While crises generated by powers beyond our control often foil even the “best laid plans of mice and men,” opportunities are just as often present in their wake. The unfortunate situation surrounding the Division of Student Affairs after the recent (and hopefully last) round of position eliminations at UT may be just such a crisis.
The loss of our cherished colleagues is obviously no cause for celebration, but the opportunity resulting from the national economic downturn that necessitated these firings was thankfully seized by UT administrators and students alike.
Though the timing was probably difficult considering its proximity to exams and the end of the academic semester, the focus group that convened shortly thereafter has laid the groundwork for much improved communication between students and administrators on campus.
It isn’t obvious to this editorial board that the administrators responsible for the terminations didn’t take student input expressed at the protests and town hall dedicated to the issue into consideration, but another problem definitely existed. Without consulting with students at all before the Student Affairs cuts were made, any possibility for collaboration between these administrators and students was rendered impossible.
Now, with the expressed dedication of Vice President for Student Affairs Kaye Patten Wallace and Interim Dean of Students Michele Martinez to exchanging information with students through monthly town halls, visits to Student Senate and interaction with a to-be-created Student Affairs Advisory Council, neglected collaboration may be a thing of the past.
The effective exercise of these tools, however, will demand further commitment from the general student body. Many student organization leaders have been doing an admirable job of demanding the input deserved by themselves and their peers, but this group only represents a small fraction of the 20,000 students at UT.
More student involvement on campus is sorely needed in groups such as Student Government to make this collaboration an effectual, democratic process.
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