By: Ryan Harrington
Canisius does many things well, but not communication. We don’t talk to each other. We don’t know each other. The State of the University made this perfectly clear.
President Stoute intended the speech to be for faculty only, to address recent concerns among professors. Unfortunately, many hopeful students arrived at the speech ready to engage but were prevented. This is not a unique example; it’s a pattern of behavior at Canisius.
Just this semester, Stoute canceled the open-table discussion that was supposed to be held at the student leadership conference. The library allegedly learned from the Buffalo News that an entire floor was being repurposed. Beyond that, this year the pre-law center, Campus Ministry, the New Buffalo Institute, Admissions, Human Resources and Student Records all moved with no warning; these are just the changes we noticed so far.
At this point, I worry that I’ll go anywhere only to arrive and find it has moved, changed or doesn’t even exist anymore.
In the case of the pre-law program, this change has interrupted day-to-day operations. Beyond a new space, the program received new directors this semester, which of course was not communicated to students. I learned that the director of my program was gone from a bounced email. I still have not received any direct correspondence from the new leadership.
Allegedly, the introductory email included several graduates but missed current students. I am officially registered in this program; Canisius has a responsibility to attempt to make me aware of transitions.
Many of these changes resulted from the loss of Lyons Hall, which uncovered that communicative issues were already brewing. Some students and faculty expressed that the loss had little impact on their lives – which is expected. If you’re a biology student, you probably didn’t spend time at Lyons, but that doesn’t make it less important to other students or the Canisius institution.
If we listened to each other, we might realize that many programs relied completely on Lyons: journalism, theater, art, music and political science to name a few. Students from all of these programs remain disrupted.
Fixing Lyons might be out of reach, but it’s the school’s responsibility to make and inform students about alternative arrangements. Growth requires self-reflection; we need to realize that we are currently offering a reduced education for an increased price with no transparency. Are we fixing Lyons? Maybe. Are we selling Lyons? Maybe. Are we providing the same quality education we did before? No.
Lyons Hall was the “gateway to campus.” It housed our admissions department and was a draw to new students. Unlike the school directory, recent low enrollment is no secret. The real “gateway to campus” has always been the students. When Lyons fell, this closed too.
As a small Catholic school in a small city without shiny new buildings or prestige, we have to rely on individual networking. Word-of-mouth advertising is instrumental to admissions. If students aren’t happy, they won’t share their recommendation. These personal recommendations outweigh thousands of advertising dollars. The drop in the quality of education without a plan or acknowledgement is making students uneasy and student unease impedes growth.
Right now, students don’t feel heard or thought of anymore. We advertise a small, close-knit community school with camaraderie. If we lose that, we lose everything.
Stoute set out to “Answer the Call!” and broaden Canisius’ appeal to the Buffalo community, but you cannot continue to build on unstable ground. These trends are further-reaching than one man, but at the center of a crisis of communication, our leader closed the doors. The phone is ringing. It’s not Buffalo on the line, it’s Canisius.
This “gateway” can be reopened without Lyons, but not without community.
Barring administrative change, the lion’s share of the responsibility to reopen will fall on students and professors. Our best asset is the ability to forge bonds that last a lifetime, so let’s get to know each other. I chose Canisius because I didn’t want to be a number. This semester, get to know your peers. Ask about degrees. Pay attention to events. Read The Griffin!
Even bruised in blue and gold, the Canisius community remains proud. Growing together in our Buffalo community is worth the added responsibility of being Canisius ambassadors. I still believe Canisius is the best university in WNY. I just need Canisius to believe that again.
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