For all of the uncertainty surrounding the presidential race this year, one thing's for sure: For better or for worse, George W. Bush will not be president come Jan. 20, 2009. In America (thank God), we have these pesky little things called "elections" and "term limits."
At Penn, sadly, we don't. But in the midst of election fever ("Yes we CAN!"), I couldn't help but wonder: Would Penn students, given the choice, re-elect President Gutmann?
In an unscientific online survey, I asked roughly 100 Penn students, 1) whether they approved of Gutmann, 2) whether they thought Penn was moving in the right direction, 3) whether they felt that the Gutmann administration is accessible to the average Penn student and 4) whether, if given the choice between Gutmann and a "viable alternative" they would keep our president or replace her.
The survey showed that an unimpressive 40 percent of Penn students approved of Gutmann while 15 percent disapproved . meaning 45 percent opted for "not sure."
The question about whether Penn was moving in the right direction reflected almost identical numbers.
At first glance, I thought the numbers were worthless. I had wrestled with whether or not to include a "not sure" option to those questions, and it had backfired. Either Penn students were as indecisive as Hillary Clinton on the Iraq war or they just didn't care enough to consider the question.
Either way, they had failed me and ruined my column.
Meanwhile, essentially running unopposed, 62 percent of students said they would keep Gutmann, while 38 percent demanded someone new. I had no idea how to interpret that in light of the other numbers. John Zogby, I was not.
I was about to give up on my amateur career as a pollster, until I noticed something interesting: an overwhelming 78 percent of respondents said that they didn't believe the Gutmann administration is accessible to the average Penn student.
They're right. Have you ever talked to Gutmann or anyone within her administration? If you wanted to, would you know how? My guess is probably not. Gutmann is almost never seen strolling across campus and even bolted from her own Halloween party this year. Suddenly, the survey made sense. With no sense of access to Gutmann, the 45 percent in question simply didn't feel informed enough to offer any kind of opinion.
Comments left by survey respondents confirmed my suspicions. "I don't even know what she does," wrote one. "She is a little absent," complained another.
"I am not really sure what she has done," "I feel uninformed," "I have no idea what she does" . the list went on and on.
It's a shame, too, because I like Amy Gutmann. She has set ambitious goals for Penn in the form of the Penn Compact and works tirelessly to achieve them.
She has made eastward expansion a reality, dramatically improved financial aid and has launched what looks to be a successful capital campaign.
But it's clear that Gutmann has failed to connect with Penn students or to effectively articulate her vision - a responsibility that she neglects at her own peril.
As long as Gutmann is perceived as some kind of distant figure who only serves fundraising purposes, she will never have Penn students on her side. Those who dismiss the importance of this aspect of her job are seriously mistaken.
A disconnect - a distrust even - between a campus and its administration hurts school pride, makes students less inclined to contribute to the Penn community and will have an adverse effect on future alumni giving.
So, Amy, here's some advice from a supporter: Strive to be a far more visible presence on campus - one students see more than a handful of times in their years at Penn.
Teach classes and give lectures (like your Penn bio claims you do). Introduce speakers. Engage with average Penn students, not just a handful of select student leaders, DP editors and those lucky enough to be picked for a photo op. Be an active leader when it comes to crime and other campus issues and controversies.Have meals with us, invite us to your house more, explain what your vision is for the University and why we should care.
You don't have to be Barack Obama or John McCain. No one expects you to be an oratorical wizard or a war hero. But it wouldn't hurt to get to know us either.
Adam Goodman is a College junior from San Diego. His e-mail address is goodman@dailypennsylvanian.com. The Devil's Advocate appears on Thursdays.
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