Moving forward with optimism for the future of STLCC
By: THE MONTAGE EDITORIAL STAFF
As we welcome Interim Chancellor Dennis Michaelis, Ph.D., to STLCC Meramec, it is inevitable that students have certain expectations. It is critical that we make our expectations of Chancellor Michaelis known. As Interim Chancellor, we expect Michaelis to keep us informed about current events that affect students, to put education before politics and to act reasonably in the interest of individual student success. Of course, one might qualify such expectations as the obvious duties of a college chancellor, but under former Chancellor Dorsey students were not necessarily granted such benefits.
Under Dorsey, we were often left in the dark in the matter of issues that directly affect tudents. Dorsey rarely provided any sort of statement concerning controversial topics other than an empty assurance that the college is “focusing on student success” (as Fox 2’s Elliott Davis found out in a redundant “You Paid For It” segment last year). On that note, what is it that we would like to see in place of Dorsey’s empty promises? We want answers; answers to the questions we would haveliked to ask Dorsey: How does it affect students? Is student safety on the line? What is the chancellor’s opinion? Instead of relying on local media to find out about significant events such as last April’s campus attack, we expect to be informed promptly in order to properly prepare for any ways that we may be affected. Hopefully, Chancellor Michaelis will provide us with this crucial information and replenish some of the charisma that Dorsey failed to provide.
It is crucial to the success of the college that Chancellor Michaelis put education before politics. After all, Meramec is both a college and a business. In any business politics will exist and be a prominent aspect of it is operations. However, Meramec’s business is education. It’s what we pay for and it is what we dedicate countless hours to achieve. Thus, education must take priority over administrative politics. We hope that Chancellor Michaelis might be seen on the local news informing the community of how the college is growing, rather than defending irresponsible spending in a standoff with Fox 2’s Elliott Davis; or better yet— not on television at all, but in his office ensuring that students can be as successful as possible at STLCC.
