USU students voice mixed opinions about President Kermit L. Hall
In the two years since he took the helm at Utah State University, President Kermit L. Hall has been an agent of change.
But for the better or worse?
That was the searching question put to a mix of USU students from diverse backgrounds at The Hub on Friday.
Answers varied from, “He seems like he knows what he’s doing,” to “He’s made it difficult for kids to go to school,” and “I think he’s lazy.” But, overwhelmingly, not all students feel they know the man at the reins well enough.
“I’ve never met him in person,” senior Bultu Hirpa said. “But I disagree with his tuition increases. I don’t see any new professor in my department, so I can’t see the benefits of raising tuition. They [the administration] should talk to students more. We’re not psychic. We don’t know what they’re thinking.”
Hirpa says she’s frustrated that the administration seems to ignore the student voice.
“Even though they claim to listen to students, all they seem to be saying is, ‘give us your money.’ Making statements in the newspaper doesn’t always work,” she said. “They don’t even meet with students often. We meet once a year, and that’s typically to discuss yet another tuition increase.”
Graduate student Dan Olsen is less critical but agrees that students are, for the most part, in the dark on major administrative policies.
“We’re not that well informed,” he said.
Olsen doubts the influence of the student voice on policy changes.
“[The administration] doesn’t feel like it needs to answer to us,” he said. “Their responsibility is more to the State Board of Regents and the Utah Legislature.”
Olsen is less than satisfied with student government.
“I think we’re represented, but I really question how much power they [the Associated Students of USU] have with the administration,” he said. “Personally, I think ASUSU has minimal power.”
Senior Masanori Ito, a student from Japan, is on the same page as Olsen. He says ASUSU isn’t doing all it can to help the student body. And the administration isn’t paying any mind to the plight of students either.
“I don’t think they care about students right now,” he said. “The president should conduct a student satisfaction survey — find out what we really want.”
A survey, or something like it, is of vital importance, suggests junior Heidi Owens. She says the administration isn’t doing everything in its power to ensure that students are heard.
“I don’t think there are many programs where students can be listened to unless you’re in a position of authority,” she said. “I don’t think ASUSU has done a very good job of integrating students.”
That problem, sophomore Yannich Eloi says, is two-sided.
“Students don’t attend ASUSU meetings. Perhaps if they did, they would listen more,” he pointed out.
Still, that’s no excuse, senior Xiang Zhang insists.
“Last year, international students went to a long meeting with the president. We made a lot of comments, but what did he do? Nothing,” he said.
Zhang is scathing in his criticism of the president.
“Do I like him? Hell no, I don’t like him at all,” he said.
Others, like senior D’Artagnon Wells, aren’t quite so disapproving, but nevertheless disagree with the president’s administrative focus.
“They [administrators] are focusing on all the wrong areas,” Wells said. “On the one hand, they’re taking measures to increase revenue, but on the other, they’re cutting departments and majors. Why must education and engineering get all the money?”
–leon@cc.usu.edu