Saginaw sophomore John Ketchum wants CMU’s next president to keep an open mind.

“I want a president who has a keen eye for diversity,” said Ketchum, a representative for CMU’s NAACP chapter. “I also want them to be aware and understand that not everybody is majoring in everything and to keep in mind that I don’t want to pay a lot of money for somebody else’s major.”

The ideas were expressed at the presidential search forum Monday night hosted by the Student Government Association.

About 175 students attended the forum, with about 80 percent being SGA members.
SGA President Jason Nichol said SGA represents the student body, so he was not concerned that most of the students were members.

The committee consisted of Trustee Sarah Opperman, former chairman of Academic Senate and Interim Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Services Ray Francis, President of Isabella Bank and Trust Rick Barz and community member-at-large Tim Brockman.

Ketchum was assured that diversity, his biggest concern, would be a focus under new leadership.

“Diversity is absolutely key,” Opperman said. “It is something that was highlighted under (former University) President Michael Rao, and our job is not done.”

The committee told the crowd it was hoping a new president could not only uphold levels of diversity, but take it to more advanced levels.

Student connection

Others want to see a president more connected to the student body.

“I’m looking for someone who will work with the Greeks and the SGA more,” said Hesperia sophomore Killian Richeson. “I would really like a president who could go out of their way to do this.”

One of the biggest concerns voiced by students was that a new president would have to understand the situation in Michigan.

“I want a president who is conscious of my wallet and overall situation,” Ketchum said.

The committee did its best to assure students that would be taken into consideration. Brockman said the committee hopes candidates will be sensitive to the current economic situation.

However, it was emphasized that the new president would not necessarily have to come from Michigan to do the job.

“We’re looking for someone who has the ability to work in the political setting in Lansing,” Opperman said.

The students agreed an out-of-state choice could help provide perspective, suggesting that such a pick could provide a new outlook for the university.

Having a voice

The forum gave students confidence that the committee was taking their ideas seriously.

“I liked how when students asked questions, they asked questions back,” Ketchum said. “It assured me that they wanted to know what we thought.”

Having a trustee in attendance furthered the students’ belief that they were being heard.

“The trustee member that was there had a very busy schedule,” Richeson said. “The one-on-one dialogue makes me believe they’ll take our ideas and wishes to heart when making decisions.”

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