Currently, students have a unique opportunity to change the future of this university. The problem is, many students do not know about it.
When President Bennet sent a campus-wide e-mail on March 31 encouraging comments on Wesleyan’s Strategic Plan, he failed to mention one crucial detail: what, exactly, the Strategic Plan was. Included in his e-mail was a link to a webpage outlining Wesleyan’s goals for curriculum, science, the campus community, finances and fundraising, and communication, the five main tenets of the Strategic Plan. Providing an overview of Wesleyan as it exists now and how Wesleyan will evolve, the Strategic Plan will be enacted with the more than $200 million the University’s capital campaign has raised. With dialogue between the Administration and students a frequent problem in the past, this is an occasion for student input that should not be allowed to pass by.
As part of the plan, ResLife changed all houses on Home and Lawn avenue to be quiet houses next year, which has already resulted in student opposition. Along with the disappointment over Wesleyan’s new plan for course clustering and Bennet’s chalking policy, the housing status change is a perfect issue to address via the Strategic Plan. Instead of complaining about Bennet’s unwillingness to listen, questioning how Bennet plans on implementing his ideas in the Strategic Plan is a good way to vocalize opinions to the Administration.
EON, Wesleyan’s environmental group, has already proven that feedback will be considered. Determined that Wesleyan use green energy, EON took advantage of Bennet’s invitation for reactions to the plan. Because of their initiatives, the Fauver Field dorms, to be built by fall 2005, will use green energy.
By staying silent, nothing will change. By e-mailing Bennet as he has welcomed the community to do, this school, in its present and future state, can be tailored to the needs and wants of those who are most directly impacted at this university: the students.
To view the Strategic Plan, refer to http://www.wesleyan.edu/wesleyanplanning; to respond, e-mail Bennet directly at dbennet@wesleyan.edu.
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