Letter to the presidential committee

I was deeply upset by some of Silber¡¦s remarks at the forum on Wednesday. In response to those comments, I wrote a letter to the presidential committee. I believe that this tone has a far better chance of succeeding with the Trustees and actual decision makers at BU than yelling, sarcasm, or threats. Every word is heartfelt, every word is true. Here it is.( I cannot find an address for the Board of Trustees or the Committee, so I am sending it through various offices.) Dear Presidential Committee, I was unable to attend your forum because I was taking a midterm at the time. I also did not expect any real attention to be paid to the results of that forum, but someone who was there assured me that you care what students want. Therefore, I would like to present one student¡¦s opinions. I am sending this through the office of the Dean of my school, the Chancellor’s office, and other offices in an attempt to make sure one letter reaches you or your immediate subordinates. Please excuse any duplicates. There are many wonderful candidates out there, and I am hardly qualified to choose between them. I know little to nothing of the administrative and fundraising functions of the president, so I am speaking to you mostly about the public image presented by that office. Please do not consider President Pro-Tem Silber. I do not say this out of any personal animus towards him. He reminds me in many ways of the old men whose company I enjoyed as a child ¡V he is witty, charming, essentially cultured in a way very few younger men are (if a bit of a name-dropper) and in general a fascinating person. I would not mind having such a man at any gathering I attended, as he is probably fun to be around socially. However, his academic policies and his public stances on some issues leave a great deal to be desired in the representative of any modern liberal arts institution. I applaud his stance regarding the artificial and inaccurate college rankings, despite their slightly detrimental effect upon the students. However, he also is highly conservative in a way I thought had died out in the academic community before my mother finished earning her college education, more than 23 years ago. While in a private citizen, these attitudes are obviously acceptable, and perhaps even admirable (in that he retains such unpopular stances in the face of great pressure), in the man who represents BU they must be considered a great detriment. I have already faced the stigma of an education overseen by a man so very clearly stuck in the early part of the last century. While I would not change my experiences at BU for those at any other school, I am worried about my potential academic career. In addition, my sister is considering BU among her various college choices. I shudder to think what will happen to her education, her future earning possibilities, and any academic career she might choose to enter into if BU was to permanently associate itself with Chancellor Silber¡¦s attitudes and social policies. If Dr. Silber becomes president of this institution permanently, I may face a very difficult decision ¡V encouraging my sister to attend my beloved alma mater, or warning her against what Dr. Silber will probably make of it. Thank you for taking into account these feelings. Please accept that they are indicative of the emotions of more than myself ¡V I know at least two alumni who are struggling with the difficult decision of whether or not to donate to BU while Silber is President. I do not envy them. Sincerely, Rebecca L. Watkins, CAS Class of 2003 P.S. I do not advocate, as some do, kicking Dr. Silber out altogether. He is an excellent recruiter (witness our faculty) and, I hear, a good fundraiser. Let him return to the position of Chancellor, which, as it was created for him, should suit him much better.