Increased partnership between students, faculty and administrators leads to a better community
This is the opinion of the Editorial Board
In the heart of any thriving college community lies communication; not just through syllabi, surveys or campus-wide emails, but in meaningful, mutual engagement. For campuses like CSB+SJU who pride themselves on Benedictine community, this engagement between students, faculty and administrators is critical.
Faculty, students and administrators often operate in silos. Professors teach and advise, students attend classes and navigate college life and administrators make large scale plans. Because of the natural separation between these roles, students may feel like they aren’t always actively involved in all levels of campus decision making.
Take housing for example: it’s a common topic that arises when students are asked about potential areas of improvement on campus. With housing selection wrapping up this week, students experiencing issues with the process may feel frustrated, stressed and out of the loop — like many did during the hiccups with SJU housing last year. Administrators are often busy working on high-level issues that come with the complexities of their roles, meanwhile faculty may be unaware of how housing stress affects students’ academic performance or well-being. What results is a climate that can produce misunderstandings and fatigue on all sides.
To prevent these scenarios from happening, it is everyone’s responsibility to maintain open lines of communication and mutual respect. Students cannot demand transparency without practicing attentiveness. That means regularly checking campus emails and physical mailboxes, showing up to information sessions and speaking directly with administrators when clarity is needed. Seeking and offering clarity goes both ways. Students deserve to understand not just what decisions are being made but why. If administrators are adjusting housing procedures or changing meal plans due to staffing shortages, sharing that reasoning builds credibility. Faculty should also be looped in so they can support students through transitional periods. CSB+SJU could consider establishing a monthly “Campus Pulse” forum where students, faculty and administrators present updates and respond to concerns in real-time. No fancy production, just honest conversation.
It’s not enough to hear from the student senates and clubs once a semester. If students are the lifeblood of a university, they must have a seat at the table when policies are crafted. Student representatives on academic and housing committees already exist, but perhaps this is a concept worth expanding. Faculty can support this by advocating for their advisees to be part of shared governance structures. Likewise, administrators can show they are listening by implementing changes based on student feedback and naming them publicly.
Professors often see students at their best and worst, when they’re thriving in class or when personal struggles impact performance. As a result, faculty can be the most trusted bridge between students and administration. Encouraging professors to regularly attend student-led events, participate in community forums or even cohost open office hours with administrators can make both parties more accessible.
Students are consistently asked to complete surveys. Course evaluations. Satisfaction indexes. Engagement feedback. An article in this week’s edition of The Record covers how a large group of survey results is being used to adjust the institutional facilities plan. With the amount of data available from this survey and considering how it is going to be put into action with facilities, administrators could use this opportunity to publish a detailed and data backed “You Spoke, We Listened” report each semester, outlining top student concerns and what’s being done to address them. Faculty could be invited to contribute commentary on how these initiatives impact academic life. This takes student feedback a step farther than just completing questionnaires and actually makes use of the results.
Frustration about changes or procedures on college campuses is a fact of life, and the timely issue of housing selection is no exception. There will always be students with concerns, but it is up to them to seek an outlet for their feedback. Then, it’s on faculty and administrators to take these viewpoints seriously and help find solutions.
Students — fill out the surveys and then ask for action with the results, talk to people in charge and advocate for yourselves. If you want change or have new ideas, don’t assume that someone else will just say it for you. Faculty and administrators — continue practices of making yourselves available to students. You are the sounding board for student needs and the people who can do something about them, and we all know students want to feel like their thoughts are valued and useful.
Improving communication between faculty, students and administrators requires a mindset shift: recognizing that we are all stakeholders, not just passengers. Better collaboration now means a stronger CSB+SJU in the future. If we want a campus community that works for everyone, we have to build it together.
