Letters to the Editor
September 18th Issue
To the Editor,
I am writing in response to your September 4, 2009 editorial regarding the tenure of President Brian C. Mitchell. As a senior at the University, I have had the pleasure of interacting with President Mitchell on a myriad of occasions throughout the past three years. I can personally attest to this man's character and commitment to this University.
As a tour guide during my first year, I recall him, on several different occasions, stopping my entire tour on the academic quad or in the LC and taking several minutes to introduce himself to the prospective students and their families. He would give them some advice on choosing a college and give a very convincing mini-pitch on why he thought they should choose Bucknell.
As a Muslim student, I recall him and Mrs. Mitchell hosting all of the Muslim students to Iftar dinners, or breaking of the Ramadan fast, at their residence. President Mitchell has held the Iftar dinner for the past five years, the first president of this University to do so. He also helped nurture our small community by personally unveiling two gifts of calligraphic artwork that are showcased in the Muslim prayer room on campus.
His commitment to this University and to the small Muslim community on campus should not go unrecognized and I, on behalf of the Muslim Students Association, wanted to publicly thank him for his efforts and wish him the best in his future endeavors. He will be sorely missed by many people at this University, including Bucknell's small Muslim community.
Assalamu Alykoum (Peace be upon you) President Mitchell.
Best,
Ahmed M. Kodouda '10
President, Muslim Students Association
To the Editor:
I am writing in response to the opinions article last week entitled "Mitchell Departs to Mixed Reviews." It seems that the main point of this article was that President Brian C. Mitchell is "opaque and unknown to the average student," and I strongly disagree with that sentiment. In my four years as a student and two as an alumnus, I am disappointed that The Bucknellian has made 1) a serious misrepresentation of our president and 2) communicated it in an unhelpful fashion.
In his five years as president, Mitchell has made it a point to know students. He hosts office hours, where students can set up an appointment and talk to him about literally anything; he works with student organizations like the Conservatives Club, the Leadership Institute and BSG; and he attends student performances like the concerts hosted by the Bucknell Symphonic Band and Bucknell University Orchestra). Mitchell hires students to work in his office, which is an unprecedented program among peer schools, and befriends students on their journey through college.
The article claims that he makes University-wide decisions without regard to the student voice. What do you say regarding the countless forums, such as those for arming Public Safety and the economic downturn's impact on the University, speeches at Commencement and Reunion, brainstorming sessions and one-on-one meetings with key student leaders regarding the Plan for Bucknell? With respect to the "official press releases," they should be a guide for you, the investigative newspaper of the University, to find out more! In fact, I challenge you to pry into the "unclear" departure of Mitchell. If it is such an important matter, then do your research and write an article.
Ever since he arrived on campus, Mitchell has constantly included students and the other "communit[ies] he represents," since there are more than just students, to participate in the democratic process for the Plan for Bucknell, much to the chagrin of efficiency. It is unfortunate "The Bucknellian" has strayed from these self-evident truths.
I love this University and the opportunities it has afforded me, and the man responsible for those successes is our president. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Andrew King '08
To the Editor:
After the last few weeks of comment on the subject of President Brian Mitchell's successes as leader of Bucknell, I wanted to take a moment to write about what I see as his lasting positive legacy for this institution: the 3/2 course load for faculty. What this means is that faculty alternate teaching two courses for one semester of the academic year with teaching three courses for the other semester. When I first arrived at Bucknell in 2002, the course load was 3/3.
There are a number of reasons why the shift to a 3/2 load has been and will continue to be beneficial to the students, the faculty, and the institution as a whole and why President Mitchell should be remembered positively by us for this change. These benefits are entirely attributable to the extra time that the 3/2 load gives faculty.
First of all, with this extra time, professors are better able to prepare for their classes, both by keeping up with the latest news in their fields and being able to bring this into the classroom; professors are also now able to spend more time on preparation and grading of assignments, not to mention being less rushed for time during student conversations and advising outside normal office hours. My classes are going better since the shift to a 3/2, and I think that my students are learning more.
Further, the reduction in one semester of teaching also affords faculty some of the precious time they need to pursue more of their own research, which is a critical component of the teacher-scholar model on which Bucknell is founded. The more research I do, the more my students learn, since it is through research that I myself learn the most about my field and remain engaged as a scholar.
This point leads me to the practical benefits of the 3/2 load for our University. The more research professors do, the more recogized they become in their fields outside Bucknell and the more competitive they become to receive more grants and awards from competitive agencies. Nationally and internationally-recognized scholarship brings more repute to Bucknell as an institution, and it also helps Bucknell attract new young faculty who want to work in an engaging environment.
On a purely practical level, without a 3/2 teaching load, we never could have attracted the superior new faculty we have hired over the past few years; with a 3/3 we would have lost them to other universities that offer a 3/2 or less. If the economy ever improves, I would like Bucknell to consider augmenting President Mitchell's original shift by moving to a 2/2 load, since it is then that I think we can be truly competitive with other similarly-sized institutions of the highest national standing. But for now, I think we should all take a step back and realize just what a responsible shift in this institution President Mitchell has accomplished during his time here.
Respectfully,
Stephanie Larson
Associate Professor and Chair of Classics
NEH Professor in the Humanities 2009-2012
