New student poll reveals lack of interest in tenth president’s selection process

The job opening of Viterbo’s tenth president has yet to be filled. For students, things have seemingly gone quiet, as the Board of Trustees continue to deliberate. Though it was told to the Lumen previously that further opportunities for students to engage with the process are coming, student interest, and overall knowledge of the situation, seems to be lacking—according to a new poll conducted by the Lumen Newspaper. 

After ninth president of Viterbo, Glena Temple’s, abrupt departure in June 2021, the search for the tenth is being conducted by Viterbo’s Board of Trustees. This process, led by board chair, John McHugh, is lengthy and difficult; essentially, the board must write and post a job description, review all submitted applications, interview select candidates, and submit their choice-candidate to be reviewed by Viterbo ministries.  

An enormous responsibility, no doubt, but it is one the board has elected to share with the entire Viterbo community, especially students. The board held two listening sessions this semester, one for faculty and the other for students, to get input from Viterbo’s campus as to what they need from the next leader of Viterbo. The board also opened an online survey where students and faculty who couldn’t attend the sessions could still submit feedback. 

Though the board made a valid effort to connect with students, a recent poll conducted by the Lumen shows that it just wasn’t enough to grab student attention. Anonymous students, willing to comment on the situation, expressed much confusion as to the current selection of Viterbo’s tenth president. “I have zero clue,” said a third-year student (Student A). “Have they been sending emails?” asked another third-year student (Student B), “I know they had a listening session, that’s all I know.”  

All participants of the poll admitted they did not attend the listening session. “I didn’t know it was happening,” stated a third-year student (Student C), “To be honest, I am not too concerned anyway because I am almost out of here.” The overall concern about this process was shared by all students stating that they are, “slightly concerned.” However, when asked if they are concerned with who will be the next president, the answer was a resounding, “Yes.” 

“[The next president] needs to be good at communicating with their students,” Student C stated. Another point was made by a second-year student (Student D) who said, “[the president] must be able to communicate effectively and intelligently to a diverse body of students… especially after the events of last year.” The events of last year Student D was speaking on were a series of hate/bias incidents that occurred on Viterbo’s campus. 

Speaking in that same vein was Student A who said, “Anybody with a sense of diversity, not a cisgender white male, would be lovely; especially since we made many leaps and bounds last semester, talking about [hate/bias], it would be nice having someone we know will move that conversation further.” Some students also stated their objections toward the criteria that the next president “must be a practicing Catholic;” a rule upheld by Viterbo Ministries to maintain Viterbo’s Catholic identity. 

In reviewing the responses to this poll, it seems students are more than interested in who the board chooses as tenth president of Viterbo. However, interest in engaging in listening sessions or voluntary surveys via email is not there. The Board of Trustees have a difficult task at hand, no doubt, but it is a decision they want students to be a part of. In better engaging the students, a few willfully shared some ideas to the Lumen, they think, the board should consider. “We did this at my high school,” Student C began. “We had the final four candidates come talk to students, ask us questions, and answer ours. Then, afterward, we were sent a survey to share our thoughts on the candidates.” 

At the time of this article, the board continues to meet as they move the process forward. The Lumen reached out for a statement by McHugh. He gladly accepted. His statement reads: “Members of the Board of Trustees are reviewing all the comments that were heard at the various listening sessions with faculty, staff and students. They are also in the process of developing behavioral based interview questions that align with the desired characteristics for the next president.”  

The Board said they will offer opportunities for students to engage in this process, but further review of student and faculty feedback is necessary before anything more can be planned. So, students should be vigilant for possible updates at the start of spring semester. Interim President Rick Trietley will continue to fulfill the duties of a president until his contract expires June 2022. As always, The Lumen will continue to follow this story as it develops.