Committee calls for better campus communication by Ari Zito Assistant News A visiting committee of administrators in higher education presented its final evaluation of the University on Oct. 9, the culmination of Wesleyan’s 10-year reaccreditation process. The University was praised for its political activism yet received negative feedback on the strained relations between students and the administration. Committee Chairperson Diana Chapman Walsh, President of Wellesley College, spoke on behalf of the Committee to an audience almost entirely of University administrators and staff. “We believe that the time is right for the administration to demonstrate in more tangible ways its understanding of and respect for the strong faculty and student commitment to community engagement that defines Wesleyan as a source of institutional loyalty and pride,” Walsh said. Walsh did not directly reference the administration’s recent decisions to declare a moratorium on chalkings and to prohibit athletes from participating in captains’ practices. Rather, she spoke in more general terms about how the faculty, administration, and students should interact. “The discussion of decisions with faculty and students needs to occur before the fact and an authentic process of soliciting and incorporating a wide range of opinion on important matters needs to be established and communicated.” University President Doug Bennet responded to Walsh’s concern for improved communication. “This place does its best to function as a community. I believe that’s where the energy comes from. We’re faced with a complicated challenge,” Bennet said regarding recent tensions between students and the administration. The Committee also briefly discussed the University’s mission statement. “We have to tell you that, strictly speaking, Wesleyan does not present a mission statement that meets NEASC standards,” Walsh reported. The Northeast Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) oversees accreditation in this area of the country. Though the NEASC strongly recommends that the Committee push for universities to include their mission statement in their publications, many academic institutions including Amherst College have fought against this requirement. Walsh noted that the University does not consistently include its mission statement in University publications. President Bennet addressed this concern in his closing remarks. “On the question of the mission statement, the whole thing is completely ridiculous,” Bennet said. The audience and Committee members burst into laughter and President Walsh offered a terse explanation. “We’re not allowed to lie!” Walsh said, laughing. “Nothing gets in the way of progress like a good mission statement,” Bennet added. Before presenting the Committee’s recommendations, Walsh enumerated many of the Committee’s observations and suggestions. One of these observations was that the University is not doing enough for students with disabilities. “Many opportunities exist for students to engage in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, but we weren’t able to satisfy ourselves that students with special needs, concerns, or grievances have effective channels in which to communicate those,” Walsh said. “In addition, we were glad to see that the University is reviewing its support for students with disabilities” she added. The Committee also noted that access to courses during the registration period is a concern of many students. “We recommend a good, systematic evaluation of the course access issue,” Walsh said. “It may be a factor that discourages some students from meeting all of the General Education Requirements.” Walsh commented on the need for improvement of University facilities, especially student housing. “There are residence halls and housing units that need renovation. Replacing the old wood frame houses with a new residence hall would be a great advancement and would remove the financial burden from the significant number of maintenance costs,” Walsh said. Walsh presented a number of the University’s strengths, as determined by the Committee. She praised the University for its social activism. “At a time when many colleges and universities struggle to marshal their political forces and to build a constituency, Wesleyan stands out as a university that continues to understand the dangers of complacency in a rapidly changing world,” she said. According to Walsh, the Committee felt a “sense of admiration” for the University. “High levels of integrity, ethical conduct and professional behavior permeate this organization, as does a commitment to the institution. These are wonderful resources that you have,” Walsh concluded.

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