The Observer, August 29, 2008
Volume XLI, Issue 1
Wade, Wolstein decisions sneaky
Recent restructuring of space in Wade Commons and Wolstein Hall seems to have been decided in a process that disregarded the administration's recent trend of transparency.
On May 23, it was announced that the Office of Undergraduate Admission would be moving from Tomlinson Hall to Wolstein Hall on Bellflower Road. Wolstein had been assigned to the Weatherhead undergraduate management program since 2001 and was used for program administration and undergraduate advising. It also provided vital space for student groups – specifically Beta Alpha Psi, Omicron Delta Epsilon, and Alpha Kappa Psi – to meet and hold events.
The decision to reallocate space in Wolstein was kept quiet, privy only to Weatherhead deans, admissions staff, the administration, and a few select student-employees. No input was sought from students until the news had leaked and Weatherhead students began to organize to "save" Wolstein.
Similarly, the decision to hand over space in Wade Commons to the Department of Music was made furtively among administrators. The official announcement to the student body was made in a letter e-mailed on June 19 by interim provost Jerold Goldberg, College of Arts and Sciences dean Cyrus Taylor, and vice president of student affairs Glenn Nicholls. Students in the Residence Hall Association (RHA) and Undergraduate Student Government (USG) responded almost immediately on behalf of the student body. It wasn't until then that students were invited to open forums to share their opinions.
The way in which these decisions were handled was strange and out of line with last year's policies. It had seemed as if this administration was actively committed to transparency – there were several open forums for every little issue that came up. The university's new strategic plan states explicitly that the administrators will "…demonstrate accountability and transparency in everything [they] do." The cases of Wade and Wolstein basically contradict the document that guides the university's every action. Once most of the student body left for the summer, far-reaching decisions were made without consulting the people who would be directly affected.
We're disappointed in the administration. Understandably, they had other interests to consider, particularly those of benefactor Iris S. Wolstein. In addition, the timing of the final decisions was unfortunate. The fact remains, however, that all parties should have been involved in the decision-making process. We're not passing judgment on the quality of the decisions themselves; the music department did need more space, and Wolstein will definitely be more attractive to prospective students. But the way in which the decisions were made was unacceptable.
RHA, USG, and the Weatherhead students did the right thing by speaking up. It is our right as students at this university to weigh in on decisions that affect us. We expect the administration to act in a more considerate manner in the future. If they really want what's best for the students, making decisions without student input simply doesn't make sense.
