Event organizers promised the president without securing her commitment first
No doubt many students attended because the flyers promised a chance to confront MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon directly about the proposed restructuring. But event organizers had not secured her commitment before publicizing the event. Byelich fielded questions in the president’s stead.
Student concerns included:
- Rising tuition costs risk driving everyone other than affluent students away
- The Dubai initiative has never covered costs, meanwhile on-campus programs are being cut
- The administration has failed to engage students in the decision-making about restructuring
- The administration refuses to be specific in answering questions about student concerns such as rising costs
The Overview
The Explosion
Quality International Outreach Versus Affordable College Costs
Editor Green’s perspective on Byelich’s performance was that his answers were often evasive. She said that he appeared eager to shift the discussion to “the big picture,” so that he could paint the changes as positive.
“After the shouting, he was more ready to admit when he didn’t know the details or say that most things were just out of his hands,” said Green. “However, I did feel sorry that the meeting came to shouting, especially so quickly. It was a bit scary as an audience member, seeing anyone confronted in such a disruptive manner and wondering if it would end the whole meeting.”
Other links:
- Spartanedge – The premier student-run online site for campus news
- Shaping the Future – MSU’s site for information on the restruring
COMING IN JANUARY – Our Series on Lansing’s Next Generation – Lansing Online News will host a week-long series designed to promote online and offline discussion about how and why Lansing should do more to (1) retain the best and the brightest, (2) promote small-bore entrepreneurship and (3) save youngsters from trouble.
As a person in attendance I found the forum helpful overall. I imagine that the outburst might have been upsetting to some but and I think it was important. Most of the audience stayed to the end. If this doesn’t speak to the worry many students feel I don’t know what does.
In all there were about 200 people (peak) in attendance. I thought Alisha Green’s coverage of the event was fair. In this increasingly uncertain world where even those who are used to a certain amount of economic privilege are being squeezed to the point they see no way out – it is a wonder why more people are not yelling and screaming.
Personally I find the resignation and despair (among the citizens of this state) about what is happening in education disheartening, and I do not agree that yelling and fighting never solve anything. They are often, in fact, the first steps to reaching an accord. This clinging to the “big picture” civil discourse amazes me. This strained civility serves only those who make decisions about the future without consulting the hoi polloi.
I for one was relieved that someone told Byelich (who seems like a pleasant enough fellow) to stop lying, beating around the bush and generally blowing smoke up our asses.
As for Simon’s attendance. She was in town. She could have attended if she so desired. At some point President Simon is going to have to come out from behind the emails and webpage proclamations to face the great unwashed masses or my guess is they will go find her. If Simon did not attend, I for one maintain, the fault lie not with the students who took it upon themselves to organize this event but with her – and her own fear. She didn’t come because she doesn’t have anything better to say than Byelich. So she let her flunky take the heat for her.
Obviously this is why she gets paid 1/2 million and the rest of us get the shaft.