Students Face Board of Trustees
Bennett College students met face to face with members of the Board of Trustees Wednesday, March 30. The students talked about a number of campus life issues with Trustees Arnetta Beverly and Michael Diamond.
“I think this bubbled up from the students, [meeting] is something the trustees have talked about from time to time but this certainly was the student’s request that we wanted to honor,” says Bennett College Trustee Michael Diamond.
There was a big turnout and lack of communication across the campus was the main concern.
One student, Imani Wilburg-Folds says she along with other students get frustrated with hearing different answers to the same question.
“They definitely addressed the issue of communication. I’ve had some of the same problems that some [students] brought up. Two administrative offices will say two different things, and even some teachers don’t know how to use BelleNet.”
Wilburg-Folds says that if teachers don’t even know what BelleNet is, that proves that there is a disconnect across campus.
Diamond says that it is important to hear the students out because without the students, there is no business.
“Communication in any environment is key, be it corporate, be it education, whatever institution it is, it is absolutely vital. It helps everybody feel connected.”
The next big issue surrounded the apparent lack of funding for building improvements and school supplies. Diamond says the school can look into finding narrow donors for specific departmental needs.
“Our advancement efforts need to revolve around specific needs and purposes. Where we have curriculum needs, we’ve got to formulate development plans that approach prospects in specific fields of interest. If we’ve got a concern about the science labs or certain facilities, there ought to be bio-pharmaceutical companies that are interested in fostering that type of development on Bennett’s campus. We want to match up donors with what our needs are.”
Diamond says that the ultimate goal is for the college to get better as it continues to grow.
“The goal is that we get better and better, that our facilities improve, and that our curriculums get better. That’s not to say that the baseline is not good, it just means that we’ve got to get better and better. Any organization to survive needs to get better.”
Diamond says that outside of curriculum, extra-curricular activities contribute to getting better.
The board of trustees charged the students with making the college better. Diamond says that the biggest contribution students can give is to be great students.
“You’ve got to be serious about your work. The better you do that, the easier it is for administration and The Board of Trustees to sell the college.”
Wilburg-Folds points to an area her fellow Belles need to make a top priority.
“Communication is stressed at Bennett College, but many of the students aren’t exercising their writing, grammar, and vocabulary [skills]. We are lacking in that area.”
The meeting took place at 6 p.m. in the Player Hall parlor, and is the second meeting of the semester open to the students. Students expressed interest in continuing to meet with representatives of the Board of Trustees in the future.
“I think these meetings are very effective. It’s one thing to be [a student] on top, but it’s another thing when you have a say, talking directly to the [administration] who’s on top,” says Wilburg-Folds.
“Communication has to be two ways. A part of communication is listening very well. And a part of communication is hearing folks and responding to some of their concerns,” says Diamond.
Diamond says students should not expect their issues to be solved the exact way they want them to, but they should expect explanations of how and why administrators reach their decisions.
“Students who express concerns cannot expect there to be a remedy for every instance. What they ought to expect is that they have been heard, and that their concerns have been considered.“
By: Delrisha White
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