News > September 4, 2008

By Natalie Ranck | Asst. news editor

Three forums will take place at the university in the upcoming weeks that will give students the opportunity to pose questions to University President Nathan O. Hatch and other administrators about the recent decisions made and the general direction the university is heading.

Provost Jill Tiefenthaler is one of the administrators involved in these forums and feels that student participation is practical for the students themselves but also necessary and wanted by the administration. “Students should come to learn about what is happening at the university but also because we want to hear from students. Students’ voices are important to our decision-making,” Tiefenthaler said.

There are many examples of the importance of the students’ voices and the changes that occur because of them even just recently. “Student concerns that were shared last year about the lack of study and social spaces was the impetus for the summer renovations to the library. In addition, the library’s new 24/5 policy is a direct result of students expressing their desire for an all-night study space,” Tiefenthaler said.

The first session is called the Master Plan Session” and it will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. on Sept. 9 in Pugh Auditorium. The participants in this forum will be the architects that created the plan and Vice President for Administration Matthew Cullinan. During this forum, they will officially release the Master Plan and update the campus community on the past, present and future plans for the university.

The Master Plan originated in the fall of 2007, and its goal and purpose is to decide what the needs of the university are and how to best meet those needs. These needs can include, but are not limited to, buildings, parking and environmental issues.

The second forum in this series is called the Student Life Forum, and it will take place from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Sept. 11 in Brendle. The panel participants in this session include Student Body President Jermyn Davis, Hatch and Vice President of Student Life Ken Zick. “I will be participating, but only as a moderator because I want students to have the chance to ask whatever they want,” Davis said about his role in the upcoming forums.

“I am really excited about these forums because I don’t think this has been done before.” The Student Life Forum will cover campus life in general, including Greek life, independent student life, Residence Life and Housing, among other things.

The third session is called Strategic Plan/Why the SAT change/Financial Aid, and it will take place from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 in Benson 401.

The participants in this third and final forum include Davis, Hatch, Tiefenthaler and Martha Allman, director of admissions.

The information covered in this forum will be centered around the decision to make SAT scores optional for admission, the academic direction of the university, new developments in financial aid and the Strategic Plan.

Allman will be specifically dealing with the discussion about the decision to make standardized test scores optional for admission to the university.

“If current students have questions about the decision to change the admissions policy for future applicants, I hope they will choose to attend the forum,” Allman said.

“We in the Admissions Office are fully supportive of this change in policy and believe that it will allow us to pursue an even greater individualization of the admissions process.”

The Strategic Plan, another of the topics covered in the third forum, identifies five priorities that should guide improvement planning at the university in order to best enhance the university as a whole.

These five priorities include building academic programs of nationally recognized excellence, enhancing faculty distinction, attracting a talented and diverse student body, and developing exceptional young leaders, creating a richer sense of community throughout the university and strengthening the university’s connections to communities beyond our campus.

Davis cannot stress enough how important these forums could be for students, the university at large, and the relationship between students and administrators. “These are really important because it gives students the opportunity to talk directly with our school administrators,” Davis said.

“Also, hopefully it will give administrators the chance to hear direct concerns from students. While Student Government represents student opinion in a lot of things, it is good for administrators to hear directly from general students.”

Tiefenthaler also thinks the direct contact between the administration and the student body is important.

“The purpose of the forums is to provide an opportunity for students to hear from the administration and for us to hear from students,” Tiefenthaler said. “While we consistently work with representatives from Student Government, it is important that all students get a chance to hear what we are working on and an opportunity to ask their questions.”

Beyond student-faculty relations, Davis also sees these forums as potentially having a large impact for generations to come. “This is the students’ chance to air any concerns they have, and I hope we show up in large numbers. These forums will have a direct impact on not only us as current students, but our successors as well,” Davis said.

There is no denying that big changes are currently underway and adjusting to these and making sure they are right are important questions that will be addressed and hopefully resolved at the upcoming student forums.