After a great showing of student support, I had a meeting with Chancellor Coombe to discuss our ban bottled water initiative. My first goal and objective is to stop giving mass amounts of plastic bottles with our logo on it for free; We give the water to prospective tours, which totaled a little under 5,300 people last year! I think it is ridiculous that we give out that much for free, especially considering that most of the bottles end up in landfills.
I propose that we spend the extra money and give out a reusable bottle, such as a Nalgene or Klean Kanteen. If we slap a DU logo on them, the great advertising and PR will easily pay for the extra cost. Just think of all the prospective students using their DU bottle at their high schools. By showcasing our commitment to sustainability in this way, we are spreading our message and a good cause to thousands of students a year. We will further transform our school and our brand whilst saving the world. We are Pioneers, and we are pioneering a greener future.
On a different note I thought I would share some quick thoughts on the Chancellor. While I think overall the Chancellor does a great job, I think his interactions with students, the constituents, could be a lot stronger. A lot of students view the Chancellor as a top down authority figure, which he is. Disregarding the complicated relationship with the Board of Trustees the Chancellor’s word is law. Despite the Chancellor’s views on the role of his office, students perceive the Chancellor as someone who can and should make decisions.
When I framed the 500 students who supported our movement (in five short days!) as seeing the Chancellor in an authoritative leadership position, Chancellor Coombe responded saying he was not a top down leader, which is true. Chancellor Coombe in my short tenure at DU has delegated decisions and other affairs to panels, subordinates, committees, and councils. While this is great for those that know how to navigate the system, I can guarantee most students don’t know that Tom Willoughby is in charge of the purchasing of bottle water for admissions. To Chancellor Coombe’s credit, he seems to think this is a better representation of students; he doesn’t want to be a dictatorial leader. The problem is this stifles students far more than it helps them. The complicated system of our school suppresses students and makes those that have figured out how to navigate the long and winding path to implementation frustrated.
Students are seeking a voice. Students don’t know how to express their concerns, or who to express them to. With a complicated and arduous bureaucracy students have a hard time making change. If you ask any involved student on campus that has done something really cool for the student body, whether it be Bike Sharing or Explore Denver, they did it with a lot more pain and work than should be necessary.
I think students are seeking one person who will serve as a decision maker. Someone who they know can have the answers to their questions, someone with the authority to make change. For most students this person is Chancellor Coombe.
This is where I feel the great disconnect comes into play. For if students think Chancellor Coombe is the decision maker at our school, and Chancellor Coombe doesn’t view himself in that role, how are students able to express themselves and navigate our schools bureaucracy.
This seeming sea of red tape can easily be vanquished with an authoritative figure who will listen to students concerns and ideas, and honestly and openly respond to them with an answer.
It is my hope that we can forge a new relationship with our administration and Chancellor Coombe. We can create an easy to understand environment where students have an outlet to express their concerns to someone who has the autonomy and clout to make important decisions. I see Chancellor Coombe in this role, and I am sure many of you do too.
I propose that we as students further organize in order to seek a strong voice. Together in action we can accomplish what we seek.
How do you best feel we can accomplish this? Do you think a quarterly student meeting organized by the student government where Chancellor Coombe listened to our requests and responded with a yes or no is the answer? Do you think rather than a coordinated quarterly event the solution lies in Chancellor Coombe’s willingness to make executive decisions? How do you think we can reduce the red tape of our University and better make student opinions and concerns heard? Let me know at the Bull Sheet.
By organizing and expressing our concerns, we can forge a new path where student engagement and activism is easy and effective. Lead the movement and make yourself heard.
