Chancellor John Silber will most likely address the Student Senate in a public meeting later this semester, including a question-and-answer session allowing senators and students to point their concerns directly to the controversial head of the university, according to Senate Chairman Joel Fajardo.
Silber’s appearance, which has not yet been confirmed, will probably take place later this month or in early December, depending on whether the Senate can provide a date that coincides with a gap in the chancellor’s busy schedule, Fajardo said.
‘I gave him all the available dates, but his assistant told me he’s booked for all those dates,’ said Fajardo, who has been negotiating with the chancellor’s office since early October when he sent a letter inviting Silber.
‘I’ve tried to contact him since October,’ he said. ‘I hoped that he’d be able to come in October but that didn’t seem possible.’
Fajardo said the chancellor’s office has been very cooperative, but said he believed demands on Silber’s time might preclude any chance of his appearing on a Monday night at a regularly scheduled Senate meeting. If that is the case, Fajardo said he would allow the Senate to decide whether to hold a special meeting to cater to Silber’s calendar.
‘It’s gotten to the point where it is not going to work on a Senate day,’ he said. ‘I’m not largely concerned [whether Silber speaks] outside or during a [regular] Senate meeting so long as we do have one popular speaker come to a Senate meeting this semester.’
According to Fajardo, Silber is an excellent candidate because his speech would give students a chance to get to know the head of the university better and also thrust the Senate into the fore of student consciousness something Fajardo said he has been trying to do since last May. Fajardo said he hopes the appearance of such a high-ranking and controversial university official will draw many students, boosting the Senate’s visibility.
‘I don’t foresee the Senate being intimidated by Chancellor Silber. I see this as an opportunity to get more acquainted with him,’ Fajardo said. ‘No other administrators are as widely known as Silber, so it wouldn’t gather as much attention.
‘I wanted to get this done first semester, I really think its important for students to see what the Senate is,’ Fajardo said.
In his campaign for Senate chairman last spring, Fajardo promised to bring a guest speaker before the Senate once a month. There have been no guest speakers yet this year, but Fajardo said he last semester considered inviting the gubernatorial candidates to speak earlier this semester. He was dissuaded by then-president Jon Westling, who said that it would be logistically difficult, if not impossible.
Next semester Fajardo said he hopes to have the new governor address the Senate as early as January, but he said whether he extends that invitation will depend on how well Silber’s appearance goes.
‘Even though [Silber’s address] seems like a fantastic idea, it could be that the Senate isn’t conducive to this,’ Fajardo said. ‘We’re waiting to give it a test run.’
Fajardo also said he would make sure recent controversy surrounding the chancellor would not disrupt the meeting.
‘As far as ensuring that meeting does go about in the proper manner, we’ll do everything to ensure that it is a very safe and productive meeting,’ he said.
As for the contents of Silber’s remarks, Fajardo said he offered several suggestions such as the state of the union or student body, but he left it widely up to the chancellor.
‘He probably has a better understanding of what he thinks the students should hear,’ he said.
When and if the Senate does entertain guest speakers, Fajardo said the Senate would exchange its usual chambers in the Photonics Center for a larger room such as a lecture hall in the School of Management to accommodate larger student crowds.
