Advice for the presidential hiring committee
This is the opinion of Marta Luiken, CSB senior
The hiring of a new president for CSB/SJU should invigorate us all to move the school into a new era.
CSB/SJU has historically been viewed as a traditional Catholic university, separating the living quarters of its male and female students between their campuses as well as mandating students to take a theology course in Catholicism—a religion that many enrolled today do not practice.
CSB/SJU needs to move in a new direction: a direction that does not segregate students by sex, that celebrates diversity in all things and ensures that all students receive a well-rounded education. A president that represents these values is essential.
What I do not want to see (as many people anticipate) is the institution hiring a white male as the new President.
I believe a white man as the face of the new era for CSB/SJU would be a mistake.
Hiring someone with a diverse background who has developed relationships with people of color and who can empathize and understand the struggle that women and minorities face every day on our campus could lead our institution in a new direction.
What this institution needs is a new perspective. How SJU responded to the Pat Hall incident last fall showed us just how much the SJU cabinet does not understand the needs of women, and electing another white male as our president will not bring the change we need.
Something that should concern us all is the way the CSB/SJU administration cares to please their donors more than their current and future students when making this important decision. If the new president does not represent or understand our needs and values they will lose their future donors, myself included.