The Minaret appreciates the recent conversations about security with senior administration at UT. When Linda Devine, vice president for operations ‘ planning, told our editorial board that “as the campus evolves, we can’t be relying on the same systems we always have,” we couldn’t have agreed more.
Senior administrators had recognized the need for a thorough reevaluation of security plans long before the tragedy at Virginia Tech made it an issue of first priority. As she said, “This isn’t something we started last week or last month.” Since President Vaughn announced the formation of the Security Study Group on March 13, the University community has been awaiting their resulting plan.
Though progress has been made, such as the first section on policy disclosure, record collection, retention and information that has been put before President Vaughn’s desk, the bulk of the report remains a work in progress, not to be released until its May 30 due date.As the due date looms on the horizon, The Minaret must say that trying to get updates about security planning has been like pulling teeth. In senior administration, the ranks have closed; The Minaret has been led in a circle with nobody able to release information.
From various officials, the tone has been apologetic. It seems as though they want to release information to us that they simply aren’t allowed to disclose. While several administrators have been very cooperative with The Minaret and have provided all releasable information, the quality of information released hasn’t been as forthcoming as we had hoped.
Rod Plowman, vice president for administrative services, acknowledged that the lack of disclosure seemingly intimates that an egregious flaw is being covered up, but he has assured The Minaret that this is not the case.We have no choice but to accept his word . . . for now. We appreciate Plowman’s candor and are inclined to find him trustworthy.
Why congenial and insightful officials are seemingly not allowed to release information that would help the public image of the University remains a mystery to us. If the hands of the senior administrators at UT are all tied, who is tying them and why?
At times at The Minaret, the quest for public information has been a circuitous maze. While Linda Devine is absolutely right to say that “we can’t be relying on the same systems we always have,” antiquated public relations and out-of-date communication methods still prevail at UT.
If Devine, Plowman and other capable administrators are caught with their hands tied, who is the public face for the University? President Vaughn keeps such a low profile that most students could pass him in Plant Hall without even knowing who he is. In over two years, he has never directly contacted The Minaret. While we understand that part of his enigmatic aloofness this semester may stem from his personal loss, if he’s not going to be the public face of the University, someone else should step up in his absence. The University needs a speechmaker, someone able to lead from the front, and President Vaughn has been insulated from the students and the community. We hope that the replacement for University Spokesman Grant Donaldson will possess a profound understanding of public relations.
Especially after the Virginia Tech incident, students and the community at large urgently want to see something from the University that inspires confidence in their plan for crisis situations. Yet thus far senior administration has offered only vague assurances. The few concrete details released thus far are reason for optimism, but without any substantive information being released, Plowman even admits that he understands how members of the University community concluded that it seems like a “cover up.”
We are hoping that May 30 will clear up the miscommunication. The Minaret expects the comprehensive plan to be conveyed to the students and community in a readily accessible manner. We’re taking a leap of faith by believing the administration when they say the report won’t be buried in the inertia of summer life, when most students are miles away from UT. We trust the University will take the offensive to reach and engage every student as to the results of the report. We hope a voice will step forward to inspire confidence.
Editor’s Note: The editorial was written prior to the Global Email on Wednesday.