We don’t expect the University of Arizona administration to agree with us all the time, or even most of the time. While our opinions may differ, a dynamic communicative relationship between the administration, independent student media and by extension the entire UA community is both possible and necessary.
New UA President Dr. Robert “Bobby” Robbins spoke to this idea on his first official day during a meeting with members of the Daily Wildcat, KAMP and UATV on June 1. He has committed to meeting with members of the Wildcat’s editorial board twice a semester — a commitment to which we plan on holding him accountable. Robbins’ willingness to speak with us, as well as many more students throughout his first few days and “undercover” visits before being appointed, is already a major shift forward from the former administration’s communication policy.
The students, faculty, staff and the many stakeholders who invest their time and money into the UA community deserve transparency regarding how the administration allocates its time and resources. We should have a president who engages with the student body and responds to its concerns.
Robbins has said on multiple occasions he hopes to be here long-term, possibly even ten years. While none of us can predict the future, we hope the direct communication demonstrated by Robbins on his first day will remain consistant throughout his term.
As a student voice aiming to better represent the UA campus, the Daily Wildcat is committed to holding the administration accountable, and we expect its practices to be honest and transparent. We are, however, aware that those on this editorial board are but a small part of the UA community.
We can’t tell this story without you. We encourage the UA community to share your thoughts and concerns with us. What do you want President Robbins to know about this campus community? What issues do you think should take priority in the early days of his administration? What are your concerns about living and studying on the UA campus?
No matter your walk of life, we want to listen – and deliver those concerns, for you, to our community’s new administrative leader. We plan to gather a collection of student, staff and faculty letters and thoughts to publish in July, so please, send us a letter at opinion@dailywildcat.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter @DailyWildcat.
We can’t make any promises about what will happen during President Robbins’ tenure here. But we can promise to do everything we can to help make your voices heard.
*** Editorials are determined by the Daily Wildcat Opinions Board and are written by its members. They are Editor-in-chief Chastity Laskey, Managing Editor Courtney Talak, Digital Managing Editor Logan Nagel, Arts Editor Kathleen Kunz and Opinions Editor Jamie Verwys.
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