Since the day Jack R. Ohle was announced as President of the College, his actions have been steeped in controversy. This commentary is meant to inform those who are unaware of those effects and spark the attention of the student body as whole, especially first-year students who are unaware of the College’s recent unease. We cannot let the wrongs of the past to be swept under the summer rug.

As many upperclassmen know, Mary Morton resigned from her position as provost and vice president for academic affairs last March due to “changes in her scope and role as Provost.” These changes included moving the responsibilities for the Strategic Plan of the College, the guiding future goals and initiatives of the institution, from the Provost to the President’s Office.
Soon after Dr. Morton’s resignation, the faculty voted to request an investigation by the Board of Trustees into the circumstances surrounding her resignation, as well as a review of the president. The Board shot the request down in early April.  When the Faculty Senate chose to do a presidential review of its own, the Board cautioned the faculty of legal ramifications, saying that they could be held liable to charges of “defamation” and “invasion of privacy.”

In May, both Academic Deans resigned on the same day, citing a “lack of presidential support” and that it would be “disingenuous to pursue a role when [they] did not believe [they could] succeed.” Finally, Hank Toutain, the vice president of student affairs and dean of students, left the College, with many believing Ohle’s presence to be an indirect, but pivotal, factor in his choice to take a position elsewhere. Whereas administration changes during presidential transitions are not wholly uncommon, the tension between faculty and administrators caught national attention by The Chronicle of Higher Education, the foremost newspaper dedicated to current issues pertinent to colleges and universities across the country.

Although the Board of Trustees failed to act on the concerns of the faculty, they at least had the courtesy to respond to and start a dialogue about the College’s issues, however one-sided the conversation may have been. As for the students, we have been left in the dark. Students never even received an e-mail announcing the resignations of the Deans. For a college that is tuition-driven like Gustavus, it is curious that the Board is reluctant to even entertain the concerns of the students.

Gustavus is notorious for constantly working to improve its mediocre alumni giving rate. Yet how does the College expect alumni to care about the College’s future when they were never asked to do so when they attended? Alumni engagement starts long before graduation, and not with a pendant and a charge to the graduates. If the College won’t engage students, then perhaps it is time to engage ourselves.

Many students decided to attend Gustavus because of its communal atmosphere. But what kind of community lacks the ability to openly and honestly discuss its problems with all of its members? We all know that Gustavus is better than that … or at least we had hoped. But with faculty fearing their jobs and choosing to remain anonymous when speaking of the current state of campus issues, the community is in grave danger of being lost. Prospective students, alumni, faculty, and current students all believe Gustavus’ friendly community to be our primary asset. If we lose it, we are in danger of losing one of the few things we openly pride ourselves on.
President Ohle has stated before that he is still learning the Gustavus culture. Who better to teach him than students, or even faculty who have spent decades here? Part of the Gustavus culture is being involved in the community, being engaged, and staying informed.

Ask provocative questions to faculty and administrators. Discuss issues with alumni and encourage them to contact the Alumni Relations Office. Express your concerns to the Student Senate and ask senators to take action. Approach Trustees during the fall Board Meeting over Homecoming Weekend. We encourage every facet of the Gustavus community to articulate views of what our community is, so that we can start building solutions to the problems that are evident. It is easy to ignore a small handful of students, but if more of us start paying attention and asking questions, the President and Board of Trustees are more likely to respond to our voice, rather than dismiss it.