2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
An open letter to President Lefton
Beth Rankin
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Opinion
Editor's Note: After this column ran, President Lester Lefton agreed to meet with Beth Rankin at 1 p.m. Thursday. If you have a question you'd like to ask Lefton, e-mail it to Rankin at rankinel@kent.edu.
Dear Dr. Lefton,
At the start of the semester, I dropped you a line (at lester.lefton@kent.edu) and introduced myself as Beth Rankin, a senior photojournalism student who also writes a column for the Stater. I have a few questions, I said, as a student of this University who wants to better know the guy who calls the shots. After all, your decisions affect the institution to which I've given most of my time and money for the last five years, and I hardly know you at all.
I know your schedule is busy, I said, but my handful of inquiries will take no more than 10 minutes. I can even follow you to a meeting or walk with you on your way to campus engagements.
I was pleasantly surprised when, a few days later, I received an e-mail from lester.lefton@kent.edu telling me that, yes, a meeting would be fine. All I had to do was e-mail my schedule to your assistant and she would set something up.
Look at that! A personal e-mail from the man many said was inaccessible to students. Maybe this guy's not so bad after all, I thought.
As soon as my class and work schedules were set, I sent your assistant a day-by-day report - broken down hour by hour - of when I am available. That was in February. I never heard back from you or your assistant.
Last week, I decided to e-mail you again to schedule the meeting you promised me. This is the response, verbatim, I received, from Yank Heisler (yheisler@kent.edu):
"Thanks very much for your recent contact with Dr. Lefton. His schedule is exceedingly tight. You may already know that he meets regularly with a reporter from the Stater and with students in Town Hall meetings whenever the student government asks him. He also writes a weekly e-mail to the Kent State community which expresses his views on a wide range of topics, including diversity. I am sorry that he will be unable to meet with you for an interview, but if you have an idea or an opinion, please feel free to write him an e-mail at your convenience. Thanks"
The word "Stater" was in bold, as if to infer that any questions I have as a student must be routed through the Stater's administration reporter, who is given only 30 minutes every other week to discuss campus issues with you.
Mr. Heisler (who gave no job title in his e-mail) also wrote, "He also writes a weekly e-mail … which expresses his views on a wide range of topics, including diversity." I suppose I am to infer that he (and you by proxy) believes your vague reference to "controversial ideas" in your recent In a Flash e-mail message was your way of addressing the recent forum with Black United Students and myself, as well as the controversies surrounding it. In that e-mail you, as usual, did a great job of addressing an issue without actually addressing an issue.
It's too bad the questions I have had since January have nothing to do with diversity on campus.
So here we are: You promised me a meeting, then changed your mind and, instead of dropping me a line to tell me, had one of your employees do it for you.
You're telling me you don't have 10 minutes to answer a couple questions from a student at your university - a student whose tuition dollars pay your salary?
Interesting.
I'm not one to give up easily, so I thought I'd give you another chance. I will do whatever it takes - walk beside you as you head to campus engagements, video chat with you from your office, even stand outside your office with a bullhorn asking the questions you, as the leader of this university, should feel obligated to answer.
I am not the only student with these questions, and if you ask me, you could use an opportunity to drop the façade and talk to your students like people instead of treating us like inconveniences undeserving of your time.
After all, what do you have to hide?
Beth Rankin is a senior photojournalism major and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at rankinel@kent.edu.
Dear Dr. Lefton,
At the start of the semester, I dropped you a line (at lester.lefton@kent.edu) and introduced myself as Beth Rankin, a senior photojournalism student who also writes a column for the Stater. I have a few questions, I said, as a student of this University who wants to better know the guy who calls the shots. After all, your decisions affect the institution to which I've given most of my time and money for the last five years, and I hardly know you at all.
I know your schedule is busy, I said, but my handful of inquiries will take no more than 10 minutes. I can even follow you to a meeting or walk with you on your way to campus engagements.
I was pleasantly surprised when, a few days later, I received an e-mail from lester.lefton@kent.edu telling me that, yes, a meeting would be fine. All I had to do was e-mail my schedule to your assistant and she would set something up.
Look at that! A personal e-mail from the man many said was inaccessible to students. Maybe this guy's not so bad after all, I thought.
| Do you have a question you'd like to ask Lester Lefton? E-mail it to rankinel@kent.edu. or stater@kent.edu. with "Question for Lester Lefton" in the subject line. And, naturally, "… if you have an idea or an opinion, please feel free to write him an e-mail at your convenience" at lester.lefton@kent.edu. |
As soon as my class and work schedules were set, I sent your assistant a day-by-day report - broken down hour by hour - of when I am available. That was in February. I never heard back from you or your assistant.
Last week, I decided to e-mail you again to schedule the meeting you promised me. This is the response, verbatim, I received, from Yank Heisler (yheisler@kent.edu):
"Thanks very much for your recent contact with Dr. Lefton. His schedule is exceedingly tight. You may already know that he meets regularly with a reporter from the Stater and with students in Town Hall meetings whenever the student government asks him. He also writes a weekly e-mail to the Kent State community which expresses his views on a wide range of topics, including diversity. I am sorry that he will be unable to meet with you for an interview, but if you have an idea or an opinion, please feel free to write him an e-mail at your convenience. Thanks"
The word "Stater" was in bold, as if to infer that any questions I have as a student must be routed through the Stater's administration reporter, who is given only 30 minutes every other week to discuss campus issues with you.
Mr. Heisler (who gave no job title in his e-mail) also wrote, "He also writes a weekly e-mail … which expresses his views on a wide range of topics, including diversity." I suppose I am to infer that he (and you by proxy) believes your vague reference to "controversial ideas" in your recent In a Flash e-mail message was your way of addressing the recent forum with Black United Students and myself, as well as the controversies surrounding it. In that e-mail you, as usual, did a great job of addressing an issue without actually addressing an issue.
It's too bad the questions I have had since January have nothing to do with diversity on campus.
So here we are: You promised me a meeting, then changed your mind and, instead of dropping me a line to tell me, had one of your employees do it for you.
You're telling me you don't have 10 minutes to answer a couple questions from a student at your university - a student whose tuition dollars pay your salary?
Interesting.
I'm not one to give up easily, so I thought I'd give you another chance. I will do whatever it takes - walk beside you as you head to campus engagements, video chat with you from your office, even stand outside your office with a bullhorn asking the questions you, as the leader of this university, should feel obligated to answer.
I am not the only student with these questions, and if you ask me, you could use an opportunity to drop the façade and talk to your students like people instead of treating us like inconveniences undeserving of your time.
After all, what do you have to hide?
Beth Rankin is a senior photojournalism major and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at rankinel@kent.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 16
The Facts
posted 4/10/08 @ 3:40 AM EST
Beth,
You write for the Daily Kent Stater but that's it so get off your high horse that you act as though you are riding on because you aren't important. (Continued…)
The Facts for real
posted 4/10/08 @ 8:34 AM EST
Hey you above me, yeah "The Facts." I remember one of Lefton's first letters said that he was available to all of the students. It's the least he can do since we pay his salary. (Continued…)
John
posted 4/10/08 @ 10:36 AM EST
This is quite typical of university presidents. They just think they can crap all over the school newspaper because it's just the school newspaper. These presidents have a serious problem thinking they're just dictators of their little empires when, in fact, they're just dicks. (Continued…)
Different Approach
posted 4/10/08 @ 6:02 PM EST
I'm sure all of the 20,000 students that attend KSU have a couple questions that could be answered in 10 mins by Mr. Lefton. But it is a bit outrageous to assume that everyone will actually get this opportunity. (Continued…)
Caitlin
posted 4/10/08 @ 10:32 PM EST
Beth....i agree with you on this one. you know, i thought lefton was a good guy, until i read your article. what a pansy. so what if he cant meet with you-- he can atleast answer your questions via e-mail. (Continued…)
Preston Mitchum
posted 4/11/08 @ 3:36 AM EST
Are you kidding me? No offense Beth because I don't know you, but it seems like you think you are the most powerful woman or some Queen of Kent State University. (Continued…)
Drew
posted 4/11/08 @ 1:02 PM EST
I cannot believe all of the comments on this blog against Beth's position. So what if it may be too much to schedule a meeting, then the least he can do is respond back via e-mail. (Continued…)
Both Sides are Right
posted 4/12/08 @ 2:49 PM EST
Well, whatever the case...Lester Lefton CAN try to say hello to people when he is walking in the student center, that IS what my parents taught me to do. (Continued…)
Jim
posted 4/14/08 @ 3:03 PM EST
I pay taxes, therefore I want a meeting with George W.
Gerald Adkins
posted 4/14/08 @ 5:52 PM EST
If there is one thing that I have learned in my 21 years on this earth, is that love is stronger than hate. Hate is easier to do, but love conquers all. (Continued…)
Post a Comment