EDITORIAL – Make the right decisions for Student life

Will the following people please stand and remain standing? Camille Flint. Joe Cavalla. Sharon… Will the following people please stand and remain standing? Camille Flint. Joe Cavalla. Sharon Malazich.

You are missed, fallen heroes of the University of Pittsburgh’s office of student life, formerly known as the office of student activities. We all knew their work although we may not have known them personally. They were people who cared about, and worked for, the students at this university while employed here. No one could have ever “replaced” them in the hearts of many upperclass students still here at Pitt.

Now that Jack Daniel and Birney Harrigan have announced their pending resignations from the division of student affairs, there are two significant positions to be filled in that office — dean of students and director of Student Life. With those two positions left open, this is a perfect opportunity for Pitt — particularly Provost James Maher — to reevaluate the situation in student affairs. The office that is responsible for every facet of student life, from Greek life to Campus Women’s Organization, safety on campus to student health, is coming apart at the seams. It appears that the consolidation method did not work to improve efficiency and interoffice communication. Instead, there were unfilled positions, such as that of the recently filled Greek adviser. Or, even more common, there were overworked employees responsible for several projects or jobs simultaneously. There has been, and continues to be, a mass exodus of senior members of staff. Both Harrigan and Daniel are looking forward to dedicating more of their time to their first loves — research and academia. They would both make challenging and insightful professors.

Perhaps when Pitt is searching for the superheroes who will fill these positions, they will find qualified applicants who are experienced in working with students. And they will find enough of them. The current situation is that the relationship between students and the division of student affairs is a hostile one — and that has to change. This is of no fault to the current staff. It’s just that the candidate with the most degrees isn’t always the best candidate to work in student life. This experiment to mix administration and academics in student affairs has failed.

How many wonderful people who were good at what they did will have to leave before Pitt hires a sufficient staff of student-loving professional administrators? They don’t necessarily have to have PhDs, but they will need a little TLC and a whole lot of patience, much like beloved adviser and student life employee Joyce Giancarlo and Greek adviser Chris Meaner.

And to ensure user satisfaction, all the users should exercise their purchasing power. In other words, filling positions in the office of student life without any input from students could lead to some frustration and more hostility.

Frustration, students and the office of student affairs. One of these things just doesn’t belong. Make it right this time, Pitt.