As recently as December 2002, Ball State faculty and students were at odds. At the time, the two disagreed about the way Ball State's governing system should be structured.
A little more than one year later, these two conflicting bodies have begun to put their differences aside and focus on what is best for the university by speaking out against the Board of Trustees.
The past week has united the two. As the Board announced its plan to conduct a confidential presidential search, students and faculty reacted similarly.
Student Government Association started discussing the search and began demanding more student representation on the search committee.
Faculty members have been voicing their concerns about how the confidential search will affect them.
They have also communicated that the Board's decision on Wednesday to add another faculty member does not adequately meet their requests for more of a voice in the presidential-selection process.
The confidentiality might or might not be legal, but faculty and students have shown that the search methods do not meet their standards. It is about time.
The two most important groups in a university have finally begun to see eye to eye on an issue. Their requests might be different, but their goal is the same. They want the presidential search to be conducted based on what is best for Ball State, and they know the Board of Trustees is not heading in that direction.
Faculty and students should not lose momentum. The Board has acknowledged that it has made mistakes in this process with the addition of another faculty member to the committee.
Being an active part of any public institution means helping to ensure checks and balances.
Faculty and students have complained for years about how the Board runs the university. The only way to help heal the ills of the presidential search is to stay loud and active.
The issue cannot be laid to rest until students and faculty are satisfied with the search method.
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