What started as a bombshell quickly turned to speculation, as the Idaho State Board of Education rocked the University of Idaho campus with the news President Chuck Staben would not return for the 2019-2020 school year.
While the decision was presented as “mutual” between Staben and SBOE, many UI students saw the future change in administration as a chance to voice their opinions on who should lead the university in 2019 and beyond.
Chuck Staben
ASUI Vice President Carlos Vazquez said communication would be key in the new president’s developing relationship with both the Senate and student body.
“For now, I’d hope that she/he is open to having a good professional relationship where we are able to work off of each other in our current and future goals,” he said. “We understand that it is vital that the Senate and all of ASUI have a good relationship with our administration.”
Vazquez said he wished the next administration would put the needs of UI’s students first, and transparency was an area which definitely needed improvement, especially after recent controversy surrounding the Athletic Department’s past mishandlings of Title IX.
Vicky Dilone, a student at UI, said the scandal should be a driving force in choosing an administration that will focus on student safety.
“I would like UI to become a safer environment for students, especially after the Spear incident,” she said. “I would like to see Title IX be made more clear to students and staff.”
Sean Collins, chief of staff for ASUI, took a more logistical approach, urging the university to push for higher graduation rates and changes regarding academic advising.
“I would make changes to how advisors currently operate moving away from course scheduling as a focus instead moving towards a case management style for the advising office to ensure students have a central point of contact on all problems,” Collins said. “Though the current changes in the comprehensive plan being made are a step in the right direction.”
Both Collins and Vazquez agreed constant changes in the administration over the past few decades have made it difficult for UI to maintain a consistent strategic plan. With four different individuals occupying the Office of the President since 2000, Collins said he expected this upcoming year to be a difficult one in terms of implementing beneficial change, since the current administration will not be around for long.
When it came to Greek life, Beta Theta Pi Fraternity President Jacob Lockhart said Staben’s administration failed to establish a healthy relationship with the Greek community, which only deteriorated with time.
“Greek life helps promote a stronger university, and a stronger university helps promotes a stronger Greek community. The next president should be a strong proponent of Greek life,” Lockhart said. “They should also focus on building trusting relations with Greek members and develop a clear understanding of issues Greek members face.”
Vazquez urged UI to find a president capable of understanding what exactly it means to be a Vandal. An effective president, according to Vazquez, is one that is proud of not just the students’ success, but the entire university’s.
“I feel at our university specifically, we have great pride in our community and the strength of diversity that comes with it,” he said. “So having a president that is willing to take the Vandal Family mantel and continue to grow on it.”
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill
An earlier version of this article misstated the name of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.