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student viewpoint on president hiring process

ElrodGrizzly said:
Maybe my perspective is a bit unique on this, but there are two major points I feel are missing in this article.

1) These closed searches are confidential by necessity, and the people on the committee have to sign NDAs. This is not new. The students get representation on these search committees through their elected ASUM reps. When I was in college I was on three of them at a different school in Montana. One for an AD, or to run the tutoring program, and one other that I am blanking on the position. I believe it was for the football coach. I wasn't allowed to talk about it.

Going beyond that representation is not possible when searches like this are, by necessity, closed and confidential.

2) While I understand informing students is important, I would contend that the average student has very little understanding of what would make a strong University President. For those that feel they do, their input after meeting the candidates will absolutely be considered. But there was no role for the student body as a whole to play until candidates come to campus. I'm sorry, but there just isn't. The amount of students who could give informed opinion on a search for a University President is very small, and those students are probably already just as connected to what is going on as anyone else outside the search committee.
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but there was a role for the students. they at least in part funded the search.
 
ElrodGrizzly said:
Maybe my perspective is a bit unique on this, but there are two major points I feel are missing in this article.

1) These closed searches are confidential by necessity, and the people on the committee have to sign NDAs. This is not new. The students get representation on these search committees through their elected ASUM reps. When I was in college I was on three of them at a different school in Montana. One for an AD, or to run the tutoring program, and one other that I am blanking on the position. I believe it was for the football coach. I wasn't allowed to talk about it.

Going beyond that representation is not possible when searches like this are, by necessity, closed and confidential.

2) While I understand informing students is important, I would contend that the average student has very little understanding of what would make a strong University President. For those that feel they do, their input after meeting the candidates will absolutely be considered. But there was no role for the student body as a whole to play until candidates come to campus. I'm sorry, but there just isn't. The amount of students who could give informed opinion on a search for a University President is very small, and those students are probably already just as connected to what is going on as anyone else outside the search committee.
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but... again... who's lives are liable to be the most seriously affected by this hire? the students. departments get cut, criteria for this and that change, etc... some of you may argue this is not the case, but put yourself in their shoes.

to a degree i'm playing the contrarian on this, but it's hard to dismiss that the students can be heavily impacted by such decisions. maybe for the good, maybe not, but i'll still throw that out there.
 
argh! said:
but... again... who's lives are liable to be the most seriously affected by this hire? the students. departments get cut, criteria for this and that change, etc... some of you may argue this is not the case, but put yourself in their shoes.

to a degree i'm playing the contrarian on this, but it's hard to dismiss that the students can be heavily impacted by such decisions. maybe for the good, maybe not, but i'll still throw that out there.
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Fair, but pushing back - they have plenty of chances to be involved from here (and before - they could have filled out the survey like everyone else!) - the ASUM president was part of the initial discussions/process (I can't remember exactly what). They can participate in the forum today and add feedback.

Edit - nevermind - I see this was an editorial. Mostly looks like a gripe session - but some things I'll give are legitimate concerns. The other (like Humanities programs getting cut (conveniently leaving out that those programs getting cut most likely had very few graduates of that program over the last few years) and being in the dark about the presidential search feels like sour grapes.
Bad faith/really weak claim by the Kaimin to claim the students are/were being left in the dark, when:
1. Most everyone was left in the dark about the initial applicants and finalists list, most likely for legal reasons/other institution push back if they were actively recruiting someone in a higher-up position at another institution
2. Everybody (including students!) had a chance to fill out the "what do you want to see in a UM president" initial survey
3. Students got all the same email comms with updates on the presidential search that all faculty/staff/public did and that information was on a public website - which was also shared at the beginning of the process and, if the students wanted, they could have even sent in a nomination or asked other questions....also on the very public and very available website
4. Students are also more than welcome to be at the public forum today from 330 - 5.
Editing to add:
5: They can also fill out a survey after attending the forum with their thoughts on the candidate!

Looks like plenty of chances to be involved/know what's going on, but what do I know? 😉
 
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MissoulaMarinerFan said:
Fair, but pushing back - they have plenty of chances to be involved from here (and before - they could have filled out the survey like everyone else!) - the ASUM president was part of the initial discussions/process (I can't remember exactly what). They can participate in the forum today and add feedback.

Edit - nevermind - I see this was an editorial. Mostly looks like a gripe session - but some things I'll give are legitimate concerns. The other (like Humanities programs getting cut (conveniently leaving out that those programs getting cut most likely had very few graduates of that program over the last few years) and being in the dark about the presidential search feels like sour grapes.
Bad faith/really weak claim by the Kaimin to claim the students are/were being left in the dark, when:
1. Most everyone was left in the dark about the initial applicants and finalists list, most likely for legal reasons/other institution push back if they were actively recruiting someone in a higher-up position at another institution
2. Everybody (including students!) had a chance to fill out the "what do you want to see in a UM president" initial survey
3. Students got all the same email comms with updates on the presidential search that all faculty/staff/public did and that information was on a public website - which was also shared at the beginning of the process and, if the students wanted, they could have even sent in a nomination or asked other questions....also on the very public and very available website
4. Students are also more than welcome to be at the public forum today from 330 - 5.
Editing to add:
5: They can also fill out a survey after attending the forum with their thoughts on the candidate!

Looks like plenty of chances to be involved/know what's going on, but what do I know? 😉
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from experience, i don't think the public forum today is a great place to ask questions, although some will try. if he's going to take a lot of questions after whatever introduction/presentation happens, he'll probably have to answer very quickly. also, there's the problem that students often feel powerless, and won't ask their questions. regarding #1, communication is the key. explain to everyone that you can't comment on candidates, or you are going to get push back, even on egriz. so i don't really blame the students for thinking otherwise that, how would they know? finally, as for surverys, etc, before the search, those are usually super general, and how many students had much time to think about it much between classes and such, especially because of the short time line after bodnar exited.

again, a bit of being a contrarian. except maybe for about #1, i think the communication from the committee has been poor, or at least poorly written. maybe some of this falls on the student body president, if they were on the search committee. then again, i think student body presidents usually have the main objective as a resume booster, not so much service to the needs of the students as a whole.
 
argh! said:
but... again... who's lives are liable to be the most seriously affected by this hire? the students. departments get cut, criteria for this and that change, etc... some of you may argue this is not the case, but put yourself in their shoes.

to a degree i'm playing the contrarian on this, but it's hard to dismiss that the students can be heavily impacted by such decisions. maybe for the good, maybe not, but i'll still throw that out there.
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Good grief - the friggin tail does not wag the dog.

Students will get the President the adults decide to give them. I get the academic departments / deans etc., should have a voice, but the students? No thanks.

BTW - I have no friggin clue who the President of UM was during my 4 years. My guess is 99% of them currently attending could give 2 shits about this.
 
SoldierGriz said:
Good grief - the friggin tail does not wag the dog.

Students will get the President the adults decide to give them. I get the academic departments / deans etc., should have a voice, but the students? No thanks.

BTW - I have no friggin clue who the President of UM was during my 4 years. My guess is 99% of them currently attending could give 2 shits about this.
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The Students pay tuition for the school to exist…
 
SoldierGriz said:
Good grief - the friggin tail does not wag the dog.

Students will get the President the adults decide to give them. I get the academic departments / deans etc., should have a voice, but the students? No thanks.

BTW - I have no friggin clue who the President of UM was during my 4 years. My guess is 99% of them currently attending could give 2 shits about this.
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After 4 years they finally kicked you out?
 
It might not feel like it, but the students do have power here in the form of their wallets (well, realistically, their student loan providers' and/or parents' wallets). The article touches on this too. The unfortunate reality is that it will take a lot of time for the feedback to actually land in the form of enrollment numbers. Bureaucracy is slow, that's life, you won't be asked for input on your employer's new CEO hire either.

I totally get the frustration. It's one of those stupid things about the college experience, like being sold on a brand new state of the art student resource and dining and mega foosball complex, scheduled to finish construction the year after you graduate.
 
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