In an ongoing program to hear an “unfiltered voice,” President Hunter R. Rawlings III will hold “office hours” today between 4:45 and 6 p.m. in the Straight’s International Lounge.
The meetings, which were started last semester, are designed to give students an opportunity to ask the President questions and to share their experiences with him.
“[The meetings] have been effective exchanges between students and the President,” said Susan E. Murphy ’73, vice president for student and academic services, who also attends the meetings.
Ten people had signed up for today’s session as of yesterday afternoon, with the deadline to register being yesterday evening. Registration is mandatory to attend the meeting.
Organizers stated that they wanted to limit the size of the meetings in order to facilitate meaningful conversation within the group as well as with the President.
“This is for individuals with particular concerns, not groups,” said Patricia Ard, Murphy’s executive staff assistant, who helps coordinate the meetings.
Ard said that last year, the gatherings were held in the President’s office and attracted approximately 10 to 12 people. Students who missed a meeting after signing up or were closed out of a meeting were invited to attend the next meeting, with the sessions occurring about once each month.
Around half the meetings this year will be held in more public places, such as the International Lounge, due to a Student Assembly request to make the meetings more visible, Ard said. Organizers hope that the change of location will cause more students to sign up in the future.
“If students know about it, I think it’s [the meeting’s] a good idea,” Natasha Elkovitch ’03 said. “There are a lot of people who do feel strongly about a lot of issues. I’d probably go talk to him about meal plan [if I attended].”
Future meetings will be announced in The Sun’s Daybook.
Archived article by Andrew Gelfand