On Oct. 9, The Griffin – as well as an assemblage of other students – were denied entry into Canisius’ 2024 State of the University address in the Regis Room. The reason provided for the refused entry was that students have historically not been allowed to attend. Last year, when several staff members of The Griffin went; they learned that Canisius “would not be returning” to Lyons Hall (which is now, apparently, up in the air), had gotten an update on the school’s recurring deficit, and had received information on the school’s enrollment and retention data. With last year’s State of the University still on the MyCanisius website, The Griffin does not support students being turned away, particularly since the former address was recorded and subsequently posted.
In response to a question about students being barred from the State of the University, President Stoute told The Griffin at our Oct. 10 meeting that “It's really important for me that our faculty and staff have a space to have candid, difficult conversations.” The Griffin believes in the need for faculty and staff to be able to have these conversations. Yet, the behavior of individuals ostensibly guarding the doors to Regis was more hostile than constructive in conveying that; there was an adamant refusal for students to enter the doors. Such hostility was not deescalated by the presence of public safety at the door. We do not doubt that public safety ought to facilitate safety for our staff, faculty, students and administration alike, but The Griffin notes that the officers were oddly positioned like sentinels at the double doors.
An administrator attempted to pacify the agitated students outside of Regis by informing them of The Griffin’s meeting with President Stoute. The Griffin ardently rejects the speculation that our lunch with President Stoute on Oct. 10 was a replacement for a meeting with the student body. The Griffin is not, nor does it purport to be, the voice of the entire student population. As our club constitution states, we “exist primarily to serve the students of Canisius University,” and “report news of student interest both on and off campus, to editorialize on matters of student concern and to provide a forum for the free expression of opinion and exchange of ideas in the college community.” While we do offer our opinions to those who will read them, and hope that our opinions are observed and kept in mind when making decisions, our purpose is to inform, not to advocate.
The Griffin apologizes for encouraging our fellow students to attend the State of the University only to be subsequently denied. We take accountability for any tension that our promotion of the event may have caused. Yet, The Griffin cannot and will not apologize for the address’ misleading title. Even if, as purported by President Stoute, students were never – at least in his tenure – allowed to attend, the name “State of the University” necessarily implies that students and subjects of student interest would be included. Students are the quintessential element of this institution. For students to invest their time, money and energy into this school, yet be barred from receiving official word on the “state” of Canisius is counterintuitive and unjust. As students, we have an undeniable stake in our institution’s growth or lack thereof.
The Griffin proposes that, going forward, the State of the University is either open to students, or that an event like the one on Wednesday be rebranded entirely to indicate its exclusivity to merely faculty and staff.
While we acknowledge that faculty and staff should, as President Stoute stated, have a space for “candid” and “difficult conversations,” The Griffin believes that space is not the State of the University, to which students should be allowed. Students play a massive role in the University, and so they deserve to know the state of it.
President Stoute reiterated in our lunch that it is our responsibility as student journalists to continually probe for information. We cannot agree more. The Griffin appreciates and values his – self-proclaimed – unsolicited advice.
In furtherance of this probing initiative, The Griffin wanted to understand how other schools manage their State of the University addresses to bolster our proposal. University at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi thanked “faculty, students and staff” for joining him at his 2023 State of the University address; SUNY Oswego’s 2023 State of the University address included students' music groups performing their alma mater; The Ohio State University allowed students to livestream the 2024 address; The University of Texas at Austin’s President, Jay Hartzell, gave “A special shout-out to the students,” telling them that he “appreciate[s] them taking time out of [their] busy schedules” to attend. It is unfortunate that Canisius students were not extended an invitation that other collegians receive.
Canisius’ fellow private Jesuit institutions likewise adhere to this student-invited model. For example, Marquette University invited students, staff and faculty to its 2024 Presidential address.
Other schools specifically indicate the intended audience of such speeches. For example, the University of Notre Dame titled an address with a purpose akin to President Stoute’s yesterday, “The President’s Address to the Faculty”, September 2022. The Griffin suggests that Canisius does the same if it continues to exclude students from this annual address.
The Griffin cannot change what occurred at this year’s State of the University, thus we pragmatically offer these future suggestions for clarification and understanding for the entire campus community moving forward.