After Cheryl Norton announced her retirement, Slippery Rock University has begun the process of searching for a new president. With just about three months until that person is supposed to take office, students are still unsure if we have found that right leader.
At the council of trustees meeting last Friday, student representatives spoke on behalf of the student body. The representatives shared that they did not think there was a candidate they have seen that has met their expectations.
As a member of the Student Government Alliance (SGA), Dallas Kline knows first-hand how much the university president impacts the students and as of right now, she feels the student body does not see a the right fit in the current candidates.
This past summer, Slippery Rock University has been selected as one of the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education for the seventh time in the past eights years. Kline expressed that we need a president who will keep up this reputation.
“We need a president who has the same mentality as the university,” Kline said. “We need them to help the university continue to success.”
“We agreed that we did not really want to see any of the three candidates move forward,” Kline said. “There are pros and cons to each candidate.”
Kline said that after talking with SGA, seeing the candidates presentations, and hearing student input they have some key attributes they would want to see in the new president.
“There have been problems with administration in the past,” Kline said. We need them to be transparent with the student body, fit in with the atmosphere, stress diversity and work well with the factory.
“We suggested that we go back and look for more candidates,” Kline said.
However, finding a new president is a long process, and time is of the essence. Typically, right now, two names would be sent to the board of governors and they would put in their recommendation.
As students, we just want to see a fit person as president who will be in the same terms of we are going as a university, Kline said.
Samantha Ricketts, a sophomore actuarial science major and parliamentarian of Building E House Council, said she would want to see a president who goes out of their way for students.
“(Interim) President Way came to and ARHS (Association of Residential Hall Students) meeting so he could hear our opinions and make changes. I don’t think a lot of presidents would take the time to do that on a weekday night. But I think it is extremely important for them to do so,” Ricketts said.
After all, the president should be eager to be student-oriented, Ricketts said.
