DAILY EGYPTIAN Administration assess Cheng’s leadership
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Constructive campers
TYLER DIXON Daily Egyptian Chancellor Rita Cheng has been in her current role for four years and the campus along with the administration has gone through many changes. Cheng was named chancellor in 2009, but took the position June 1, 2010. She took over for Sam Goldman who was chancellor for two years. Provost John Nicklow, who has been at SIU since 1998, said Cheng brought stability and leadership to SIU. “ At least in my time here, I haven’t seen that type of focus applied to this institution,” Nicklow said. Cheng said she’s used different strategies to grow enrollment, but the overall enrollment has dropped the past several years. “I have achieved success in growing our freshmen class and I expect the fall class this year will be large as well,” Cheng said. In Cheng’s first fall semester as chancellor in 2010, the total enrollment was 20,037. This past fall the total enrollment was 17,964. The undergraduate enrollment has dropped by almost 2,000 students during her time as chancellor. Nicklow said the enrollment issue couldn’t be solved overnight or in one to two years. “Our reputation is significantly better today than it was a few years ago,” Nicklow said. “I think our enrollment, although the overall number has not grown, I think we’re on the cusp of that.” Nicklow said a lot has changed in the time before Cheng was chancellor, and SIU is still growing. “This feels and looks like a thriving university campus and it did not four or five years ago,” Nicklow said. For some, Cheng is the face of the university, but Nicklow said the university isn’t about one individual but a group that’s working to make the university thrive. With Cheng likely being voted at the next Northern Arizona University president next week, Nicklow said with a change in leadership, there is always the possibility of the university going in another direction. “We’ve built initiatives and have incredible momentum,” Nicklow said. “It is vital that that momentum continue so that we have clear and strong outcomes.” Some faculty on campus did think Cheng’s time on campus was productive. Tony Williams, an English professor, said the administration was not good before Cheng’s arrival. August will mark Williams 30th year at SIU. He said he has seen many chancellors during his time on campus. “In my opinion over the last five years, we’ve had the worst president (Poshard), we’ve had the worst chancellor and the worst provost that I’ve ever witnessed for the time I’ve been here,” Williams said. Williams said he didn’t see declining enrollment and micromanagement among other things as accomplishments during Cheng’s four years as chancellor. Williams said the future of SIU depends on who is selected as chancellor, but a problem has been the rejection of shared government by higher administration. He said one thing that could strengthen the university is to build up the departments that have lost faculty. “End the dependence on adjunct professors, give those who are adjunct tenure-track appointments and basically starting a movement to respect students and faculty on campus,” Williams said. Cheng addresses the NAU campus today and the Arizona Board of Regents will vote next week. Cheng could have a contract by the end of next week. Cheng said SIU has built a strong base and the university is set on a course for future success. “SIU faculty and staff are caring, they’re talented and the students can really launch their careers at our campus, I really think it’s positive,” Cheng said. Tyler Dixon can be reached at tdixon@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 252.
KETURAH TANNER · DAILY EGYPTIAN
Ryan Byun builds his project during the morning session of the LEGO® Engineering Camps. Beginning LEGO® Engineering Camp takes place 8:30 a.m. to noon for grades 1 and 2 June 9-13 and at Quigley Hall on SIU campus and are run by Dr. Jon Davey, professor in the School of Architecture. Campers will receive a take-home project for all sessions as well as challenged creative time.
Salukis help fellow Salukis MARISSA NOVEL Daily Egyptian Typically the BYOB memos are saved for the weekend, but SIU Sustainability thought otherwise. Students filed into the student center Wednesday with empty backpacks and grocery bags after being told to bring their own bags for the debut of the student food pantry. The event was held from 10a.m. to 2p.m. on the first floor of the Student Center in the former Freshens Smoothie location. The pantry, put on by the Sustainability Office, gathered 650 pounds of food total. Along with their bags, students were told to bring their student ID’s. They chose from a broad selection of food ranging from canned vegetables, peanut butter, snack cakes, and pastas. The pantry also had non-food items like mouthwash, Swiffer mops, and shampoo. The items were collected through a program called Give and Go, also provided by the sustainability office. The program puts collection boxes in each residence hall for students looking to get rid of unwanted items during move out time in May. Kris Schachel, the SIU Sustainability Coordinator, said Give and Go is a good way to repurpose items students no longer need that would have been thrown away. Schachel initially proposed the idea of a student food pantry. “At the end of the semester, they’re concentrated on finals and packing up and getting out. A lot of little details just kind of fall through the cracks. And we try to catch those,” she said. Give and Go was in its second run
this spring when Myah Gary, a doctoral student studying health education from Carbondale, decided to do a little extra. She spent a month labeling and organizing all of the items. She currently works as the recycling graduate assistant for the office. “We’re hoping to make this something that’s permanent,” she said. “We’re doing this right now as a trial run, but we’re hoping its something that continues because it seems like its something the students need,” she said. Gary added she could relate to students in need and wishes she had access to
a program like this when she was an undergraduate student. “It’s near and dear to my heart because during my undergrad I had a friend who didn’t have any money for food and she went weeks without food and we didn’t know until a lot later,” she said. Vinny Colantonio, a senior studying plant biology from Bensenville, said it’s been hard to buy food after the 20-hour cap was enforced for students with jobs through the university. Please see FOOD · 2
KETURAH TANNER · DAILY EGYPTIAN
Nicanor Wolieu and Daniel Edi, both freshmen from Ivory Coast, West Africa, talk to Myah Gary, a sustainability worker at the food pantry held in the Student Center on campus Wednesday. The food pantry is part of SIU Sustainability. Students donated food during the move-out in May to redistribute to summer students. “We hope this will be a recurring program,” Gary said. “It would be great for the program to grow.”