Teresa S. Soufas, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, resigned today “due to health reasons,” according to a memo obtained by The Temple News.

Soufas will take a sabbatical before returning to teach and pursue academic work involving Spanish literature. The memo did not specify the expected length of her time away from the university.

Temple will appoint an interim dean before starting a national search for a permanent replacement in the 2015-16 academic year.

“At a time when public universities and independent colleges are facing concerns including declining enrollments in the liberal arts, President Theobald and I look forward to working with the college to develop a model for success,” Provost Hai-Lung Dai wrote in the memo.

Soufas, who has served as dean of CLA since 2007, was previously a professor at Tulane University, where she taught in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese for 21 years.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at sbohnel@gmail.com or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

By Bob Stewart

The Philadelphia Police department has begun its body camera pilot program in the 22nd district, which covers Temple. On Dec. 1, 30 officers and one sergeant volunteered to start wearing the cameras and help the department select the best model.

“We chose the 22nd district because it is one of our busiest districts,” said Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey. “Whatever issues may come up as a result of having body-worn cameras we’ll find out pretty quickly here.”

The officers will try out six different models of body cameras. One model features a front-facing screen so subjects can see what the officer is recording.

Lieutenant Thomas McLean said the picture and audio quality falls below the level of the average smartphone but manufacturers try to improve the equipment about every six months.

McLean said the department is still trying to figure out what Temple students can expect from the system.

“We’re new at this,” McLean said. “We really haven’t had a big weekend where we’ve been out interacting with the Temple students. So this is new ground … but if a crime is being committed obviously we’re going to record it as evidence.”

The main reason for the pilot program is to determine the the most cost-efficient equipment. The cameras range from $300 to $1000, but file storage fees can be high. Taser, one of the manufacturers being tested, charges $40 per camera per month for storage.

The feedback from officers will also help determine who gets the contract. Some of the models are large and difficult to secure to a uniform, which includes a radio, badge, and bullet-proof vest.

“If I have it on my shoulder, it’s [only secured by] a clip,” said Officer Lisa Figueroa. “If I’m struggling with someone, if someone grabs me … it [may] fall.”

If students have concerns about potentially being on camera, McLean said they are not alone.

“[Officers] don’t want to get in any kind of trouble,” McLean said. “It’s a new technology. They don’t want to have a slip of the tongue or a uniform violation … something that they normally wouldn’t get in trouble for but now it’s documented.”

“No one likes being on camera,” McLean added. “Everyone’s behavior changes. It makes you so uncomfortable, even though you have nothing to hide. It’s no fun under the bright light. It’s a permanent record for what you say and do.”

Bob Stewart can be reached at robert.stewart@temple.edu or on Twitter @bstew74

SEPTA Key, the organization’s new smart card system that allows its subway, bus, and trolley riders to pay by debit or credit card, will begin testing this month, the Associated Press reported.

Several computerized kiosks, turnstiles, and fare boxes have appeared in subway and trolley stations and on vehicles, which allow riders to pay with a debit or credit card, and also through microchipped bank cards or a cell phone app.

The new Key cards – which won’t be fully available until 2015 for subway, bus, and trolley services and 2016 for Regional Rail – will mean the end for SEPTA tokens, which are still used by 22 percent of riders, according to SEPTA officials from the AP story.

Philadelphia is one of the last major U.S. cities still using tokens in its public transit system. Boston stopped selling them in 2006, and New York stopped in 2003, fully switching over to their current CharlieCard and MetroCard systems, respectively.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.