After 50 Columns, the Role of the College Union Remains Central
What a milestone to be writing my 50th column for the ACUI Bulletin! My first, “A New Adventure,” allowed me to introduce myself to the membership and to share a little about what I learned over the course of my career and the people that shaped my view of working in the college union profession. Along the way as a Bulletin contributor, I had fun using themes from shows like “Game of Thrones” and “Ted Lasso” to convey leadership lessons. I focused on topics that I think are important to our profession, like active dialogue, the value of higher education, and DEI as a lifelong learning opportunity for all of us. At the start of the pandemic, I stressed the importance of being resilient and innovative, and whenever possible, I tried to tie topics back to the role of the college union and advancing campus community.
There are times I have wondered whether anyone actually reads my column, or if my messages have provided support or critical thinking for our work in the college union. I’ll joke that my column can be a good cure late at night if you have insomnia. And then I’ll get the random email from someone who appreciated what I wrote, which is always a nice surprise. In the end, my opinion articles are capturing what’s on my mind at a moment in time, often through my view as CEO and a leader in the profession. When it appeared elected government officials were using “alternative facts” and misleading information, I wrote about the importance of helping students to be truth seekers. For our 2021 Renovation & Construction issue, I geeked out a little by providing an overview of the basic steps involved with initiating and successfully leading a college union capital project. At other times, I wrote about topics that just seemed fun, like attending the Macy’s Day Parade and whether AI is artificial or intelligent. The bonus of writing an opinion piece is that you have a blank canvas, and in my case, I have an editor that’s open to all of my ideas.
While I have few limitations in the topics I choose, I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts and try to live up to the high standards set by those that came before me. Marsha Herman-Betzen was the first, writing about ethical decision-making in one of her earliest Executive Director Viewpoint columns in the March 1998 Bulletin. Marsha is a thoughtful and prolific writer who is willing to take a stand and challenge people to think differently. A collection of her favorite columns was captured in an anthology upon her retirement in 2015, and included topics about mentoring, community, and communication. I’m honored to follow in Marsha’s footsteps, sharing my viewpoint in relation to challenges and opportunities relevant to our work in the college union.
The higher education landscape is very different than when I started writing this column in 2015. For example, according to a report by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation, only 36% of adults say they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education today compared to 57% in 2015. Burnout for student affairs professionals has grown dramatically, including workforce challenges that have affected college unions. Managing free speech on campus has transitioned from overseeing time, place, and manner parameters to navigating when national politics might trump free speech.
And while I am always optimistic about how higher education can improve society, and more specifically about the impact of college unions, there are challenges for us on the horizon. The enrollment cliff that we’ve been talking about the past decade is now at our doorstep. Technological advancements, including the use of artificial intelligence, will continue to alter how we operate our unions and serve students. The current polarized society that is affecting our campuses remains, meaning our role to facilitate active dialogue will be more important than ever. Similarly, the role of college union to foster belonging through our buildings and programs is as important today as in the past and will continue to be in the future.
As long as higher education and college unions are faced with such challenges and opportunities, there will continue to be plenty of topics for me to provide commentary. I’ll do my best to share knowledge and provide insight; sometimes I may ask questions or challenge our traditional approach, and occasionally along the way, I hope there might be an “ah-ha” moment or wise counsel to suggest. You are always welcome, of course, to take or leave my opinion, but hopefully some of my columns will cause you to reflect and process the role of the college union for our campuses and the success of students.
