Weekend Update

Here is the latest from around the Athens campus (...and beyond!) that went down while everyone was enjoying the beginning of Fest season here at OU or just the absolutely beautiful weather!

OU Board of Trustees
The BoT commented on many critical issues during their meeting Friday, including one of the letters delivered by the protesters Thursday evening. OU SPJ President Evan Millward and President-elect Ian Bowman-Henderson were in attendance at the rally, with Ian giving an impassioned speech and calling for more accountability by those in charge.

The Board again delayed finalization of the Statement of Expectations, though they did approve a slew of student fee increases for the 2009-2010 academic year. Chair C. Daniel Delawder even addressed the much-publicized quote that was run in July by the Athens NEWS and has since been posted here several times. In a (hopefully) positive change, Delawder will be replaced as chair next year by C. Robert Kidder.

Read more from The Post: 1, 2, 3
and The Athens NEWS: 1, 2

Hocking College Public Records Disaster
For those who don't know, Hocking College (just up US 33 in Nelsonville) is in the midst of a presidential search. However, when pressed to see public records and evaluations of the candidates' visits to campus, a faculty union representative discovered that those records had been destroyed...what makes this more interesting is that the man who did the destruction is a former OU Trustee...

Read more from The Post and the Athens NEWS.

It would appear that as spring is blossoming in southeast Ohio, so is the tangles of First Amendment and Open Records issues at hand.

We'll keep you updated here as these stories develop!

Let's Get Ethical...Ethical...

Celebrate National Ethics Week with OU SPJ as we discuss the coverage of the Tax Day tea parties across the country and as well as other current media problems.

Bring your friends for what never fails to prove lively and provocative discussion!

PLUS - Get your copy of the SPJ Code of Ethics at the meeting!

See you there!

Join the Cause

Dear SPJers,

Please join the Ohio University Student Union and OU SPJ tonight on College Green at 8 p.m. for a rally to protest the Statement of Expectations explained in the last blog post.

This is a nonviolent rally that will conclude with a march to President Roderick McDavis' residence on Park Place, where OUSU leaders and rally attendees will present him and the board with a bottle of wine and letters and petitions expressing grievances.

Roger Sikes, of the OUSU, tells WOUB's NewsWatch tonight that he hopes the meeting and rally will generate dialogue between the administration and the students.

We hope to see you there to support not only other students, but the union leaders and faculty and staff members who are suffering because of the financial crisis.

8 p.m. on College Green - well see you there!

Evan Millward
President, OU SPJ

Great Expectations

The Ohio University Board of Trustees is headed back to Athens on Thursday for another meeting.

This time, they will be voting on the resolution so innocently titled the "Statement of Expectations."

In the fall, enough protest and outcry arose from campus groups that the vote was delayed until this Friday.

So, what is the "Statement of Expectations?"

You can read it in its entirety here on pages 445-448.

It is basically a resolution outlining the role of the Trustees in the university community and, more importantly, in the university's corporate culture. And while minor changes have been made that now make it explicitly clear that Trustees can voice individual dissent as long as they are not speaking for the Board as a whole, this clauses catches my eye:

"e. While Trustees should seek information and ask questions of others, they should refrain from publicly criticizing the President or other members of the University Community. Criticisms or concerns that Trustees may have about the President or other members of the University Community should be conveyed to the Chair who will determine the appropriate method for the Board to address the issue."

In essence, this clause undoes all the freedoms that the document previously afforded Trustees who wish to voice their dissent. Who constitutes as a "member of the University Community?" Do I? Do you? If so, then what can a Trustee say when they disapprove of a policy or resolution?

The good news here, though, is that this resolution is non-binding and acts as guidelines only so, as far as I know, no repercussions will be felt if a Trustees does dissent vocally or publicly criticize the President.

I encourage everyone to let your voices be heard, however, and tell the Trustees that this resolution is unnecessary and that the muzzle-effect doesn't work. You cannot successfully silence dissent without blatant disregard for the First Amendment right of freedom of speech.

Insist that this resolution be thrown out...the implications of its passing are too great. Should this resolution be successful, the culture of fear and inaccessibility will reach a fever pitch here in Athens and we will have passed a point of no return. In the fall, a group of vocal students and constituents stopped voting on this resolution - we can do it again...and this time we can silence those who wish to silence others.

Evan Millward
President, OU SPJ

Resumes and Cover Letters

Join OU SPJ and Professor Cary Frith as we discuss the Do's and Dont's of professional journalism resumes and what is really necessary in a cover letter.

Bring your updates resume and cover letters for work and get a headstart on making yourself stand out from the crowd!

We'll see you in Scripps 116 at 5 p.m. for the workshop!