Mark your calendars now.
Your chance to sound off on what you’d like to see out of Penn State’s next leader is approaching. Representatives from the firm assisting Penn State with its search for its next president are holding several upcoming forums to find out what students, faculty and staff would like to see out of the presidential candidates.
It’s no secret that plenty within the Penn State community hold strong feelings about the job done by current Penn State Presiden Rodney Erickson and his predecessor Graham Spanier. There are calls for reform throughout the Penn State community and for more of a conversation between the administration and the community it represents — these forums represent just such an opportunity for conversation, and students, especially, should take advantage of that. And on the other side, we’d hope that the search committee will honor the input of those who speak up. While some of us won’t be around when Erickson hands over the reins to the next president — at this point, slated to occur in 2014 — but anyone who cares about the future of the university would benefit from voicing their opinions at these forums, whether for the sake of their own Penn State experiences or those of future generations.
That said, it’s worth noting that not everyone feels comfortable speaking up at events like this, and it’s encouraging to hear that the firm will be providing other ways to voice feedback.
Whether your comments come in the form of a comment at the upcoming forums or an email to those handling the search, you shouldn’t ignore this chance to have a direct influence on selecting the person who will be charged with guiding Penn State through a challenging path forward — not just with regard to the continued issues related to the Jerry Sandusky case, but also in a time of rising college costs, an evolving classroom experience and more. The first forum will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. on March 21 in the HUB Auditorium. The next will take place the same day from 6 to 7 p.m. in Room 105 of the Forum Building. Another forum will be held the following day, March 22, from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. in Room 102 — the Foster Auditorium — of the Paterno Library, and that forum will also be available for viewing online to those tuning in from Commonwealth Campuses.
We hope to see you there.
