $10,000, from $14,500 to $24,300 a year. The number of students is up from 530 to 646, suggesting that however inadequate it may be, Dickinson still attracts qualified applicants.

Law school Dean Philip McConnaughay, who appears to be pushing the move, complains that a six-year campaign to raise $16 million for an expansion netted ?only $9 million.??

But Penn State, which seems not to have provided a dime to its new law school, described at the time by Spanier as PSU's ?missing link,?? is prepared to spend $60 million to build a new law school complex in Centre County.

The most wounding comment of all -- made in a 28-page memo from McConnaughay to the university's board of governors that was leaked to a reporter last week -- concerned the law school's ?languishing reputation.?? It prompted one unidentified law firm to tell him that they wouldn't ?hire any longer from our law school because of our low rank,?? the dean wrote.

Could that ?languishing reputation?? have anything to do with Dickinson Law's association with Penn State, which appears to have done little more over the last five years for the law school than attach its name and raise tuition? After letting it founder, Penn State now claims the law school has to be moved to University Park to right it.

Such a relocation of this 169-year-old institution would amount to the theft of a significant regional asset, which should be resisted by all available means.

This move makes little sense other than as a blatant attempt to enhance Penn State's main campus at everyone else's expense. It would be bad for Carlisle, with which the school has had a long and mutually beneficial relationship. It would be bad for law students, who would be deprived of the wealth of opportunities for internships and clerkships in the Capitol Region.

And it would be bad for Penn State, which would lose its law school presence near the capital just as the state's courts are about to be centralized at a new Judicial Center in the Capitol Complex.

This power move is a good way for the university to turn midstate friends into opponents.

There's an element of the Hershey Trust fiasco in this ill- advised plan to abandon Carlisle that merits skepticism, if not outright derision. Does the problem lie with the law school or those running it?

The school's governors should put an end to this raid on a midstate institution and concentrate on making it better -- where it has been since 1834 and where it should remain.

We Didn't Mean for Our True Motives to Be Seen Already, Penn State Prez Says

Centre Daily Times (c) Copyright 2003, Centre Daily Times. All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, November 15, 2003

News of law school move premature
By Gwenn Miller gmiller3@centredaily.com
UNIVERSITY PARK Penn State President Graham Spanier said the news that the Dickinson School of Law could move to State College from Carlisle was "inappropriately" shared with the news media and that such a decision is not imminent.

Despite reports that a decision could be made as soon as next week, Spanier said no such action will be taken until several options have been explored.

Spanier addressed the potential move at Penn State's board of trustees meeting Friday, a day after it was widely reported that Dickinson's dean, Philip McCon-naughay, was recommending the relocation of the law school.

The Sentinel of Carlisle cited a confidential memo McConnaughay wrote to members of the school's board of governors in preparation for its meeting next Friday and Saturday.

The decision to leave Carlisle will ultimately rest with the board of governors.

"We're really at the beginning of a discussion," said Spanier, who plans to attend next week's meeting.

Harrisburg attorney G. Thomas Miller, who sits on Dickinson's board of governors, said he would "absolutely not" vote to move the school. He said Dickinson had a long, successful tradition in Carlisle. Furthermore, he said, the area provides necessary practical opportunities.

Miller said there were many law firms in the Carlisle and Harrisburg areas as well as government internship opportunities.

"I think those opportunities would not be so widely available in the Centre County area," Miller said.

Spanier dismissed the idea that the area could not provide necessary practical experience.

"Centre County is one of the growth areas in Pennsylvania," Spanier said. "The university itself provides so many areas for internships."

Trustee and first-year Dickinson Law School student Nicole Lobaugh said McConnaughay has worked hard on the report and it was a shame it was brought to public attention before it could be discussed.

Friday's meeting included a presentation on growth in enrollment at Penn State and the university's ability to maintain a plan of controlled and modest growth. Spanier said the possibility of eventually having Dickinson's students at University Park would not represent a major issue at a university the size of Penn State.

"It's 500 and some students," he said. "It's less than 1 percent of the university's overall enrollment."

Why Leave a Great Town Like Carlisle for a Hell Hole like State College?

Patriot-News Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.
Friday, November 14, 2003

Whither Carlisle if law school leaves? Borough would adapt to change, still thrive, local experts say
ELIZABETH GIBSON Of The Patriot-News
If The Dickinson School of Law packs up its legal pads and moves north to State College, Carlisle won't fall off the map. Local economic experts and community leaders said the town's ability to weather dramatic changes over the years leaves them optimistic in the face of that potential loss.

Carlisle no longer depends on downtown factories. And, it remains the governing seat of prosperous Cumberland County and a thriving crossroads for commerce, they said.

"There are pieces that are coming together in an interesting way that will have Carlisle going in the exact opposite direction of down the tubes," said Rusty Shunk, president of the Greater Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce.

Pennsylvania State University, the school's parent institution, has offered to build Dickinson a $60 million facility at University Park, according to a memo reportedly sent to Dickinson's board of governors by law school Dean Philip McConnaughay.

Boxed in by homes and Dickinson College, the law school's only options for local expansion are developing satellite classrooms or a new Carlisle campus. The two Dickinson schools are not affiliated.

Despite its prominence in the community, the law school is not an economic linchpin, local leaders said.

"Carlisle has a lot going for it. Even if the law school would leave, it still will have a lot going for it. Our efforts have been considerable to not have all our eggs in one basket in terms of economic development," said Christopher Gulotta, executive director of the Cumberland County Housing and Redevelopment authorities.

Nonetheless, they said, the 169-year-old Dickinson law school would be missed.

Last night, the Carlisle Borough Council unanimously approved a resolution urging the law school to stay.

Council President Steven Fishman, a Dickinson law school graduate, said the town was given assurances six years ago when the law school merged with Penn State that it would not leave without ?a compelling reason.??

"We wonder what that compelling reason is. It certainly has not been put forth, unless dangling a $60 million carrot is a compelling reason," Fishman said.

William Bellinger, a Dickinson College economics professor, estimated that moving the law school from Carlisle would eliminate 227 jobs, about 150 of them in Carlisle. He estimated the law school's net 2002-03 spending in the county at $20 million and in the Carlisle area at $10.6 million. "It's significant and it's negative, but I don't think it's the most important dimension," he said.

Bellinger said the loss of contributions made by law school faculty and their families to educational, cultural and service organizations could be the greatest blow.

Law students and plenty of alumni cite a practical reason for keeping Dickinson in Carlisle: the number of law office internships available in local, county, state and federal law offices in the midstate.

However, Dickinson could shift focus from hands-on law lessons to laboratory work.

In an essay he wrote about the law school's 1997 merger with Penn State, McConnaughay argues that as law and science converge in today's courtrooms, future lawyers should be exposed to a top research setting, such as the University Park campus.

The Penn State offer prompted Carlisle Mayor Kirk Wilson to send a memo to Gov. Ed Rendell yesterday.
"I question Penn State's need for state funds if they can use $60 million of their own money to bribe the board of governors of The Dickinson School of Law to move it out of Carlisle," Wilson said.

Cumberland County Commissioner Earl Keller, a former Carlisle councilman and a lifelong Carlisle resident, said the loss of the law school would be devastating.

Still, he said, Carlisle would adapt, just as it did with the demise of the crystal and shoe industries that once dominated its economy.

"Carlisle is resilient enough," said Keller, 67. "I don't want to see us have to make that decision, though."

New Dean Sells Out Dick Law - This would've been the right time to fire him

Centre Daily Times (c) Copyright 2003, Centre Daily Times. All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, November 13, 2003
Law school seeks move to PSU
The Associated Press
CARLISLE The dean of Penn State's law school is recommending that its governing board move the school to State College within five years, citing a need to expand and concerns about its "languishing reputation," it was reported Wednesday.

The Sentinel of Carlisle based its report on a confidential memo written by Dickinson School of Law Dean Philip McConnaughay in preparation for a meeting of the school's board of governors on Nov. 21-22.

The law school, which merged with Penn State in 2000, received a third-tier ranking in annual survey of colleges and graduate schools compiled by U.S. News & World Report.

McConnaughay responded to the report with a short statement Wednesday afternoon.

"The advice that I provide about Law School matters to the president and provost of the university about the law school's board of governors is confidential," McConnaughay wrote. "It is not appropriate for me to comment about its contents until after university officials and the board have had the opportunity to deliberate and set policy in the best interests of the law school and its students, graduates, faculty and staff."

A total of 646 students were enrolled in the law school at the beginning of the fall semester.

The school's "languishing reputation" prompted alumni from one law firm to inform the dean that the firm would no longer hire any Dickinson graduates "because of our low rank," McConnaughay wrote.

The memo also mentioned that university officials have had difficulty raising enough money to finance an expansion at the existing Carlisle campus. A six-year campaign to raise $16 million "yielded only $9 million in cash," according to McConnaughay, who said he did not want to finance the expansion by increasing tuition, which is $24,300 a year.

Penn State spokesman Steve MacCarthy said the university would welcome the law school at University Park.

MacCarthy said it is very clear that the existing facilities at Dickinson are inadequate. The problem is that the school is landlocked and has no place to grow, he said.

"They're in a situation where they don't have a lot of options at the existing site," MacCarthy said.

The existing campus lacks adequate classrooms, faculty offices, library space, student areas, courtrooms, an auditorium and electrical power to support basic programs and technology, McConnaughay said.

The law school would relocate to Penn State's main campus by the fall of 2008 if the proposal is approved. The new facility is expected to cost more than $60 million, but the university is prepared to pick up the cost if a design is completed within a year, McConnaughay's memo said.

MacCarthy said the decision to move ultimately rests with the board of governors at the law school.

LeRoy S. Zimmerman, chairman of the board of governors, did not return a telephone call seeking comment Wednesday.

Founded in 1834, Dickinson is Pennsylvania's oldest law school.

It was initially a department of Dickinson College, a private, liberal arts college in Carlisle, but become independent from the college in 1890.

Did Penn State Lie??? - Duh!

Patriot-News Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.
Thursday, November 13, 2003
A Section
Will Dickinson law school move?
ELIZABETH GIBSON Of Our Carlisle Bureau
Officials at The Dickinson School of Law are considering moving the 169-year-old institution to State College. The law school's board of governors is expected to weigh the proposal at a two-day meeting next week. The law school would move to Pennsylvania State University's main campus in fall 2008 if the plan is approved.

Officials point to cramped classrooms at Dickinson and a boxed- in campus.

?It's obviously very clear that the existing facilities of the law school are inadequate for the current future need,?? said Tysen Kendig, a spokesman for Penn State, the law school's parent institution.

?No decisions have been made or are even pending,?? he said, but if the governors board voted to move to State College, ?Penn State would certainly provide the facility to accommodate such a move.??

Supporters of the law school said yesterday that they would fight plans to move the institution.

Students and alumni said moving the school would rob would-be lawyers of real-life classrooms in the midstate's many courtrooms and law offices.

?I am aware of rumors about efforts to move the law school to the Penn State University campus. I hope they will not come to fruition. The law school belongs in Carlisle,?? said G. Thomas Miller, a 1948 alumnus and member of Dickinson's board of governors.

Hubert Gilroy, another board member, said no formal action is expected at next week's meeting.

Miller said few people on the 36-person board would favor the move.

LeRoy S. Zimmerman, chairman of the board, declined to comment on the proposal. ?We must look at all options that are presented to us,?? he said.

Law school Dean Phillip J. McConnaughay was tight-lipped about what he would tell the board.

?It is not appropriate for me to comment ... until after university officials and the board have had the opportunity to deliberate and set policy in the best interests of the law school and its students, graduates, faculty and staff,?? he said in a statement yesterday.

McConnaughay's proposal was outlined in a confidential memo obtained by The Sentinel of Carlisle. The dean cited a need to expand and concerns about the law school's ?languishing reputation.??

The law school received a third-tier ranking in the annual survey of colleges and graduate schools by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

The memo also mentioned university officials have had difficulty raising enough money to finance an expansion at the Carlisle campus. A six-year campaign to raise $16 million ?yielded only $9 million in cash,?? said McConnaughay, who said he did not want to finance the expansion by increasing tuition, which is $24,300 a year.

A facility at Penn State would cost more than $60 million, but the university is prepared to pick up the cost if a design is completed within a year, McConnaughay's memo stated.

The once-independent law school -- which is not affiliated with neighboring Dickinson College -- merged with Penn State in 1997. At the time, law school and Penn State officials vowed Dickinson would remain in Carlisle.
Ron Turo, a 1981 law school alumnus, said he always suspected that was a hollow promise.

?The idea of a community-based, local law school was gone when Penn State sealed the deal. Penn State will put its law school where it wants. This is the logical conclusion to the process,?? he said.

Carlisle Borough Council President Steve Fishman said he was concerned about how a possible law school move would affect local businesses and community organizations.

?The financial impact is going to be devastating,?? Fishman said.

Robert N. Michaels, a second-year law student, said space is a problem at the school. ?It's hard to find a place to plug in your laptop in the library or classroom,?? he said.

But Michaels, who interns for the Adams County public defender, said moving the law school would be a mistake.

It would be nearly impossible for students to find substitutes for intern opportunities available in the midstate, he said. Students work in federal, state and county courts as well as in the region's law offices.

In Dauphin County alone, there are 2,260 registered attorneys and 205 legal establishments. Centre County, home of State College, has 209 registered lawyers and 46 legal establishments.

?Not only are there more job opportunities in Harrisburg, but the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia firms have satellite offices in Harrisburg and they pay fairly well. Who has satellite offices in State College??? asked 1991 Dickinson alumna Norina Blynn of Camp Hill.

?Dickinson has been part of the legal landscape for, like, 100 years. I believe a lot of people, myself included, would be very disappointed to see Dickinson move out of town,?? said Dauphin County Judge Richard A. Lewis, a 1972 alumnus and adjunct Dickinson professor.

Miller said the law school is obligated to continue its commitment to the Carlisle community.

A move for Dickinson, he said, ?is far from a done deal as far as my wife and I are concerned.??

And the Fun Begins! - The broken promises begin.

York Daily Record Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.
Thursday, November 13, 2003
GENERAL NEWS
Dickinson Law might go to State College - Grads fear moving the school from Carlisle would ruin its small-town tradition.
Staff and news service reports
CARLISLE - The dean of Penn State Dickinson School of Law is recommending that its governing board move the school to State College within five years, citing a need to expand and concerns about its "languishing reputation," a newspaper reported Wednesday. The Sentinel of Carlisle based its report on a confidential memo written by Dean Phil McConnaughay in preparation for a meeting of the school's board of governors on Nov. 21 and 22.

The potential move has upset two local attorneys who are graduates of the Carlisle school.

"I'm definitely against it," said Brian Senft, a former York County deputy prosecutor now in private practice with Nealon and Gover P.C. "Dickinson has a history in Carlisle long before Penn State came along."

The law school, which merged with Penn State in 2000, received a third-tier ranking in an annual survey of colleges and graduate schools compiled by U.S. News & World Report.

The school's "languishing reputation" prompted alumni from one law firm to inform the dean that the firm would no longer hire any Dickinson graduates "because of our low rank," McConnaughay wrote.

"I'm not sure where the hell that came from," Senft said of the "languishing reputation" characterization. "I thought from the results of the last bar exam, they held their own."

Senft, a 1999 graduate who was hired by the York County District Attorney's Office, said he is unaware of any Dickinson graduates having difficulty finding employment as attorneys.

The memo also mentioned that university officials have had difficulty raising enough money to finance an expansion at the existing Carlisle campus. A six-year campaign to raise $16 million "yielded only $9 million in cash," according to McConnaughay, who said he did not want to finance the expansion by increasing tuition, which is currently $24,300 a year.

The law school would relocate to Penn State's main campus by the fall of 2008 if the proposal is approved. The new facility is expected to cost more than $60 million, but the university is prepared to pick up the cost if a design is completed within a year, McConnaughay's memo said.

Ed Paskey, a former York County deputy prosecutor now in private practice with Kagen, MacDonald and France P.C., said the law school will lose its "mystique" and "tradition" if it moves to State College.

"Being associated with Penn State instantly raised the rankings," said Paskey, a 1997 Dickinson graduate, said. "And the move certainly is going to make it more attractive to some students.

"But part of the reason a lot of us went there was the tradition and the small-town location. It is easier to focus in a small town like Carlisle than in State College.

"I was there when they decided to join Penn State. A lot of people were upset about that because they thought they were selling out."
Paskey said the assumption among the staff and student body when the school merged with Penn State was the law school "would be relocated to the main campus."

When the law school merged with Penn State, the students were promised "the school was going to retain the same mys- tique and tradition," Senft said. "Obviously, that's not going to happen now."

McConnaughay responded to the newspaper's report Wednesday by issuing a statement that said he could not comment on the memo until after university officials and the board considered it and made a decision.

Dip in Quality Since Joining Penn State

U-Wire (University Wire) (c) 2002 Copyright U-Wire. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, October 22, 2002
Pennsylvania State U.: Penn State law school struggles with diversity, dean says
U-WIRE-10/23/2002-Pennsylvania State U.: Penn State law school struggles with diversity, dean says (C) 2002 Daily Collegian Via U-WIRE

By James S. Young, Daily Collegian (Pennsylvania State U.)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Pennsylvania State University's Dickinson School of Law students have the lowest LSAT scores in the Big Ten, lack diversity and are slipping in rankings.

That is the law school's bleak status, Dean Phillip McConnaughay told the University Faculty Senate at their meeting Tuesday.

McConnaughay was confident, however, that the school's "slide in academic reputation" can be repaired.

He said the student to faculty ratios have been dropping, as well as the LSAT scores that are now lowest in the Big Ten. "The diversity of our student body is unacceptably low," McConnaughay added.

Black students comprise 2.6 percent of the student body, and a total of 7.6 percent are minorities.

Meanwhile, other Big Ten law schools have much more diversity.

Michigan State University and Ohio State University have more than 20 percent minorities, and University of Illinois and Northwestern University have more than 30 percent minorities, McConnaughay said.

But Dickinson's lack of diversity does not extend to the school's faculty.

"We have one of the most diverse faculties in the Big Ten," he said.

One remedy to the school's problems McConnaughay offered was for prospective students to know the credentials of the faculty who would be teaching them.

"We need to get the word about who we are and how inclusive we are," he said.

"Penn State Dickinson is not lacking in attributes. We are failing to convey the attributes to law school applicants," McConnaughay added.

He said the school must also adjust to law's increasing international demand and the "intermingling" of science and law.

Penn State is supplying the school with funds to hire new faculty to replace retiring senior faculty, he said.

The school's tuition increased 20.9 percent this year.

Also yesterday, Executive Vice President and Provost Rodney Erickson presented the university's budget for the 2003-04 academic year.

The budget calls for a $14.5 million increase in state funding, which, if honored, would result in a 6.5 percent tuition increase at Penn State next year.

The Penn State Board of Trustees approved the budget at its September meeting.

Erickson said after the meeting it is too early to speculate on how much more tuition would increase if Pennsylvania does not honor Penn State's request for an appropriation increase this year.

For the 2002-03 academic year, the state decreased Penn State funding by 3.65 percent, which led to a 13.5 percent tuition increase.
Erickson said in the midst of tuition increases, competitive faculty salaries continue to be a concern.

Kathleen Lodwick, history professor at Lehigh Valley Campus, asked Erickson why there is a disparity in faculty salaries between Commonwealth Campuses.

She also said certain professor salary levels were comparable to poverty levels.

Erickson said he was astonished at the low salaries brought in by a dean at one particular branch campus.

"The greatest problem we have encountered over the years is many of our department heads have not hired at appropriately high enough salaries," he said.

Erickson said the particular deans are being made aware of funds to bring faculty salaries to an appropriate level.

Dick Law Gets a New Dean - Big Mistake

The Harrisburg Patriot Copyright 2002
Saturday, March 16, 2002
Local/State
Illinois professor to lead law school ; New dean brings international experience to Dickinson
Brett Lieberman Of Our Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Penn State trustees named an Illinois College of Law professor with extensive experience in international and intellectual property law as the dean of the Dickinson School of Law.

"This is one of the most significant hires in the history of Penn State," university President Graham Spanier said of Philip J. McConnaughay.

McConnaughay, 49, will replace Dean Peter G. Glenn on July 1.

His naming yesterday is one of the most noteworthy changes by Penn State since it merged with the law school in 2000.

Glenn, who has been dean for the last eight years, was a chief engineer behind the merger. He plans to remain at Dickinson and return to teaching.

"I feel very privileged to be asked to join with Penn State Dickinson's faculty, students, staff and alums to make the most of this opportunity," McConnaughay said in a statement. University officials declined to disclose McConnaughay's salary.

McConnaughay has taught at the Illinois law school since 1996.

During that time he established externship programs for students with the South Africa Human Rights Commission and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.

He has also been a visiting professor in China and lectured on development and intellectual property issues in Asia and Europe.

He previously practiced international law for 17 years, including eight years based in Hong Kong.

"He is an absolutely phenomenal scholar with extremely impressive international credentials in the practice of law," Spanier said.

McConnaughay was one of three finalists interviewed by Spanier for the position.

A search committee reviewed applications from several hundred candidates.

Sure, Create A Mess For Someone Else to Deal With - June 22, 2001

The Harrisburg Patriot Copyright 2001
Friday, June 22, 2001
A Section
Law school dean plans to step down Peter Glenn to teach full time after guiding Dickinson-Penn State merger
David Wenner Of Our Carlisle Bureau
CARLISLE --Dickinson School of Law Dean Peter Glenn, who guided the school's merger with Penn State University, will step down at the end of the 2001-2002 academic year.

"Clearly the most memorable accomplishment for me will be the negotiation and accomplishment of the merger with Penn State," said Glenn, who has headed the law school since 1994.

?This was a major accomplishment, not only in terms of the difficulty of the task, but also in terms of its importance to both institutions,?? Glenn said in a news release issued by Penn State.

Glenn cited no reasons for his decision to step down, but noted he has ?used up a great deal of energy during the past seven years.

"We are now almost finished tying up the various loose ends from the merger, the school is in great shape, and I think we are in a position to attract a new dean who not only will bring us a fresh supply of energy and enthusiasm, but also some fresh perspectives," he said.

Glenn couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.

A search committee to find a replacement will be formed shortly, the university said.

Glenn, who received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968, plans to return to full-time teaching at The Dickinson School of Law.

Dickinson, formerly billed as the nation's old independent law school, felt the impact of a national trend of declining enrollment in the early 1990s.

Meanwhile, Penn State was one of only two Big Ten schools lacking a law school.

"Although early on I was very unsure whether the merger could be accomplished, after a fairly long period of becoming acquainted with each other, the two institutions entered into the merger with great enthusiasm," Glenn said.

Penn State said the merger has resulted in a 35 percent increase in the number of law school applications and more than $12 million in private support since 1997.

"Peter [Glenn] has truly been the driving force behind the evolution of The Dickinson School of Law. He deserves most of the credit for the successful merger with Penn State four years ago," Penn State President Graham B. Spanier said.

Glenn has taught at law schools at the University of North Carolina, Washington and Lee University and the University of South Carolina and worked at a private firm in Cleveland for nearly 15 years.

Not surprising considering that one side was hiding its true intentions.

The Harrisburg Patriot Copyright 2000
Monday, July 3, 2000

School of law joins PSU Dickinson deal becomes official
Jan Murphy Of The Patriot-News
Dickinson School of Law and Penn State University had been living together so long that when their marriage became official, even the parents of the bridal couple failed to pay much attention.

The law school dean, Peter Glenn, is in Europe for the law school's international program. Penn State President Graham Spanier was at home in State College, awaiting his daughter's return from camp.

"The details [of the merger] have been in place for so long now that July 1 will indeed be uneventful for us," Spanier said last week. The 81,000-student university sought a merger with the independent private law school in 1997 to fill a gap in its vast academic offerings. The law school, which enrolls about 550 students, agreed to a three-year trial relationship before making the union official.

Since then, signs that the merger would be a good move for the law school became apparent, said Donald Taylor, a Wilmington, Del., resident who chairs the law school's board. Fund-raising is up fourfold. Applications have risen 36 percent in the last year, compared with a 3 percent increase at other law schools around the nation.

"The merger could not have been any smoother and a lot of that is thanks to the dean [Glenn]," Taylor said.

Penn State officials also credit Glenn and his staff for making the merger go off so smoothly.

"We knew before we began to proceed with plans for the merger that Dickinson School of Law was an institution with similar values and culture. ... We couldn't be more pleased," said Rodney Erickson, Penn State executive vice president and provost.

A prenuptial agreement hammered out between the two institutions guarantees the law school will keep its Dickinson name and its main campus will remain in Carlisle. It also allows the law school to retain its financial independence, preventing it from becoming a cash cow for the university.

Cumberland County President Judge George E. Hoffer, a 1966 law school alumnus, gave his blessing to the contract on May 24, clearing the way for the union to occur.

That left little to do July 1 at the law school that now officially goes by its married name: Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University.

In retrospect, maybe a future Bush crony and a disgraced coach weren't the best choice

The Harrisburg Patriot Copyright 2000
Saturday, May 27, 2000

Merger with PSU suits Dickinson law grads Ridge, Paterno make case for successful union
Elizabeth Gibson Of Our Carlisle Bureau
CARLISLE -- Commencement at the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University took a brief detour from solemnity yesterday for a symbolic nod to the near completion of the merger of the law school and the university.

Joe Paterno, Nittany Lions football coach, and longtime law school professor Louis F. Del Duca met midway across a stage to join two pieces of a giant replica of the law school's new signature mark.

?Two Italians going to try to put something together. If this works, anything's possible,?? said Paterno.

Some graduates said the special presentation added excitement to an already momentous day.

?It's a double whammy -- the year 2000 plus the merger,?? said graduate Jeff Addis of Connellsville.

?The Dickinson School of Law had and still has a great reputation as a law school. Now, the Penn State name can go on resumes and will be on diplomas,?? said graduate David Tshudy of Jonestown.

?Living and working in this community, the Penn State name goes a long way. The influence of the college is incredible,?? said graduate Christy Appleby of Hershey, who will work in the state attorney general's office of consumer advocacy.

Gov. Tom Ridge, a 1972 law school alumnus, called it a ?win-win situation. A marriage not made in heaven, perhaps, but in ivory towers.??

He told the 161 recipients of law degrees and 11 who earned master of law degrees that they will have the main role in shaping the 21st century.

In a technology-based industry, ?ultimately, you'll decide whose copyright is on it ... who has access to it ... who gets paid for it,?? Ridge said.

?You will be asked by scores of non-billable clients to help shape the community. Say yes?? to serving on committees, as youth sports coaches and in other volunteer roles, he urged.

The Rt. Honourable Lord Thomas Henry Bingham of Cornhill, lord chief justice of England and Wales, received an honorary degree in the ceremony held on the adjacent Dickinson College campus.

Bingham's selection recognizes the law school's international focus and the common law tradition his country shares with the United States, a college spokesman said.

Law school Dean Peter G. Glenn cited benefits of the Penn State alliance.

He said applications to the school have risen 36 percent in the last year, and donations from alumni and friends since 1997 -- when the three-year merger process began -- equal $9.5 million. Students have access to more computers, and joint degree programs have grown from one in 1996 to an expected seven next year.

?Our hopes have been more than amply fulfilled,?? Glenn said.

Some alumni have said they are unhappy about the merger, mourning the loss of the 166-year-old school's independence. The Dickinson board will drop its governing role and serve in an advisory capacity starting July 1 when the merger is finalized.

Penn State President Graham B. Spanier said yesterday that ?the cultures of Penn State and of the Dickinson School of Law are fully compatible.??
And Paterno, who was on hand for the graduation of his son G. Scott, said the partnership has filled a void.

?Many of us at Penn State have long looked forward to the day that the university would be complete with ... a law school,?? he said.

He cautioned, however, that the merger would bring slim hope for fulfillment of Del Duca's self-professed dream of starring in a Lions game.

?In my fantasies, I have played quarterback, halfback and most other positions on your outstanding teams,?? Del Duca said.

?I'm glad,?? Paterno said to the senior academic, ?they're fantasies.??

The Honeymoon Isn't Over Yet

The Sunday Patriot-News Harrisburg Copyright 1999
Sunday, November 21, 1999
CENTRAL PA
PSU, Dickinson Law union called a success Joint venture sees gain in enrollment, diversity, more programs, funding
Jan Murphy Patriot News
As in life, some marriages work out, some don't. And so it is with Penn State.

The 2-year-old merger between Hershey Medical Center and Geisinger Health System last week went kaput. But the other merger, or acquisition as some call it, with Dickinson School of Law announced just days before the Penn State-Geisinger union, has proved a raging success by university standards.

?It's an ideal relationship. I believe that everyone involved on all sides is pleased with how it's going,' said university President Graham Spanier.

Peter Glenn, dean of the Carlisle law school, could not be reached for comment. In a presentation made in September to university trustees, Glenn said, ?We are proud to be part of this university. We hope that the university continues to be proud of us.'

Penn State sought out a law school to fill a ?hole? in its academic programming, said university executive vice president and provost Rodney Erickson. Since bringing the law school into the university's fold, programs involving the two schools have abounded.

There are joint programs now offered between the law school and university in the areas of public administration, business administration, environmental pollution and agricultural sciences. There's a fast-track program for university honor students to earn a law degree in six years instead of seven. And Erickson said more of these types of endeavors will come after the merger becomes official on June 30.

Other signs that the partnership has worked include a fourfold increase in fund-raising from 1997-98, the first year of the Penn State-Dickinson affiliation, to last year, he said.

Applications to the law school are up and so is the caliber of students applying, he said. Students continue to pass the state bar exam at rates exceeding the state average. The law school's population is becoming more racially diverse and it is attracting students from a broader geographic area.

Mike Floyd is proof of that. Floyd, a first-year law student, came to the law school from Texas.

After graduation, he hopes to land a job in the Northeast. If he has to go back, he said, ?At least I'll have a law degree from a school with national name recognition. It can't hurt. It can only help.'

John Porter, a 1983 Cedar Cliff High School graduate who is in his first year, sees the university's name and its alumni network as broadening his potential job market.

Since Penn State put its name on the law school, Rocco Iacullo, a third-year student and president of the school's Student Bar Association, has come to appreciate the bonuses he's received as a result.

The diversity of the first-year class has added to the learning experience at the law school, he said. So have the dozens of new computers and laser printers and expanded access to library resources. He said there are even JoePa dolls now available in the school's bookstore.

But he still refers to it as Dickinson School of Law, and notes that he applied to Dickinson when it was still an independent law school. His class is the last one that will be able to say that, he said.
?There's a greater willingness by the first-year class to call it Penn State Law,' he said. ?Dickinson had been a well-recognized law school in Pennsylvania. Penn State just helps spread that to other parts of the country.'

Dickinson alumni continue to have mixed feelings about that. While some applaud the move to make their law school a nationally recognized institution, other alums miss the small independent law school.

?Penn State Law is a very different institution than the institution it purchased,' said Ron Turo, who practices law in Carlisle a few blocks away from the law school where he earned his degree in 1981.

The school now has a broader mission than it did as an independent regional law school whose emphasis was on turning out lawyers to represent clients in Pennsylvania, he said.

?They're trying to compete with likes of University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, nationally recognized institutions and international law programs,' he said. ?That's fine, but that was not the primary focus and mission of Dickinson when it existed.'

The once ardent opposition by alumni to the university's affiliation with the law school has virtually disappeared, Spanier said. Many Dickinson alumni who were critical of the merger have since come to recognize it as a ?great thing,? he said.

?All the stars have been aligned right from the beginning,' Spanier said.

Both the university and law school are academic enterprises with similar values -- sharp contrast to the university's merger with a health care business like Geisinger, which Spanier described as more of a ?different mix of stars and planets.? Jan Murphy writes about education. She can be reached at 255-8246 or e-mail her at jmurphy@patriot-news.com.

Things Are Looking Good - November 21, 1999

The Sunday Patriot-News Harrisburg Copyright 1999
Sunday, November 21, 1999
CENTRAL PA
ON THE UP AND UP
The affiliation between Penn State and Dickinson School of Law that began in 1997-98 has shown signs of success, according to university officials. Here are some indicators they cite:

Applications to the law school increased 14 percent from 1997-98 to last year, compared with a 9 percent increase the previous year. Nationally, applications to all law schools rose 1.5 percent from 1996-97 to 1997-98 and by 4.2 percent last year.

The diversity of the law school's student body is growing geographically and racially. The percentage of first-year students from Pennsylvania has declined to 60 percent from 68 percent in 1996- 97. This year, students come from 24 states as opposed to last year's 19 states. The law school last year admitted 8 minority students to its first-year class, while this year's new class has 19 minority students.

Fund-raising has soared. The law school joined in the university's $1 billion capital campaign in 1997-98 and set a $16 million goal for itself to be used primarily for student scholarships. The first year the school raised $934,310. Last year, it raised $4.2 million.