Montage The
St. Louis Community College–Meramec
April 1, 2010 Vol. 45 Issue 13
‘We demand a reason’
Meramec students, faculty and staff defend former vice president of student affairs Stephen Petersen at board of trustees meeting
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Facility study
Missouri Department of Higher Education reports on STLCC infrastructure
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Health care bill unconstitutional Have state rights being violated by ‘Obamacare?’
PHOTOS BY: COLLIN REISCHMAN
(LEFT) Vincent Hayden, Meramec student, speaks at the March 25 board of trustees meeting, expressing his discontent with the decision to get rid of Petersen. (CENTER) President of the Meramec campus, Paul Pai, Ed.D., attended the meeting but did not speak before the board of trustees. (RIGHT) Eric Meyer, English professor at Meramec, also spoke at the meeting, criticizing certain administrators who “create a climate of fear.”
Carlos Restrepo - Editor in Chief -
Following Stephen Petersen’s removal, a large part of the student and faculty population at STLCC-Meramec were outraged and puzzled by this decision. However, it was at the March 25 board of trustees meeting that faculty, staff and students finally came together to express their opinions freely and out of anonymity. Out of the 13 people that spoke before board members, 10 addressed the Petersen issue. It was a mix of students, faculty and staff. They were all given a two-minute limit imposed by the board when there are “large crowds desiring to address the board.” Michael Roman, Student Governance Council president, had a speech prepared, representing his and the SGC’s plurality opinion regarding Petersen’s removal. “We believe that Dr. Petersen is the heart of the student affairs side of our campus. He has proven time and time again that his interests lie with the students,” Roman said. “In a regular meeting of the SGC, we decided unanimously to support him.” Roman also said that the removal of Petersen meant a loss of both “leadership and friendship” to the students. “When you take the heart away from the college, you take away its soul,” Roman said. However, shortly before Roman was able to finish his speech, Joann Ordinachev, board of trustees chair, announced Roman’s time was over. When it was his time to speak, Eric Meyer, English professor at Meramec, condemned Ordinachev and the board for doing this. “I am a little disappointed that you
cut a student short,” Meyer said. “The student [Roman] was representing all of thousands of Meramec students.” After this statement, Meyer went on with his words of support for Petersen. “We were very fortunate to have someone of his caliber walk through our doors...” Meyer said. “…He deeply cared about the college and especially our students. He cared about St. Louis Community College, and when I saw him represent us nationally and all over St. Louis, he made us look very, very good.” Meyer continued even after his time limit was over - and over Ordinachev’s hit of the gavel. In his words Meyer did not mention any particular administrator but was clear to indicate that some administrators use the institution as a “stepping stone.” “We cannot sit here and let a temporary administrator run the college into the ground, doing damage that will take years and years to repair. We all have to live with the long-term consequences of terrible decisions,” Meyer said. “The deciders will be long gone. Remember this: we hire administrators collectively; we give them the power to lead us, not to boss us around and create a climate of fear. I am not scared anymore. They have a power through our collective consent and we have to make it very clearly be known that when that power has been abused, we suffer, our students suffer, and our future students suffer. We then, the faculty and staff, have not just a right, but a responsibility - a duty to speak up and to take action to ensure that the administration is doing what is right, not for the short term, but what it’s right for the long term of the college.” The audience attending the meeting applauded, while Ordinachev stressed the rules of the meeting. “Again I ask that you please respect
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April 6 elections
Pai faces tension at Meramec Collin Reischman - Managing Editor -
Over spring break, several posters appeared on STLCC-Meramec campus, reading, “Dr. Paul Pai should be impeached and Dr. Stephen Petersen should be reinstated as President!!!!” Signed “Rebel,” the posters, which call for campus president Paul Pai, Ed. D., to be “impeached,” reflect new tensions on campus, something Pai has seen before as an administrator.
Pai’s crisis in California
Continued on page 3 this board – and this board respects you – and all of you that have come up here, until now, have been very diligent in using two minutes. A lot can be said in two minutes, and we are listening… Please adhere to the two-minute rule,” Ordinachev said. student Vincent Hayden, vice president of communication for Phi Theta Kappa, who demanded transparency in the decision making process of the administration. “It maybe in board policy that a probationary employee does not have to be given a reason, but it is unethical in this situation. We demand a reason,” Hayden said, as he turned around to face Meramec president Paul Pai and saying determinedly, “Dr. Petersen was a good fit for our campus.” Hayden went on to say that “In his [Petersen’s] vision, he always put the students first and it is sad that his vision will not be fulfilled.”
Board of Trustees Meeting Continued on page 3
A voting guide on the issues that matter to Meramec students
Montage Reader Poll
How much will Dr. Petersen’s absence affect the Meramec campus?
B C
A
A. Everyone on campus will be affected by his absence. B. His absence will not make much of a difference. C.I do not know enough about the issue.
April 22 Poll Question
Where do you choose to eat in between classes? To vote, visit: www.meramecmontage.com