In a recent poll conducted by The Spectrum, 82 percent of 700 students expressed they didn't feel President Satish Tripathi's presence on campus. The problem that polls often have is they don't include definitional variations that can affect one's understanding of the issues presented. The meaning of 'presence' in the poll we refer to above demonstrates that very problem.
For many students, 'presence' just means physical presence. They don't see him around campus - in the Union, in the hallways, at Starbucks. Well, as surprising as it may be to some, Tripathi frequents Tim Hortons. He is on campus routinely.
He travels often on behalf of the university. Having recently returned from a leg of his fundraising tour in which he brought in $8.9 million in the first 17 stops (the numbers for later stops are not yet available), he has continued to campaign for the vision of UB 2020.
But let's be clear - students don't really care if they see the president around school. The fact that 82 percent of students didn't feel Tripathi's presence reflects more on the students than the president. UB undergraduates are simply not paying attention.
It's not the job of the president of the university to have afternoon tea with Student Association clubs, to attend morning yoga classes at Alumni Arena, to spend a Saturday afternoon playing corn hole with the hockey team discussing the virtues of distilling whiskey in Kentucky over Tennessee or to ruminate on the meaning of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby with English students.
His job is to serve the university in bringing ideas to fruition - in making tangible, concrete differences in the institution that advance the environment and enhance student experiences. It is through actually seeing palpable changes that students are able to recognize a president's presence - when the work he or she is doing for the school begins making a difference in students' daily lives.
There are four substantial improvements that Tripathi should focus on. These changes would help students realize he is a relevant factor to the university they experience every day. It is an emphasis on the nitty-gritty, on the small things that need to get done.
1. There should be more transparency. When "The Heights of Fear" came out, it took Tripathi an entire week to respond. For students to feel their president is in touch, there should be a line of communication that is constant and reliable. Tripathi should speak more often to The Spectrum. He should consider activating a Facebook and/or Twitter account, much like Athletic Director Danny White, so students can follow him as he posts announcements pertinent to current events and student life. There needs to be a new form of interface that increases student awareness.
If the Pope can do it, Tripathi should, too. Even if he isn't #TeamFollowBack.
2. There needs to be something done about parking. UB is largely a commuter school. Many come from all over the Buffalo area and parking has been problematic to countless students. People are sometimes late to class because it takes so long to find a space and some have missed class completely because they could not find a space at all. This interferes with the academic experience - the most important element of a collegiate institution.
There should at least be an additional parking lot. There can be organization that provides freshmen and sophomores with some lots and juniors and seniors with others. There needs to be a concerted effort to provide more parking.
3. We want to see improved libraries. The electricity has been dismal all year and we want the outlets at all tables to be fixed. We want new, improved cubicles that give students a better study area. We want the conditions that help academic performance.
4. The bathrooms are a mess. They flood often and the design and layouts of many are not conducive to relief. The door handle is often on the inside of the door so students have to touch it immediately after washing their hands, with the awareness that many troubled souls decidedly abstain from that practice. It is a sad truth we must face at this university that a surplus of students are not hygienically sound.
There also needs to be a better system for hand drying. These bathrooms run out of paper towels often and every bathroom on campus should have air dryers. It is good for the environment and easier to maintain.
These are issues that students have to deal with every day. They may seem miniscule to some, but in the aggregate, they make significant impacts upon the college experience and daily life.
There has been significant time dedicated to UB 2020 and very little progress has been evident thus far. All the improvements we have suggested are feasible and minor.
We are hoping you'll take our ideas - the students' wishes - seriously, President Tripathi. We'll be watching, waiting, commiserating.
Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
