Talk of the town

Meetings strengthen campus communication

The University, under President Lee Bollinger, has established a new method of communication between the administration and student body, as is witnessed by the students' gathering at the President's house after the football team's win over Penn State and after the hockey team's national championship victory over Boston College. But in addition to partying with students after football games, Bollinger has made it a mission for his presidency to create an open dialogue between the student body and administrators, something that has been lacking under former presidents. The latest addition to this commitment is a series of Town Hall meetings. In these meetings, Bollinger and University Provost Nancy Cantor will engage in an informal discussion with faculty, staff and students to gather information and perspectives

Bollinger

on the state of the University.

These new meetings fit Bollinger's agenda in attempting to eliminate the gap between students and administrators. Under prior administrations, such as that of former University President James Duderstadt, the distance between students and the Fleming Administration Building was readily visible. Rather than seeking cohesion on the University campus, these administrations often fostered a sense of "us" and "them." Duderstadt made little effort to work with students in order to alleviate their grievances. In contrast, Bollinger already made several steps to remedy this negative precedent although some, such as the relocation of the his office from the Fleming Administration Building to a location closer to Central Campus, have yet to materialize.

The Town Hall meetings are an echo of the already-implemented Fireside Chats, during which Bollinger sits by the fire in the Study Lounge of the Michigan Union and talks with students. The event is open to the entire student body, as are the Town Hall meetings. Such informal discussions are ideal opportunities for students to speak with the University's top administrators and provide both negative and positive criticism of the administration and its decisions.

The Town Hall meetings are created with the intent to receive feedback from the student body on issues facing them at the University. In comparison, students are welcome to discuss anything from the hockey and football national championships to the State of the Union address in the Fireside Chats. In this way, Bollinger is reaching out to every member of the University's student population - students should take advantage of this opportunity to discuss their interests and make their voices heard.

While the implementation of the Fireside Chats and the new addition of Town Hall meetings are steps in the right direction toward creating a channel of communication between students and administration, Bollinger's mission is not fully accomplished. There remains a gap between the administration and the vast majority of the student body, whom Bollinger must continue to try to reach.

04-06-98