Two years after Katrina, few of us want to dwell on the pain that resulted from the hurricane, or more so, the subsequent reactions of our president and board of trustees. However, it is this second storm of administrative blunders – also known as the Pathways program – that will continue to haunt this university.
This summer’s censure by the American Association of University Professors for post-Katrina breaches of academic freedom and tenure might have shocked university president the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., but we at The Maroon were not surprised in the least.
In the late spring of 2006, the administration took unwarranted liberties in firing faculty and cutting programs without following the proper protocol of faculty review. The injustice of those rash and daunting actions is obvious to anyone who read the AAUP special committee report.
Unless these mistakes are acknowledged and corrected, the censure will remain an ugly scar on Loyola’s reputation – not only deterring quality professors, but also restricting membership from respected academic societies like Phi Beta Kappa.
“Thinking Critically, Acting Justly.” The embodiment of our leaders’ actions are a travesty to the Loyola school motto. Is this to be expected from a Jesuit institution? Just as our leaders in Washington use fear to justify war, our administration has used the hurricane to implement an unpopular agenda. And now they are being called out for it.
Unfortunately, most colleges remain censured for years and often decades. Rarely do universities leave the list while under the same administrators, but now, our same administrators must try to do just that.
For both the city and our university, Wildes’ services have been, for the most part, invaluable. We commend him for his leadership with the Friends of New Orleans raising responsiveness and money for the city’s revitalization in places as far as Aspen, Colorado.
As an appointed member of the city’s Ethics Review Board, he’s on the forefront in combating fraud, inefficiency and corruption in a municipal government ran roughshod with all three. But now it’s time to look inward and fix the problems the censure now presents.
We implore our readers to read the AAUP reports and talk to your professors. Whether or not you were present or directly affected by the debacle, this censure will remain a stigma on your alma mater.
The Student Government Association should represent the will of the student body; however, in instances where the student population is uninformed, it is imperative that they act in our best interest.
We challenge SGA to stand up to the administration and demand that efforts be made to remove Loyola from the censure list.
Nobody could have predicted the devastating impact and consequences of Katrina. Luckily, Loyola escaped the extent of damages our neighboring colleges endured – even though this blessing was contaminated with the underhanded and unwarranted actions of our administrative leaders.
Drastic times call for drastic measures, but never do they merit the actions taken by our university’s administrative body.
