The Murray State News

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Murray State University

Murray State's Digital Commons Murray State University Collection Newspapers 9-10-2001 The Murray State News, September 10, 2001 The Murray State News Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/msu_collection Recommended Citation The Murray State News, "The Murray State News, September 10, 2001" (2001). Murray State University Collection. 1810. https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/msu_collection/1810 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at Murray State's Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Murray State University Collection by an authorized administrator of Murray State's Digital Commons. For more information, please contact msu.digitalcommons@murraystate.edu. Celebrating 75yeaci qfexcellence in collegiatejournalism September 10,2001 page two Students have mixed opinions about president-elect Alexander and the process that determined the student vote. www.thenews.org page two Faculty Regent Terry Strieter said King Alexander's desire to get faculty advice and support may eventually change its opinion of the president-elect Vol. 77, No. 3 Alexander prepares for throne F. King Alexander President-elect BY LOREE STARK EDITOR IN CHIEF F. King Alexander was offered and accepted the job of lOth president at Murray State University after a 1 0-1 vote at Friday's Board of Regents meeting. Alexander, presently an assistant professor of higher education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Cham-paign and son of acting President Kern Alexander, accepted the offer via speakerphone at the end of the meeting. "I appreciate the offer and I am honored and privi-leged to have an opportuni-ty to serve the board, the students, the faculty. the staff, the alumni, the com-munity and the state of Kentucky," Alexander said. "I accept the offer and look forward to working with all groups ... for progressing Murray State toward the future." Staff Regent Lori Dial and Student Regent Nikki Key were among the ten regents that voted for Alexander. Key said when the presi-dential search began last spring, students expressed three qualities they wanted in a new president: the abil-ity to relate to them, visibil-ity on campus and someone with an external drive who would seek out opportuni-ties for the school in Frank-fort and Washington, D.C. After consulting her con-stituency, Key said she "wholeheartedly and enthu-siastically" made the stu-dent vote for F . King Alexander. Faculty Regent Terry Strieter was the only mem-ber of lhe board who did not vote in support of offer-ing the presidency to Alexander. "I am the only board member to vote negative," Stneter said. ''It' s my obli-gation as the faculty regent to reflect the views of my constituency King Alexander will be our next president and I think lhe faculty is going to have a see AI fXANDER /3 Special Edition .-.. -... -.. ---.,... . -. -----=-.-:-:-----2 News The Murray State News September I 0, 200 I "If King Alexmuier continues lo do the thillgs he talked about today, the faculty will eJ•entually come to support him ... '' President-elect seeks faculty support BY JASON BILLINGSLEY News EDITOR In spite of .seemingly strained relationship' between some fac-ulty members a nd his father, F. King Alexande r said he want s open communication with the facully at a pre'is conference Saturday. Alexander said he believes in open talks betwt!cn faculty, staff und s tudents and a llowing established academic authorities to operate their departments. Throughout the administration of Acting President Kern Alexander, Faculty Senate mem-bers expressed concern that they were left out of many decisions that impacted them. the expertise that's already here to help run the University is pre-cisely what shared governance is all about. If King Alexander continues to do the things he talked about today, the faculty will e ventually come to support him and mayhe bec ome his biggest supporte rs eventually." Strieter said although some fuculty members openly express the ir o pinion , they are not opposed to e very ac tion of the Board of Regents. The faculty voted overwhelm-ingly not to support Alexander's bid for lhe Murray State presi-dency at an open forum Thurs-day. 90 of the 95 faculty who issued a vote gave bim an unac-ceptable rating as president. "The faculty march to the tune of a different drummt.!r, .. he said. ''In the academic community, the idea of constructive niticism and academic freedom are the essential ingredients of that institution. To have criticism by our faculty is not to be taken in a negative way, but taken in a way that the institution is working to make Murray State the best school possible." Alexander did not disagree. laura Deaton/The News Alexander answered questions at a faculty forum last Wednesday. Faculty Regent Terry Stri-eter cast the only dissenting vote at the Board of Regents meeting Thursday. However, the faculty opinion of Alexander may change if his actions speak as loud as the words he spoke at Saturday's press conference. "He couldn't have said a more correct thing (at Saturday ' s press conference) as far as the faculty are concerned," said Fac-ulty Regent Terry Strieter, the only regent to cast a dissenting vote. "As he said today. to use For Murray State to progress, he said collaborating with the fac-ulty and hearing its opinions is important. "I believe in what the faculty can do," Alexander said. "We have a great group of faculty here, and it would be a waste for the institution not to take advan-tage of 'the knowledge that exists within those faculty. Their pas-sion for this institution should be taken advantage of and should be incorporated into the design of the structure of where the institution is going." The faculty circulated Gov. Paul Patton's phone number ear~ Her this week in an effort to get him to investigate the search that led to Alexander's selection. After the press conference on Saturday, State Senator Bob Jackson, 0-Murray. said the campus should proceed with King Alexander as president. ''I think it would be inappro-priate (to involve the gover-nor)," Jackson said. "I think it's time to put down the swords and turn them into plowshares. as it's been said before. Let's move the institution forward. He's hired. he's here and he's going to be a great president . Let's give him the tools to be success-ful." Patton was in Los Angeles on Friday and was unavailable for comment. Patton's Press Secre-tary Rusty Cheuvront issued a statement on behalf of the gov-ernor after Friday's vote. Said Cheuvront: "The Gover-nor has always said it was his job to appoint the regents who have the best intention of the University in heart, and there-fore, (the decision is left) up to the Board to choose who is the most qualified candidate to run the University." Student reactions mixed on outcome NIKKI KEY Student Regent " ... IT'S ALSO THE STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO BE APATHETIC ABOUT THE SITUATION AND TO WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON ON CAMPUS." BY JASON BILLINGSLEY NEWS EDITOR Stude nt Regent Nikki Key said she made her decision to support Alexander after reading student comments about forums with the three candidates and talking to stu-denl<l. The Student Government Associ-ation voted at its annual first-week retreat on Aug. 29 and at its first meeting on Wednesday not to take a vote on who it wanted to suppon as president but to support whomever the Board of Regents selected. Key said the reasoning was "to make sure the students got off on the right foot with whoever the Board selected as president." Many representatives of the SGA said Alexander was the best choice for pres ident after hearing him speak at his student forum, which was moved to coincide with the weekly SGA meeting. · • "I think he':. very charismatic, energetic and younger," said Londi-we MkhiLe, junior from Johannes-burg. South Africa and Regents College senator. "1 think he can relate (to students) better than someone who was older. There might be .some who dido' t want him as president because of his father's history, but when they get to know him as president, they'll realize it was a good choice." Residential College Association President Josh Rose, junior from Salem, Ill .• said Alexander talked to the students on their level during his forum and can relate to them. Rose said if students looked down on Alexander because of his age and lack of experience it was because they had not had the chance to meet him. "I believe when students down or criticize him, they haven't had the chance to meet him like we have in the forums, and they're showing a level of ignorance there," he said. "If they have a problem with him being Kern'.!> son, they need to be (at the forums) und ask the ques-tions. He doesn't have .experience on his 'lide, but he knows about Murray State and he related to stu-dents well at the meeting." Shane Shoemaker, senior from Anna. Ill. and Jeremy Osborne. sophomore from Norris City, Ill., said they disagreed with the SGA's decision not to endorse a specific candidate. "I think the whole reason we have a vote is to use it to make a statement." Shoemaker said. "I think abstaining is just throwing away that whole purpose; it defeats the whole reason for having a voice in the system. I understand her point that she wanted to start out on a good foot. but surely an incoming president can overlook something like that and not take it personally." Osborne said members of SGA should have asked for student opin-ion on the situation. "I wonder why the Board of Regents picked him if there's an overwhelming (amount of people) outspoken against him,'' Osborne said. "I think it would have been good if (the SGA) had taken a vote of the students and they could have gotten a more clear view of whut the students thought, and not just the erected representatives." Key said she heard some of the senators say they talked to students in their classes, bu( did not know how many students were rc:ached by those efforts. Sylvester Merritt, junior from Clarksville, Tenn., said he was very upset about the lack of a vote by the SGA. "A lot of people were rooting for Bates, and instead they just went ahead and listened to the Board of Regents who already had their mind set on who they wanted in," Meritt said. "I think it's a travesty to the whole University.'' Some students said the Board of Regents made a poor choice in hir-ing Alexander. see STUDENTS I 3 The Murray State News September I 0, 200 I ALEXANDER: News 3 President-elect supports residential colleges, Greek system, student organizations From Page 1 difficult time ... I can't predict how long that might be.'' At a press conference Satur-day. Sid Eao;Jey. c hairman of the Roard of Regents , addressed questions surrounding the presi-dential search process. "This wa<; not done in a vacu-um,'' Easley said. "This was not done in a smoke-filled room. It was a long process. and had we been wanting to do thio; immedt-ately. believe me. we wouldn' t have put seven month'> into it. We would have done it in the lirst month.'' Easley cited recommendations from the senior vice president for administration at the Univer-sity of Wiscon,in and former Murray State President Constan-tine "Deno" Curris as affirma-tions of Alexander's ability to effectively lead the University. "For eight years, we've had a quarterback as president," Easley said. "Well, we got tired of that. Now we have a poi nt guard.'' Easley said one similarity STUDENTS: between Al exander and his father is their aversion of losing. Alexander said his passion for higher education in public sys-tems led him to the presitlen~y. "I truly hope I don' t let any of you down," Alexander saic.J. "It's a great experiment for <~II of us, I thinl\." Alexunder elaborated by addressing the issue of ..Succeec.J-ing his father as pre~ident . He said it is a first for a public insti-tution of higher learning, and pressure is associated with his position. ''I teach the history of higher education, and this has happened where a father-son "ituation has happened in private universities in the past. but has never hap-pened at a public university. This is somewhat a great experi-ment- that I understand because of my knowledge of higher edu-cation history." Alexander said his cho ice to accept the presidency at Murray was a "family decision." His wife d ied of breast cancer, in January and he has two daugh-ters, ages 2 and 5. "I'm not making this decision by myse lf," Alexander suid . 'Tm making this dccbion for my family . rve ~een this com -munity for the last eight )'CUT'i . I really love this community . I believe this community is a nur-turing community." Alexnnder said he W:t!> unsure of when he would begin his term. He said he would have to notify his students about the sit-uation in the next weel\ before he dccides. "I don't want to let my stu-dents down,'' Alexander said. " I won't let my students down in one form or the other." A lexa nder said in his fi r st semester as president he would like to spend time learning more a bout Mu rray S ta te and its issues. " I'd like to interact regularly with the faculty and the staff and essentially sit here and listen," Alexander said. Alexander said he did not plan Key seeks 'two-way' communication between SGA, student population From Page 2 "I think the Board of Regents IS just interested in the Board of Regents," Shoe-maker said. "I have very lillie faith in the Board of Regents. and after this, it just seah the deal," John Gibson, senior from Henderson, said. "It's going to look really bad (for Murray State to have Alexa nder succeed his fathe r.)" Tbe low student atten-dance at student forums con-cerned Key. She said about 20 students were at the forum for G. Daniel Howard, five of wbicb were the SGA Executive Council. Key said the Donald Bates forum could not be moved because of conflicts with Greek and residential collegt? activities, and only 10 stu· dents showed up for the o;tu-dent forum with Bates, again with all five SGA Executive Board members part of the that figure. Key said students needed to actively seek information about what's going on on campus. well." Gibson said he could find no in formation about the forums anywhere on cam-pus, and he and his friends were actively :.earching for information about the forums. With the selection process over, the student body must now adapt to Alexander as president. Jll red Gentry, junior from Metropolis. Ill., said Alexande r might improve on areas where stu-dents felt his father failed. to take an active role in academ-ic affairs at the University. "1 believe academ1c affairs are . .. run by the faculty and the pro\'O'il anc.J the provost ~taff ond the deans," Alexander said. "And I believe that if I tried to meddle in the area of academic affairs, even though I was involved in many projects at the University of Wio.;con!iin. I might mess everything up." Economically. Alexander ~aid Murray State could do better with federal research grants. " ) think we can make strides in this area," Alexanc.Jer said " I think that a lot of it has to do with visibility: it has a lot to do with the type of grants we arc applying for and I encourage all faculty to move in this direction because it is important to this institution." In te rms of studen t li fe, A lexander la uded University insti tutions such as intercolle-giate athletics, student organiza-tions and the Greek system. " I want to link students to as many things as possible. to as many opportunities as possible," Alexander said. " I want them here all the time. I want them to take full advantage of ever y opportunity provided to them." Alexander s<~id his personal experience as u residential l'ol-lege grac.Juatc from Oxford Uni-versity in England made him a supporter or the residential col-lege system. ' "Residential colleges give stu-dents opportunities to identify with a smaller group within the ~am pus." Alexander said. ''These residential colleges ... arc a microcosm to the institution as a whole." Alexander abo -;aid instead of emphasizing one or two academ· ic d isciplines, as is the trend with other public higher educa-ti on systems, Murray S ta te should continue to balance. "People say you shouldn' t be all things to all people." Alexan-der said. " I think we should be as many things to as many peo-ple as we can possibly be." T he Alexander student fo rum on Wednesday was moved to coincide with tbe weekly SGA meeting to help students with work and class conflicts and had a higher attendance, although most attending were SGA mem-bers. . . "I think one of the biggest issues we have as a student body on this cam pu s is somewhere, there is a break· down in getting information to the st udents," she said. "However, it's also the stu-dent's responsibility not to be apathetic about the situa-tion and to want to know what's going on on campus. It's a two-way street; we can get it out there, but they have to take the initiative to get the information from us as " If he· s more based on the st udents, th a t 's bas ica lly what we need right now at the Un iversi ty because I never saw Kern in person,'' Gentry sa id. "(A vis ible president) is what the Uni-versity needs instead of somebody just ~>itting behind a curtain." Sporrs editor Justin McGill comri.buted to this story. Ryan Brook~The News Student Regent Nikki Key explains her vote to tbe other board members at the Board of Regents meeting Friday. e /-- -)~ . I . ~ University tore welcome Mu 'f4~ ta 's 1Oth esident 

The Murray State News, September 10, 2001

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The Murray State News, September 10, 2001

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