With the new Jamrich building construction over halfway done, a branding initiative underway, the potential implementation of a tobacco-free campus in the near future and an ongoing search for a new and permanent president, change has ultimately defined this semester on NMU’s campus.
However through it all, the communication between administrators and students has remained ineffective.
The North Wind staff has received multiple emails and voicemails with staff members proclaiming they have no comment on significant events or issues on campus, while others insist they remain off the record. These problems were most frequently associated with issues surrounding the branding initiative, the results of the tobacco survey and the incidents before, during and after this year’s Brule Run, among other things.
Further, official information regarding the search for a new president has been limited, and most NMU staff members have been hesitant to speak about the many changes taking place on campus.
As the fall semester winds down and everyone has an opportunity to consider the many changes occurring on campus, the North Wind staff would like to remind administrators to strive for transparency as these changes are implemented in the coming year.
After all, it has seemed that those leading the business and managerial sectors of the university have become more and more removed from the student body in their decision making, save for a few consultations with ASNMU members.
It is understood that some administrators and faculty members may expect privacy in regards to issues that are highly personal — such as retirements and resignations or concerning events that may be deemed shameful by the individual or staff member involved. However, the North Wind staff and NMU students should be able to expect that administration and faculty members remain transparent with students, especially when campus is rife with various transformations that will directly affect NMU’s student body.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the North Wind to relay pertinent and pressing news to students, but it is the responsibility of administrators to understand that The North Wind needs cooperation and a reasonable amount of transparency in order to operate and continue providing a means of information to NMU students.
