By KYLE PRATT
Opinion Editor
Dear President Stefanco,
With all of the recent turmoil swirling around campus, it is easy for us members of the Saint Rose community to jump to conclusions and to pick sides.
However, there is a sizeable chunk of us, perhaps even the majority, that are stuck in the middle, sympathizing with those faculty members who will not be employed by the college after December, and those who have already left, and also sympathizing with the tough position you have been in since you joined our community in 2014.
I can understand the reasoning behind the continued chants of “Stefanco Must Go” that seem to echo across campus from the administration building to the library. People are angry.
They are hurt. Their anger is justified, but it is misdirected. The capitalization of higher education in the United States is without a doubt a problem, but it is also the reality. You didn’t start this, and your resignation, if it were to occur, would not change it.
The problems Saint Rose is currently facing began to rear their ugly heads long before you took your position. You were forced to deal with them, but you were not the cause.
Was the situation handled in the best way? Maybe not, but the College’s previous activity may have made this conclusion unavoidable in the long run.
The program cuts and the terminations are a shame, and I truly think you agree with me on that.
I very highly doubt those decisions were made with joy in your heart. My guess is that they weren’t even really made by you.
Regardless, I, and I think much of the student body, do not think you are a bad person. However, we unfortunately don’t get much of a chance to interact with you. Personally, I’ve only seen you a handful of times, most of which were from afar or at an event. The one time we actually came in contact, you greeted me with a very gracious “Hello,” which I appreciated and reciprocated, and then we went on our way.
As I’ve written before, many of the students at Saint Rose want to talk to you, interact with you, and even ask you questions. Sure, we could schedule a formal meeting, but we know you’re very busy. We could press our luck with one of your open office hours, but there are thousands of us and only one of you.
Besides, we want a candid conversation, a real one. We want to see you on the quad and tell you about our classes, or ask how your day is going. We want to pass by you on campus, say “Hi Carolyn,” and feel as though you know who we are.
There is no chance of this happening inside your locked building on Madison Ave., or when you’re hustling from one location to another surrounded by other administrators, but again, we understand your busy schedule.
Perhaps if more of us knew you personally, fewer of us would be holding up signs calling for your resignation.
I’d love to hear some of your opinions on things you’ve seen or heard on campus, or read in The Chronicle. By the way, you are, of course, welcome and encouraged to attend any of our meetings.
As you know, there are many opportunities on campus for you, and other administrators, to interact with the student body, many of which you have taken advantage of. But what about the smaller ones?
There are plenty of clubs that, I’m sure, would love to see you at a meeting or an event. Maybe you could appear on Saint Rose TV, or on a student’s radio show. These, of course, are just suggestions.
Each channel we use to mend our broken relationships fosters a new opportunity for us to be one community again. Confrontation helps no one. Resentment helps no one. Forgiveness, however, is something we can all use to heal.
The bottom line is that you have nothing to be afraid of. People are angry. They are hurt. The worst thing you can do is ignore them. We don’t hate you, Madam President. We just don’t know you.
See you soon,
Kyle
