As someone who despises public relations on a general moral principle, it takes a lot for me to say this: I want to see a press release from or written on behalf of University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martin.
During her student forums, Martin was eager for conversation and happy to answer questions. Attentive to student needs, a bulwark for diversity and ready to listen. What more could we want?
Well, a little more talk, actually.
I could ask Martin for more action considering the current state of the university. Wiley ran out of here screaming about an impending crisis of declining state funding and seedy political machinations at our state Capitol. Muggings and theft have gone through the roof — despite student cronies for Progressive Dane citing statistics of two years ago. The band is “doing things” with “other things” that may or may not involve “bananas,” our senior class president is a thief, and we’ll probably still end up with Art Paul Schlosser as our winter commencement speaker.
But I’m not asking that Biddy do anything.
Other than speak.
While much has been made about the chancellor as the effective “CEO” of this university, the tough executive decisions should take time and contemplation before acting. While no one wants deliberation to take as long as legislative budget sessions, we also don’t want to jump to hasty patchwork solutions. Nobody wants a Plan 2018, after all.
But with Martin in the budding stages of her command of this university, she has to point the chancellorship in a general direction, even if she hasn’t quite charted the distinct path yet.
But she’s yet to even get out the map, as far as PR is concerned.
With the first substantive public address of the year, Martin acknowledged the problem of retention and recruitment, but she said she doesn’t know enough to have any stance on the situation.
When the band was suspended, Martin didn’t have any comment until confronted at Faculty Senate. She mentioned support for Leckrone but said she didn’t know enough about the situation.
The same is true of allegations of misconduct on the Athletic Board. Martin heard from concerned faculty members and responded by saying she would reserve judgment until the completion of the internal investigation.
Three pertinent controversies, three punts. Instead, she should have given the obvious calming non-committal commitments: “Plan 2008 didn’t accomplish all the goals we wanted, and we’ll pursue a new strategy;” “We won’t tolerate that sort of behavior from the band and take the allegations seriously;” and “I’ll certainly meet with the Athletic Board members and hear their concerns and claims and do my best to see these allegations are addressed.”
But we didn’t even hear that. The fact that she claimed she didn’t know that much about any of these situations portrays her as aloof at best, even if that’s not the reality behind the curtain.
I can understand where Martin is coming from: She is the first chancellor in nearly two decades coming in without institutional knowledge at her behest, and she’s certainly under intense scrutiny by UW’s critics. But staying silent does nothing other than place the burden on Dean of Students Lori Berquam for most issues concerning students. And while Berquam’s doing an admirable job, she’s not the one responsible for defending UW in the national spotlight. If this trend continues, people are going to start asking who runs this place. And the last thing UW-Madison needs is an Alexander Haig moment.
This can continue a little longer. Most of the population is distracted by our more prominent nationally-focused executive decisions. But when this election is over, I don’t expect a new funding strategy, diversity initiative or even a position statement on any specific issue.
I only expect a little press release saying, “Here’s what I’m up to.”
I think, for $437,000, the student body deserves at least that much.
Jason Smathers ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in history and journalism.