At the end of his fall address two weeks ago, Towson President Robert Caret offered a vision for "Towson 2010,” complete with mock newspaper headlines proclaiming a glorious future for the University. It described the demolition of Linthicum Hall, improved parking, and a Towson basketball victory.
But many of the action items he introduced will most directly impact faculty and staff — budgetary adjustments, partnership expansions, and “efficiency and effectiveness” initiatives. Towson exists for the students, though, so here is my vision of Towson in 2010:
- A school with spirit: The formation of T-Unit and the long-overdue creation of a student seating section at the football games is a step in the right direction for could-be, would-be fans of Towson athletics. Every year a new group of students arrives on campus, free of the “suitcase school” and “apathy” assumptions. That’s an opportunity that should be seized.
- Teaching with technology: There are two types of professors at Towson — those who embrace technology and those who won’t go near it. The latter should not still be teaching in 2010.
All of my classes this semester have PowerPoint slides, course notes, tutorials or sample quizzes accessible online. There is no reason why this sort of content shouldn’t be available for every course on campus.
- An inclusive center of learning: If we want to become Maryland’s Metropolitan University, we have to reach out to a broader base of constituents. Acting Assistant Vice President for Diversity Resources Barry Evans has floated a great idea: Help Towson’s service workers help themselves. As he said, “You should get more than a paycheck here.” Let Aramark and Chartwells workers sit in on a class. Towson should also establish more connections with local high schools.
- Support for student organizations: A common thread emerged in the reams of meeting notes in the diversity task force report: Student organizations don’t feel they are receiving the help they need. Many students expressed concerns about a lack of meeting space. Others criticized the Student Government Association for not providing funding and “only attending their meetings during election season.” Towson says student groups are important, and promotes the fact that they number over 100 – so why don’t they get more respect?
- Effective communication: Stop deleting your Daily Digest! In a community of 20,000, getting the word out isn’t easy. But it’s critical for the University to try. A redesigned Web site and a “master calendar” are in the works – the challenge will be to entice students into using the new technologies. Something should be done to improve communication across campus.
In his address, Caret asked the faculty and staff to help “look down the road” and envision a University that meets his vision. He hasn’t asked students to do the same, but he should.
These dreams won’t come true overnight, or even over a year’s time. But let’s keep talking about them, and start pressuring for true change across campus.
Brian Stelter is a sophomore mass communication major and The Towerlight’s news editor.
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