Later this year, the University will be announcing the presidential candidate that will be taking President Paul G. Gaffney II’s place after 10 years. But before the next president is hired, the students are able to get to know the four candidates running for the opening position.
Is it important that the students of the University get to know their new potential president before he is chosen? Here at The Outlook we tried to answer that question.
A special committee has been created to help with the process of the presidential search, and although students are not able to make the final decision, The Outlook believes it is essential for students to be involved in the process.
The University has been holding information sessions for each candidate where students can ask any question they wish. This gives students the opportunity to speak to the candidates on a more personal level before any decision is made.
An email was sent to students with a link to an electronic form to be filled out after attending the sessions for the candidates. The form consists of five simple questions. The first two are multiple-choice asking to pick the candidate you liked best and then what your position at the University is. The next three are short answer asking about the candidate’s strengths, the concerns you have with this specific candidate and your name, which is optional.
These forms will be sent to the Board of Trustees in order to assist them with choosing the next president. The deadline for this feedback is February 6.
As an undergraduate, the future of the school matters because you will be a part of it. Whether it is only for one more year or four, the future of the school still affects you. We feel that because we are students, we know what changes should be made and we know the administration that should be getting hired. The students truly understand what the University needs.
Some of the editors believe that we pay enough for tuition; therefore, we are given the right to get to know the person who decides on how our money is spent.
However, if you are a graduate student or an alumnus, the future of the school should still be important to you. When you graduate from any institution of higher education, the reputation of that University is reflective in the degree that you earned from that institution. If the University has a clean reputation, you are often given more opportunities than a University that is only known in a negative way.
The Outlook believes that giving students this opportunity in the process of the presidential search allows us to build a better relationship with the future president.
The next president is going to be around for many years to come and he will be the future face of the University. Why not participate in the process?
People looking for more information and updates about the presidential search can find a separate webpage on the University’s website. It has information including the presidential search committee pledge, the charge to the presidential search committee, the committee members, the leadership statement and information on the candidates themselves. The link is https://www.monmouth.edu/presidentialsearch/.
