ARCHIVE: We found the silver lining

Originally published in The Pow Wow, September 14, 2001

It is quite possible that I’ve never started a column, deleted it and started again more times than I have this week.

I have no problem finding inspiration or material. One only has to turn on the television or log onto the Internet for a few short minutes to know where the entire world is focusing its attention. Yet the right words to present to you are harder than ever to come by. Perhaps this is because none of us have ever felt as we do now. This week, we’ve all been presented with a new benchmark for awful.

I know that I’ve never been bothered by news images I’ve seen on television, that is, until Tuesday morning. I will forever remember how the knot in my stomach felt as I watched the first of the twin World Trade Center towers collapse. At that moment, I knew things had turned ugly in New York City, but to be honest, I don’t think I had any idea of how the effects would ripple to places like Monroe, La.

The first clue came Tuesday afternoon during a drive to the Monroe Regional Airport to hunt a possible photo opportunity. On the way, I noticed members of the Louisiana National Guard (including present and former ULM students) stringing concertina wire around their armory. I was told that the perimeter was later to be guarded by armed soliders.

I returned to the office to find that as many as four of our own staff members had family connections to the incidents. (You can read how assistant editor Virginia Dailey’s sister watched the events unfold on page one).

Tuesday evening, I joined hundreds (maybe thousands) of other folks in the region who flocked to local gas stations. It was the first time I’ve ever had to wait in a line that stretched out onto a highway to fuel my truck.

Wednesday at noon, however, I saw the real evidence that the effects of Tuesday’s attacks were far reaching. I also saw how an extremely evil event can actually have a positive effect or two.

In a sign of unity that seems to be rare on our campus, hundreds of students and faculty gathered during their lunch time near the fountain to honor the victims of the attacks.

In the close-up photos I took of the group, it was easy to spot the differences in the crowd. Some folks had dark skin. Some people had light skin. Some were obviously young freshman. Others appeared to be experienced in school, life or both. I noticed a few expensive fashion ensembles and some others at the other end of the spectrum.

I’m sure there were a fair share of commuters and plenty of dorm dwellers in attendance. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that many of the students were dean’s list material while a few others were probably on academic probation.

The point is that we’re a fragmented bunch here at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and many factors divide us. However, every now and then, something happens that allows us to find our common thread and join together as many did this week.

I think what I saw Wednesday was a sign of good things to come at ULM in spite of the bad things our fellow Americans face elsewhere. I know it felt good to see students come together even if it was for a very sad reason. It felt good to be a part of the silver lining of a very dark cloud. And I hope that we remember how good it felt -- and we do it again -- when our world returns to better times.

Michael Cossey is a Monticello, Ark. RTVF senior and editor of The Pow Wow’s online edition.

ARCHIVE: Help Wanted: New President

Originally published in The Pow Wow, August 31, 2001

Dear Presidential Search Team,

I understand that you have what some would call a daunting task sitting before you – the job of finding a replacement for University of Louisiana at Monroe President Lawson Swearingen. The eyes of a region and of a state are upon you. I have faith you will do a fine job. However, as a student of this university, and as a concerned taxpayer of this state, I would like to make a few suggestions (in no particular order) for your upcoming search.

Conduct a national search. I am sure there are a few folks in the state that could run this university. However, Andre Coudrain, chairman of the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, has said that he wants to remove politics from the search process. If a local boy (or girl) gets the job, it will be hard for some to look past the possibility of a political pay-off.

Another perk of looking outside our borders for a president is we will greatly reduce the chance of our problems continuing under Swearingen’s replacement. Look back on a couple of the previous searches to fill other ULM administrative positions. You’ll see it’s often tempting to hire from within. If we are unhappy with the current state of affairs at ULM, we certainly do not want to maintain the status quo by hiring someone that is part of the problem.

Look for experience. Although I’ve never been a university president, I would imagine that the job is pretty tough. It’s not exactly the sort of position where you learn on the job. “No experience necessary” is not something we need to see when you advertise for candidates.

We need knowledge where it counts. Our university’s next president should be someone who is highly regarded in either the field of education or business. (Note that the fields of politics or law are not included). We need a person who can lead our educational endeavors or someone who can manage our finances. It would be advisable that the new president’s second-in-command be proficient in whatever the president isn’t.

Return the president to campus. What would a city think of a mayor that did not live within his or her city limits? What would a nation think of a president that resided in another country? The answer to both question, of course, is, “not much.” So, what are we supposed to think of a university president that doesn’t live on campus? ULM’s next president needs to live with the people he or she serves. (Looking for a place to put the new president? Try Olin Hall. I hear there is plenty of room.)

Find someone who isn’t spinning. There is no way I can put into words the amount of distrust many students, faculty and community members have in this university. It seems that university administrators feel the need to put a positive spin on every story about the school. Sometimes it’s hard to know where the truth ends and the spin begins.

I know of a graduate student who needed figures on the dormitory population at ULM for a school project. University administrators gave him the typical runaround and were reluctant to hand over what was public information because they knew the information would cast the university in a negative light. As the Bible says, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth.” This student was looking to complete an assignment – not an expose’ on the decreasing number of students on campus – yet the school never let down its “negative publicity” guard. This must stop under the leadership of our next president.

I’m sure that you guys will get many suggestions from many different folks. However, I encourage you to especially listen to the students of this university. We are the ones commuting between home, school and work. We are the ones that live in ULM’s aging dorms. We are the life of this campus. I’m not saying this because I am a student. I’m saying it because there are thousands out there just like myself – people who hope that decision you make will help turn this university around. So don’t forget about the little people. Now is the time to rebuild the University of Louisiana at Monroe and we’re all in this together.

Michael Cossey is a Monticello, Ark. RTVF senior and editor of The Pow Wow’s online edition.

ARCHIVE: Will living conditions really improve?

Originally published in The Pow Wow, March 23, 2001

There is a quote near the beginning of Jacob Power’s front page article this week that really caught my attention. Charles McDonald, dean of student affairs, said, “I think we are able to put our students in fewer halls but give them more options for living and probably better living conditions.”

Dean McDonald is, by far, one of the “nice guys” in this university’s administration. However, I think he has just made a promise that is going to be tough to keep.

I have been a resident of one ULM dorm or another since the fall of 1998. In that time, I’ve never felt as though the folks running the residential life system wanted to give me better living conditions. To be honest, there were many times in which it felt like they were trying to make living on campus the most hellacious experience possible.

If the university is having trouble making campus a nice place to live now, I really don’t see how closing a dorm or two will help. The biggest problem residents face has been around as long as I have and is yet to be addressed. I’m talking about customer service and satisfaction (or, rather, the lack of both).

• While living on the first floor of Sherrouse Hall, the folks living above me decided to turn their shower on and leave it running for a few days. The result of their actions was a flood in my suite that I had to endure for an entire weekend.

When I first noticed the problem, I reported it to the RA. He said there was nothing he could do. When the problem got worse, I went back to the RA and he said there was nobody he could call. So, we had to spend an entire weekend with standing water in our bathroom and in part of our room before maintenance people could be summoned.

My roommate and I attempted to go above the RA’s head and report the problem (we considered it a health risk) to the hall director. Unfortunately, our attempts were futile as hall directors at ULM are about as accessible as the President of the United States.

What’s wrong with this picture? It certainly does not sound like good living conditions to me.

• Temperatures this weekend dipped down to the neighborhood of 40 degrees and the door to my room in Sherrouse Hall is anything but airtight. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem because the heaters in the dorms stay on until the last possible moment. However, as I cranked up the heater in my room this weekend, cold air was the only thing that came out.

Every semester, students complain about the lack of heat or AC (depending on the season). And every semester, the only response the university can manage is some notice about them monitoring long term weather patterns before adjusting the system to heat or air.

If it’s 40 degrees outside, there is no reason a student should not have heat in his room. If it’s 80 degrees outside, there is no reason a student should have to endure without air conditioning. Unfortunately, students at ULM have to do both every year.

What’s wrong with this picture? It certainly does not sound like good living conditions to me.

In my college career, I have spent time as both a commuter and as a dorm dweller. I know that living on campus generates a bit more school spirit, it makes being involved in campus activities easier and it promotes better class attendance. Unfortunately, many people are missing out on these benefits because they would rather live off campus than endure the headaches living in a dorm causes.

I have many friends that live off campus. Most of those people enjoy having landlords or property managers that respond to their needs within a reasonable period of time. I wish students could expect the same. Perhaps the saying, “you get what you pay for” is especially true at ULM.

Sure, I hope Dean McDonald is right. I hope living conditions on campus get better in the fall. But the number of dorm residents isn’t increasing (if it were, dorms wouldn’t be closing) and with even fewer customers to please, I don’t expect the service I’ve received to get any better.

THE REAL SOLUTION:
Before anyone can complain that I am only highlighting the problems on our campus, I want to offer a solution.

The annual Big Switch is just around the corner. Each year, students get to trade places with members of the faculty and administration. This year, I think we should take it a step further and make it a 24-hour event.

Administrators would have to give up their homes with central heat and air in exchange for a dorm without climate controls. Preferably, this experiment could take place on one Olin Hall’s upper floors with participants banned from using the elevators. Administrators will be required to pay for a meal card and use the entire sum (or else forfeit their money). Finally, each participant will encounter at least one problem that can not be handled by an RA.

Letting administrators experience dorm life can only benefit all involved. If my plan were used, I’m willing to bet that the level of customer service and satisfaction would improve immediately.

ARCHIVE: Perhaps it's time for a change

Originally published in The Pow Wow, January 19, 2001

The University of Louisiana at Monroe’s public affairs office issued a year-in-review press release a few days before the year 2000 ended. The release’s first paragraph ended by stating, “2000 was a year that once again showed ULM’s ability to be a leader through the region and the country.” I’ll be the first to tell you that ULM has some good points and there are things we should be proud of. But when I read that sentence, I laughed out loud.

I can not see how anyone with any good sense could see 2000 as a year that the university showed its ability to be a leader through the region and the country. Granted, the year 2000 allowed a lot of people to get used to the school’s new name and to stop laughing at us for changing it. But by the end of the year, our university had another black eye. Yes, I am talking about the infamous legislative audit that wasn’t.

When I say that it was the “audit that wasn’t,” I mean that it was a no-finding audit. You see, when the auditor came to town, he was told by the university that the records were complete. However, it seems that ULM’s accounting records were not complete and contained inadequacies. Highlighting the list of problems, the auditor found financial statements that were not properly prepared, questionable allocation of costs for the athletic program, public funds deposited into the NLU Foundation and poor administration of scholarships. (Just think. Those were just the highlights. The actual list of foul-ups is much longer.)

A year ago, one of our neighbors to the west (Grambling) was in the same boat ULM is in now after receiving a no-finding audit. The University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors told then-president Steven Favors to get Grambling’s finances in order or else. Well, he was not able to do that and Grambling received another no-finding audit. Earlier this month, Favors resigned as president before the board had the chance to fire him.

What I do not understand is that the board was ready to fire Favors for Grambling’s problems. However, those problems were there before Favors was. The board of supervisors has been getting rid of Grambling presidents for mismanagement since 1994 when they fired Harold Lundy. Favors was asked to fix the university’s existing problems. He didn’t and he had to hit the road.

At ULM, however, Swearingen has been around for a while. He didn’t inherit any of the schools’ current financial trouble. Although I’m not saying he created the problems at hand, they did happen under his watch. Why didn’t the board fire Swearingen?

It seemed fishy to me that the board would want to fire someone for not being able to fix existing problems, but not for allowing them to happen in the first place.

At first, I thought the board wanted to get rid of Favors because this wasn’t his first no-finding audit. (Swearingen only had one.)

However, I did some reading and it seems that this isn’t the first time the university has screwed things up. According to the auditor’s report, “For the second consecutive audit, the University of Louisiana at Monroe submitted annual financial reports that were not properly prepared and contained numerous errors.” So, if the board was firing people based on continued negligence, Swearingen should be gone.
It seems other folks think the president should be out of here, too.

According to the university’s truthatulm.com site, an anonymous e-mail was circulated recently asking for Swearingen’s termination. In a letter on the site, ULM Vice President Richard Baxter claims the e-mail used bogus facts to support their position. According to Baxter, the e-mail claimed audits of ULM over the past 25 years only contained two findings needing corrections.

Baxter refuted that claim by saying the legislative auditor reported 23 findings between 1983 and 1991 (before Swearingen took office). Such a statement ranks up there with Pee Wee Herman’s famous comment, “I know you are but what am I?”

What Baxter is saying is there were only 23 findings over a total of eight years time then and a whopping 18 findings in the most recent report. It sounds like things are getting worse to me.

I have nothing personal against President Swearingen. However, the time has come for us to ask ourselves why he remains our university’s president.

Is he here to lead the educational aspect of our university? Not really. He has done some teaching in the past but he is a lawyer by trade -- not an educator.

Is he here to lead the business end of our university? After reading through the auditor’s report, I’m going to have to say no.

Of course, some would say that he brings political clout to the table. But does politics really need to sit at the head of the table at our university or at any institution of higher learning? I don’t think so.

With this said, maybe it’s time for Swearingen to cut his losses and move on to another phase of his life and allow ULM to move on to another phase of it’s life.

Perhaps it’s time for a change.