In an exemplary instance of university officials consulting with students before bringing down the hatchet on a popular service, administrators announced they will not cancel late-night study at McKeldin Library in the fall.
When The Diamondback first reported the possible axing of the program last month, it appeared university officials were well on their way to cutting the service. Students who worked for the library during late-night hours had already been told to look elsewhere for jobs, and the program appeared to be on the chopping block in order to pay for the rising costs of journal subscriptions.
But before the fate of late-night study was determined, Interim Dean of Libraries Desider Vikor did exactly what all university officials should do before making a controversial decision on an issue impacting students: He sat down and talked with a few.
In today’s article about the decision to keep late-night study, Vikor credited student protestors at a forum on the topic last month with saving the service from the scrap heap. Vikor described the student protest as “the prime and the determining factor.”
Both university officials and the students they work with have a lesson to learn from this resolution.
Unless there is a clear-cut reason not to, university officials should reach out to students on all important decisions made about programs and services relating to students. It’s as simple as that. And when time and resources permit, the officials should reach out to as many students as possible. In this case, Vikor got feedback from more than 30 students who, in the end, swayed his opinion on the matter.
Likewise, the students who met with Vikor should be commended for their efforts. By showing up to the forum and voicing their displeasure, they forced the university to take into account the negative opinion of students on the issue.
In the future, officials and students alike should look back on the late-night study debate as a model for making decisions on important issues.
