The Observer, January 26, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 14
Editorial: New president provides university with a fresh start
After a year of controversy, uncertainty, and many hotly debated topics, things are finally starting to look up. Just before the end of last semester, Case received an early Christmas present with the announcement of a new president. Barbara R. Snyder, current executive vice president and provost of The Ohio State University, will serve as the university's first female president starting July 1, 2007.
In the past, officials at Case have made some questionable decisions, leading to disagreements and rifts between students, faculty, and staff. However, one thing that Case has never failed at is acting in an open-minded, forward thinking manner. Though Issue 1 was passed in 2004, Case did not allow its domestic partner benefits to be affected by the ban against non-traditional marriages in Ohio. Now with the announcement of our new president, Case has once again stepped up to the plate and as a leading university, it has truly become an institution in support of diversity and equality.
Once a law professor at Case, Synder will return to lead the university with her fresh perspective. Though she will be stepping in with much knowledge and experience, Snyder has much to accomplish in the coming years. Over the past months, Case has been under the media spotlight many times but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. The resignation of a president, an unwavering budget deficit, and instability among university members are only a few of the things Snyder must work hard to find solutions to.
Perhaps her most important task – and also most difficult – will be to boost the confidence and moral within the Case community. Only by changing the attitudes of those who make the news can we start to change the negative image that has been created for us. For a while now we have been in need of a permanent leader who can shape a university that is free of controversy yet filled with communication and discussion. Case needs to be a university that we are proud to graduate from, not a place that is linked to instability and negativity. Such distractions from our education need to be eliminated and Barbara Snyder may just be the person to do so.
The search for a new president has been long and arduous but now that it's over, we can move forward into a brighter and more successful future. Now is the time to resolve the issues that have been holding us back. A few years ago, former President Edward Hundert declared Case as the most powerful learning environment in the world and although it may take a while to actually get there, our vision is finally on its way to becoming a reality.
