President Jens Frederiksen and other members of the university’s leadership, including the provost, leaders of the One Stop Student Services held a town hall meeting in Bucknall Theater to discuss any concerns from students and staff members. Students were given a platform to bring their concerns directly to the schools administration, regarding student employment, safety and the election results.
The town hall meeting began with an introduction by Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Ophelie Rowe-Allen, before introducing Frederiksen. After this introduction, Frederiksen gave a speech regarding students’ success and the university’s path moving forward.
“We’re poised for an incredibly exciting future, and we have a lot of initiatives going and they’re driven entirely around your success,” said Frederiksen. The floor was opened up to questions, prompting a number of students to voice their concerns.
One concern that was addressed during the town hall regarded the safety of students around campus. Students have expressed concern about their safety following harassment from the homeless and people from their cars around the Railroad Salvage parking lot. In the president’s response to these concerns, he related to these students with a personal story about his own experience.
“There was a slash in my tire, so I got driven home yesterday by the chief of police…,” said Frederikson. “We had a long conversation and it was actually sort of interesting, given how much is happening over there, maybe also considering having an actual physical presence over there, but it’s disconcerting to hear.” Frederikson assured students that the issue will be addressed.
Rumors had allegedly been spread that a budget cut was proposed by members of the university’s administration that would have affected student employment and research opportunities across multiple departments. When asked about these rumors, President Frederiksen was quick to shut them down, saying he is not aware of any such budget cuts, and asked Savage if she knew anything regarding this subject, to which she shook her head no. Frederiksen went on to say that while there was some budgetary pressure this fall affecting student employment.
Another concern students had regarded the results of the most recent presidential election. Students are concerned as to what the election’s decision means for the school and its programs, seeing as it receives some federal funding in the form of grants.
Frederiksen was not able to provide a clear answer to this question, saying there are not enough details yet on President-elect Donald Trump’s plans when it comes to education. While Frederiksen said he could speculate, he chose not to as he does not want to make a statement that will prove to be false once January comes.
The town hall gave students a platform to have their issues heard and questions answered, while giving the administration a chance to receive direct feedback from students, which will allow the university to address issues that may have otherwise not been heard. To keep an eye on events similar to this, look for emails from the Center of Student Engagement, Leadership and Orientation (CSELO).
