Day Hall: Talk to The People

Almost every student would agree that the week before Fall Semester Finals is a wretched time. So perhaps it isn’t the best time to consider how to improve the dialogue between Cornell administrators and students. After all, we are trying to cope with a tidal wave of long deferred assignments that have hit us like a tsunami. In a frantic race against time to prevent academic ruin, desperate undergrads huddle in overcrowded libraries. In this fevered atmosphere, student stress quickly gets translated into inchoate grumblings about Cornell’s failings.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m fully aware that Cornell has its faults. And I firmly believe that bringing a critical voice to address issues of concern is necessary for identifying problems that need to be solved. We are devoting the best years of our life and spending oodles of our parents’ cash in pursuit of the Cornell experience — we might as well make sure we get what we came for.

Yet, simply complaining against the administration is the easy way out. Being involved in Cornell’s judicial system, student government and campus life, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how receptive Cornell’s administrators have been to constructive criticism. Just consider this current semester. From gorge safety to Safe Ride, from the People Soft debacle to the Amethyst Initiative, administrators have demonstrated a sincere willingness to engage with students.

As matters currently stand, administrators work closely with a relatively small group of student leaders — and understandably so. The student leaders and the constituencies they represent tend to be the most practical way for administrators to develop and implement new policies that directly impact students. Equally, the student leaders serve an important mediating function in reconciling student concerns with administrative needs.

Unfortunately, a lot of the administration’s efforts are not apparent to the students at large. For most students the administration’s views and perspectives — in short, their thinking — is a mystery to be unraveled. Currently, the administration depends on a small group of student leaders, reporters from newspapers such as The Sun, and mass emails to get their message across to the student body. Clearly, this is not enough.

So, how to bridge the communication gap between the administration and students? My suggestion: a biweekly guest column in The Sun, in addition to President David Skorton’s current monthly column, written, on a rotating basis, by a senior administrator.

For the past few semesters, Skorton has written a monthly column that has been very well received. The columns certainly succeeded in conveying his views directly, without the distorting filter of second hand interpretations or bland news releases. Earlier this semester, as PeopleSoft collapsed during add-drop, David Yeh wrote a reassuring guest op-ed to directly allay the fears of Cornell students. Both initiatives illustrate how senior administrators have effectively reached out to share their views and perspectives directly with the Cornell community.

I fully understand the constraints that busy schedules impose on Cornell’s senior administrators, and writing a regular column is certainly time-consuming. Yet, senior administrators have a unique perspective of Cornell as an institution — they should share it. Ad hoc statements, or an occasional column to address a crisis or controversy, are not enough — they shortchange both the administration and the student body. To address the time-constraint problem, instead of a single administrator writing eight columns in a given semester, perhaps eight senior administrators can take turns, each writing a single column on a different issue.

The administration needs to try innovative approaches to engage with Cornell students. The “student apathy” that they often decry is more a function of a lack of communication than it is of a lack of student interest. At least from my vantage point, I see students who are extraordinarily engaged in pursuing their interests, and the challenge is capturing their attention to focus on issues that are of pressing concern to administrators. My own sense is that no matter how busy they may be, students do take the time to read The Sun and they will undoubtedly read a column by a senior administrator. In fact, I am sure that some of them are more than likely to respond with a letter to the editor. It is precisely this sort of open communication and dialogue that Cornell needs.

Cornell prides itself on the transparent manner in which it operates. We are entering a period of extraordinary challenge, not the least of which is an uncertain financial and economic environment, which will put a premium on conveying and articulating issues, policies and proposals in a clear and convincing manner. Franklin D. Roosevelt had Fireside Chats. Fiorello LaGuardia had his Talks to The People. Barack Obama has his weekly YouTube address. A biweekly column written by senior administrators addressing matters of University-wide concern would be a major stride forward in stimulating a dialogue that would bring the Cornell community closer together. Certainly, all of us who have a vested interest in Cornell look forward to such a column.

Sanjiv Tata is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He may be contacted at stata@cornellsun.com [5]. The Vested Interest appears alternate Tuesdays this semester.