DeFacto Blog

Our Manifesto:

Statement of Purpose
We, the concerned members of the AUBG student body, in the interest of fostering a more accommodating environment for all parties involved, do here set forth the most pressing issues facing the university.

1. No faculty/student input in the process of faculty selection over the summer.
Over the summer, inadequate planning led to a breach of practice in the hiring of faculty. We believe that the Faculty Selection Committee is an invaluable tool in the functioning of this university. Not allowing input from all strata of the AUBG community appears to have led to the hiring of professors with questionable backgrounds. Our suggestion is to reform the hiring process. The reforms may include the designation of faculty and student representatives specifically for the summer period.

2. The lack of information flow between student institutions and the university administration.
One problem that has consistently plagued the relationship between students and administrators at AUBG is a lack of free and open dialogue. Many of the problems which have confronted our community in recent memory could have been avoided by clear statements on the part of senior university officials. To avoid future confusion, we propose clearly defining what information students have absolute access to, and what information should be restricted. By doing so, we can facilitate an understanding on both sides of what may be reasonably expected.

3. The inability of the Office of Communications and Computing to consistently perform at a level befitting the elite spirit of AUBG.
Throughout the years, the OCC has proven to be one of the least accessible sectors of the university bureaucracy. The most recent manifestation of this recurrent problem is the merely sporadic existence of internet service in Skaptopara. We feel that internet access is a basic need of the university student today. We believe this basic need could best be addressed by considering an external evaluation of the Skaptopara network infrastructure.

4. Poor interpersonal communication skills in key administrative/staff positions.
In the civilized world, each has the right to expect dignified, respectful treatment from others. It is our opinion that this has not always been the case when dealing with senior offices in the university administration. We understand that some issues may warrant a “no comment” response. Under no circumstances, however, should a member of the student media expect to be yelled at, to offer only one example. Furthermore, it is entirely unacceptable to be refused public information. As a solution, we propose introducing a code of conduct between the student government, the student media and the university administration.

We voice these concerns not out of disdain for the administration, but out of hope that through open dialogue and mutual respect we can achieve an environment which mirrors our reputation.