It’s time to work, Jaguar Nation

Published in The Southern Digest November 3, 2011

The time has come. For the students, faculty, staff, and administration to re-evaluate the systems and processes we use at this university.

The time has come for students to give their input on making the classroom, registration, matriculation, and graduation processes better.

The time has come for staff and faculty to give their input on making the curriculums, programs, degrees, and professional development opportunities better.

The time has come for the administration to designate and deliver the leadership and effective processes to address the issues before us.

The moment has arrived for students to graduate from Southern on-time, with honors, and contribute to our university as dedicated alumni.

The moment has arrived for staff and faculty to represent Southern University programs and curriculums away from the university to recruit students and generate interests in academic programs.

The moment has arrived for the administration to show leadership on and off of the campus and be willing to make decisions against the grain for the prosperity of the university.

There should not be any reason students should be surprised with discrepancies two weeks before graduation.

Its unacceptable for students to wait days for financial aid to say they are waiting for verification on documents sent in three months before.

It is intolerable that faculty shouldn’t have a voice in the procedure of the evaluations of financial and academic decisions of the campus.

Its unfortunate that censure, policies, and procedures have to be discussed in open meetings because those who we elected don’t know the policies and procedures they are to adhere to.

It’s sad that students lack the interest in the future of their degree and institution that they choose to transfer instead of fight on behalf of their departments and programs.

Its pitiful that the administration waited until the issue became so out of hand before they asked for specialists and input from other sources beyond their office.

A lot of people will not like financial exigency but, now that we are in this hole lets make sure we can get out. It is necessary for the administration, students, faculty, staff, and alumni to work together to develop a strategy.

When I say together, there needs to be a collaborative effort for students, faculty, staff and alumni to submit ideas and solutions.

This hole needs to be an opportunity to climb out and rebuild. We need to come out of this hole a stronger Southern University.

Financial Exigency will not break us if we don’t let it. We dug this hole together it’s time to get out of it together. If there was ever a time for the Jaguar Nation.

The time is now.