House Editorial: Board of Visitors clearly just visiting
If these are our leaders, we must be the change, indeed
Posted on January 16, 2007

The saddest part about Friday’s Board of Visitors meeting wasn’t that Student Advisory Council President Jennifer Chapman’s plea for more time to save the 10 sports cut Sept. 10 was rejected, or that the BOV members read from a prepared statement, which appeared to imply the decision was made before Chapman’s speech.

It wasn’t that Title IX — a bill designed to create opportunity — destroys just as many opportunities as it creates.

The saddest part of Friday’s BOV meeting was the disregard for the students and the realization that these members are out of touch with those they are appointed to represent.

Without the students, there would be no JMU, and often it seems that is forgotten from advisers who don’t know their advisees’ names and are unprepared to answer questions up to the big wigs sitting and ruling on the BOV.

In one of the morning sessions, one Board member asked what a JAC Card was just after they were told what freshman and transfer orientation programs were meant to accomplish and how they accomplished it.

Common sense would dictate that in ruling on any matter, familiarity with that matter seems to be somewhat important.

But it’s not entirely the BOV’s fault. Judging by the questions asked and blank stares, it’s safe to say student involvement with Board members is at a minimum. Yes, there is a student representative (who was excluded from the Title IX decision) and the student body president made a presentation, but for a true gauging of student interests, why not ask regular, everyday students?

The BOV consists of 17 members appointed by governor and is comprised of alumni and well-to-do people in the world of education. Only five of those members live in Harrisonburg, which is fine, considering — as their title indicates — they are only visitors.

The student body president is elected to speak for the students, but during the meeting his speaking was limited to the success of the Christmas tree lighting on the Quad and a plan to text message university announcements and SGA rulings to the students. There was also mentioning of podcasting SGA speeches. Creative, but doubtful students will be flocking to iTunes to download the latest SGA resolution or paying 10 cents to find out about JMU’s next speaker.

How well represented we are.

The university has drilled into us from our arrival on campus that we are to “be the change.” What exactly that change is, isn’t specified, and change itself can either be good or bad.

Today, the main charge of change is diversity. A committee was formed a few years ago to enhance JMU’s diversity and thus far it’s done a remarkable job assembling white people from all over the United States. Currently, 11.5 percent of JMU is considered a minority according the JMU Web site, even though every piece of literature used to advertise and promote the university would say otherwise. Just check out the photos on the buses taking the athletes fortunate enough to play the right sports to destinations of the Colonial Athletic Association.

Chapman implored the Board Friday to “be the change,” as it had the opportunity to become one of the first schools to reject the constrictions set forth by Title IX, which have led to the elimination of many of the “unpopular” sports like fencing, archery, swimming, track and wrestling. Strangely, as reported in meeting, these teams had the highest GPAs, but no scholarships.

The BOV chose instead to stick with its Sept. 29 decision; as President Linwood Rose said, it just didn’t make sense to become compliant any other way, like polling students to see if our sports met our interests.

We are told to “Be the change.” Perhaps the students can succeed where the Board of Visitors failed, if only they were asked.