You haven’t come a long way, baby.

I’m writing to express my disappointment with the hiring committee charged with finding a new provost/vice president of Academic Affairs.  Despite no official announcement being made, it appears that the search for a new provost was discontinued after no offers were made to any of the final four candidates.

What is particularly shameful is that we have a strong, hardworking, intelligent interim provost who truly cares about the needs of students– Dr. Karla Hull.  Dr. Hull has repeatedly been asked to fill positions on an “interim basis,” first at the College of Education, and then for the provost position.  It would appear obvious that she has the necessary skills and abilities to fill such a role; if she didn’t, why would she continue to be asked to step up when the school needs her?

During World War II, the U.S. was not only able to continue functioning, but actually began thriving due largely to the hard work demonstrated by the women of this country.  Unfortunately, the country returned to its patriarchal roots after the war, and it was decades before women could once again begin chipping away at the glass ceiling that they continue to encounter across all industries, including academics.

VSU had the opportunity to send a strong message to all of us on campus who admire and respect Dr. Hull’s intelligence, leadership, and guidance.  It could have been a message of respect and equality, unfortunately, it turned out to be a reminder that the ceiling is alive and well and while women may be called on to help during a crisis, they are not respected enough to be given the position based on their merits and experience.

Written by Hazel Moon, senior psychology major.