From the Newsstands: This story appeared in The Eagle's April 2024 print edition. You can find the digital version here.
A new day is approaching for American University and students deserve change. At the semester’s end, President Sylvia Burwell will step down. Her tenure has been tumultuous, and there is, now more than ever before, an outcry for a shift in the administration.
The Class of 2026’s first week on campus was met with the staff union picketing, holding signs and handing out posters reading “Where’s Sylvia?” This came after the administration continually refused to meet in contract negotiations, and AU employees struggled to make ends meet.
At convocation, nearly the entire class walked out in solidarity with the staff union just before Burwell spoke. Since then, criticisms of not just her, but the administration as a whole, have not let up. All this to say, incoming president, Jonathan Alger is stepping into an incredibly difficult position and has amends to make.
This past October, the Project on Civic Dialogue hosted an event where students could participate in a moderated discussion on the search for a new president. Over and over, students lamented the president’s inaccessibility.
As a smaller school, AU has a more intimate feel that should be reflected up to the highest level of power. A president should converse with all students — not just student leaders — and not just at coordinated events. This is no small feat, but engaging in day-to-day conversations will make students feel seen and represented.
Many students at the event questioned the utility of even having a president. Is it really useful to have a singular person, whom students have little to no say in choosing, making decisions that impact us? We ought to prioritize the faculty senate and student voices rather than putting all our eggs in one administrative basket.
The reality is that there is a new president. So, at the very least, his administration must be transparent with the community about how they come to decisions, and rather than creating policies unilaterally — consult community members that those policies impact.
Alger must prioritize working with students and addressing issues presented by student organizers. In November 2023, students staged an anniversary walkout in protest of the University’s handling of the break-in and sexual assault in fall 2022. Organizers presented a list of demands, updated from the demands presented at the first walkout that the University didn’t meet.
It is paramount that Alger recognizes that student activism on this campus is not going anywhere — despite the banning of indoor protests or limiting what issues clubs can and cannot address. Students have a vested interest in the betterment of their University. The stake we have in ensuring that this campus is a safe, equal and prosperous place for us to thrive is not conducive to a student body that must sit idly by while a president makes crucial decisions.
Rather, it should be a space where students can access their president — who represents them — to influence decisions and discuss demands that thousands of students stand by and work with to move American University forward.
Alice Still is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a columnist for The Eagle.
This article was edited by Alana Parker, Jelinda Montes and Abigail Pritchard. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Isabelle Kravis, Sarah Clayton, Ariana Kavoossi and Romy Hermans.
