Graduate students thanked former President Peter Likins for increasing diversity at the UA and for his dedication to graduate student issues yesterday.
The Graduate and Professional Student Council awarded the university’s former leader for his nine years of service to the university at large at the council’s first meeting of the semester.
“”The reason we’re doing this for President Likins is so many things happened to help graduate students while he was president,”” said Amanda Brobbel, events director and former president of the GPSC.
“”President Likins is the kind of guy who worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. five days a week making the U of A a great university,”” said Paul Thorn, GPSC president.
One of the areas in which Likins encouraged improvements was in diversity, Brobbel said. “”He did greatly expand the role of women in higher positions at the University of Arizona,”” she said.
“”He ingrained a culture that’s supportive of diversity,”” Thorn said.
Likins also worked to get medical insurance benefits for graduate assistants, and to reduce high workloads for graduate teaching assistants, Brobbel said.
A glass sculpture inscribed with the words, “”President Likins, your dedication inspires us. Thanks from the Graduate and Professional Student Council,”” was presented to Likins following a few personal speeches from past and present members of the council.
“”President Likins is the kind of guy who worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. five days a week making the U of A a great university.””
– Paul Thorn,
GPSC president
“”He never forgot – even in the fog of budget crisis politics – that the core of the university’s existence was not the institution itself, but the student it serves,”” said Kirsten Copeland, a former GPSC president.
Likins told the group he has a great deal of respect for them and the passion they bring to the university.
Likins reminisced about when he graduated from college in 1957 and said it had been a “”white, male world.”” He said that since then, the change for women particularly has been amazing.
“”The benefits that have come for you came more gradually than we’d thought,”” Likins said. “”That’s progress that won’t come to a halt.””
Likins encouraged the council to turn to the new UA president, Robert Shelton, with their needs.
“”He’s a wonderful guy who’ll advance the agenda,”” Likins said.
Likins said since retiring he plans to attend volleyball games and other activities that he never got a chance to do.
