The Spectator The independent student newspaper of Valdosta State University
After three years at VSU’s helm, President William McKinney is throwing in the towel, and in the fall, the campus will have a new leader. Transfers in power always elicit nervous anticipation from those under that power. Who will be this new captain, and will he or she be better than the last? Will this person be able to fix existing problems within our campus community?
While The Spectator can’t answer those questions, we do know what characteristics we want to see in our new president, whoever he or she may be.
First, we want our next leader to value transparency, not only in word but in action as well. While Dr. McKinney says transparency is a hallmark of his administration, too many cloak-and-dagger scenarios during his time point to the opposite, such as the sudden and unexplained firing of staff and restructuring of certain departments. Basically, we want the administration to live in a glass house, with all their processes exposed for all to see, and that starts with our next president.
Consequently, the new president should be able to admit when the administration has made a mistake. Too often students are confused or completely unaware of problematic situations on campus because of the constant positive spin VSU puts on these situations. While the administration is tasked with maintaining a good image for VSU, it is also responsible for being honest with students regarding VSU’s shortcomings. A new president who puts aside politics and speaks truthfully would be quite refreshing.
We also want the new guy or gal to be accessible and involved, a person who will walk through the halls just to mingle with students, as Dr. Patrick Schloss did when he led VSU. Although a VSU president only has so many flexible hours in a day, the new one should make time to attend campus events and brush shoulders with the community he or she leads. Doing so will strengthen the bond between the administration and the rest of VSU and will allow students to speak freely to the president about their needs and desires.
Lastly, we want the new president to arrive armed with a strong vision and an unshakeable resolve to see that vision through to completion. We need our next commander-in-chief to maintain VSU’s strength and work to eliminate its weaknesses. It all starts with vision, and we hope our next president has a perfect 20/20.
I do not know if it’s just me or if everybody
else experiencing issues with your blog. It appears as though some of the written text onn your posts are running off the screen. Can somebody else poease
cokment and llet me know if thjis is happening to them too?
This could be a issue with my internet browser ecause I’ve had this
happen previously. Kudos
Thank you for letting us know. Can you give us some more information first though so we can narrow down the problem? We would need to know what type device you are using (iPhone, Droid, laptop, tablet, iPad, etc). Also, you mentioned you are using a browser — which one? Chrome, I.E., Firefox? Finally, what articles have you experienced this with? It may be something with those particular articles and not a web, server or browser issue at all. If possible, could you take a screenshot the next time it happens and email it to Spec@Valdosta.edu? That would be extremely helpful!
If you are using a mobile device and are having the same issues, you can submit a screenshot easily by pressing the SHARE tile which allows readers to submit news or comments and has the ability to attach pictures straight from your device. I would need to know all this information before contacting anyone about the problems you are having.
As soon as you send in some more information, I will be happy to help solve the problem. Thanks again for letting us know! We want our readers to have the best possible experience with our site and work constantly to improve it and our mobile app!
Aimee Napier, Advertising and Sales Director