Students do not care who the new president of Millikin will be. And if they do, they don’t show it.
On September 25th, there was a Presidential Search Listening Session. This listening session was a chance for students to express what they want out of the new president.
Many emails were sent to students about this listening session, describing what it is and why it is important that students show up. So, I decided to do my part and go.
When I arrived at the third floor of the UC, I was nervous to face my fellow students. I was almost late, and I was not excited to get stares when I walked in. I assumed there were at least ten students in the banquet room.
There was a sea of empty chairs, with a single student occupying one of them. I sat down, awaiting more people to file in. There had to be more people coming, right?
Wrong.
After waiting a couple of minutes, the session began.
The nice representative from AGB Search, Loren Anderson, allowed the two of us to introduce ourselves and speak about what we would like to see the next president do.
While we were in the middle of our powwow, I heard the door open. Another person scurried in late.
I was relieved to have some of the pressure of speaking moved off of me, but I was also pleased that someone else had arrived. This student gave Anderson some really good information on his opinions and views of Millikin.
In total, there were only three students who attended the listening session.
Why didn’t students come? Was it because of their busy schedules? Or did they simply not care about who Millikin’s new president will be? I still cannot figure this out.
However, I do know that many students missed the opportunity to speak and give their opinions on what they want to see in the new president.
The future of Millikin is in our hands. But I don’t think the students of Millikin understand that.
At the listening session, I had the opportunity to personally speak with the man who is aiding in finding our new president. When will I have this opportunity again? Probably never.
Now, I can at least sleep well at night knowing that I tried my hardest to advocate for the kind of president I want to see and the changes I want to see happen on campus.
Although the search for the new Millikin president seems completely out of students’ hands, it’s not. Deciding who the new president will be is not a small decision either. This new president will determine the trajectory of Millikin in the next couple of years.
So if you are completely out of the loop on the search for the new president, don’t be. Take the time to read up on what is happening and keep up when we get candidates for the position.
Take time to care about Millikin and the future of the school. Your opinion matters.
