2008 Woodie Awards
Closed minds that hold open forums
Closed minds tht hold open forums
Issue date: 9/2/05 Section: Forum
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Open forums. Open office-hours. Lunch with the Trustees. Survey cards. And so on. Guilford administration is open to student input. Or so it seems.
"Show up at meetings and forums and give your views," College President Kent Chabotar wrote in the Jan. 21 Guilfordian. "Do not show up and lose your right to complain later."
An 'open' forum was held May 12, after graduation, and before the first summer school session, to discuss Guilford's master plan for how space on campus will be used to further the Strategic Long Range Plan's (SLRP) mission.
The majority of the student body should not lose their right to 'complain' later when the forum's timing made it impossible for most students (and faculty) to attend.
Even students who do not attend forums during the school year should not lose their right to voice their concerns about a change, a policy, or Guilford's direction in general if no one is willing to examine why they are not attending.
Administrators cannot simply write students off as apathetic.
Even if students have become apathetic about giving their input, we have to examine what has caused that apathy.
"I worked with a group of students to speak out against the changes made concerning off-campus students' scholarships (25% reduction of merit aid), and (Vice-President for Enrollment and Campus Life) Randy Doss refused to meet with us outside the public forum setting," senior Kyle Brebner said.
"Student involvement in school politics is negligable," then-first-year Ben Kelly wrote in the Nov. 5, 2004 Guilfordian. "Though we have the chance to speak up about policies in open forums, our comments are about as influential as the cruel cartoons of administrators drawn on the bathroom walls."
Obviously, at least some students have become apathetic because they feel the administration hasn't been open to what they have to say.
We must determine whether the Administration is, in fact, hearing students' voices.
"Show up at meetings and forums and give your views," College President Kent Chabotar wrote in the Jan. 21 Guilfordian. "Do not show up and lose your right to complain later."
An 'open' forum was held May 12, after graduation, and before the first summer school session, to discuss Guilford's master plan for how space on campus will be used to further the Strategic Long Range Plan's (SLRP) mission.
The majority of the student body should not lose their right to 'complain' later when the forum's timing made it impossible for most students (and faculty) to attend.
Even students who do not attend forums during the school year should not lose their right to voice their concerns about a change, a policy, or Guilford's direction in general if no one is willing to examine why they are not attending.
Administrators cannot simply write students off as apathetic.
Even if students have become apathetic about giving their input, we have to examine what has caused that apathy.
"I worked with a group of students to speak out against the changes made concerning off-campus students' scholarships (25% reduction of merit aid), and (Vice-President for Enrollment and Campus Life) Randy Doss refused to meet with us outside the public forum setting," senior Kyle Brebner said.
"Student involvement in school politics is negligable," then-first-year Ben Kelly wrote in the Nov. 5, 2004 Guilfordian. "Though we have the chance to speak up about policies in open forums, our comments are about as influential as the cruel cartoons of administrators drawn on the bathroom walls."
Obviously, at least some students have become apathetic because they feel the administration hasn't been open to what they have to say.
We must determine whether the Administration is, in fact, hearing students' voices.
