Following SUNY-ESF President Quentin Wheeler’s resignation announcement Wednesday, The Daily Orange Editorial Board encourages the college’s next leader to consider the need for transparency and open communication between the administration and community.

The announcement of Wheeler’s resignation, effective in June, came after nearly two tense years between his administration and faculty members, including a vote of no confidence and  steps toward another. Wheeler’s abrupt decision to remove three faculty chairs from their seats five days before the start of spring semester led to increased concerns surrounding poor leadership, including Wheeler’s “problematic relationship” with SUNY-ESF’s Board of Trustees and a “climate of fear” surrounding the idea of speaking out against his agenda.

An essential component of cultivating a healthy campus community is the transparency and visibility of administrative officials with the student body, a lesson SUNY-ESF’s next president must consider moving forward. How often students and faculty members are able to interact with administrative officials in and outside a forum setting is reflective of the trust established between leadership and stakeholders.

A heightened level of trust and accessibility of administration members is especially important for graduate students, who often have a larger financial stake in university politics. We’re seeing this now as Syracuse University considers a new health coverage plan for graduate assistants and fellows that could lead to greater coverage at the expense of increased monthly premiums.

SUNY-ESF students, faculty, staff members and administrators are welcome to share their thoughts on Wheeler’s resignation via letters to the editor. The D.O.’s policy is as follows:

To have a letter printed in The D.O. and published on dailyorange.com, please follow the guidelines listed below:

• Limit your letter to 400 words
• Letters must be emailed to opinion@dailyorange.com
• If you are associated with Syracuse University or the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, include your full name and year or position on campus
• If you are not associated with SU or SUNY-ESF, please include your town of residence and any relevant affiliations
• Include a phone number where you can be reached. This is for verification purposes only and will not be printed.
• Letters will be published on The D.O. website within one business day of the time they are submitted. Letters will be published in the paper as spacing allows.
• Topics should pertain to the Syracuse area
• Letters should not include any personal information pertaining to other people unless it is relevant to the topic at hand, which will be decided at the discretion of The D.O.’s editor in chief and managing editor
• Any links to third-party websites or extended versions of the letter will also be published at the discretion of the editor in chief and managing editor
• All letters will be edited for style and grammar

Thank you in advance for following these guidelines.

The Daily Orange Editorial Board serves as the voice of the organization and aims to contribute the perspectives of students to discussions that concern Syracuse University and the greater Syracuse community. The editorial board’s stances are determined by a majority of its members. You can read more about the editorial board here. Are you interested in pitching a topic for the editorial board to discuss? Email opinion@dailyorange.com.

Published on March 21, 2018 at 11:04 pm