What We Learned From the 2014 Campus Climate Panel

On Tuesday, November 11, the Bucknell Student Government hosted the 2nd Annual 2014 Campus Climate Panel.  Students went to express their concerns about campus culture in a student-run, student-led discussion.  Eight panelists (Michael Sahagian ’15, Christine Sorrentino ’15, Shiri Levine ’16, Anthony Marcozzi ’16, Lindsey Ruff ’16, Justin Eyster ’17, Andranae Nelson ’17 and Maeve Greeley ’18) helped to lead and facilitate the conversation, which touched upon some of Bucknell’s greatest challenges.  Absent from the Campus Climate Panel were members of the faculty and administration, creating a safe environment for the student body to express honest concerns about an array of topics.  Members of HerCampus were eager to attend and participate in the panel.  Read on to learn what HerCampus learned from this year’s Campus Climate Panel and some of the major takeaways from the discussion:

Drivers of division on campus:  The panel discussed what they believed the greatest drivers of division on campus were.  A lot of panelists discussed the presence of Greek life and how there is a concentration of social power on campus created by the Greek system.   Fraternities and sororities are on a different footing than other groups on campus because of their dues that give them the money to do a lot more activities.  Therefore, some students believe that Greek life further perpetuates socio-economic differences. As some students cannot afford these dues, some of ours peers are excluded from the system.  The conversation included a lot of discussion about how students on this campus do not branch out from their groups, and do not take advantage of all of the different types of events that Bucknell has to offer. 

Greatest challenge within the classroom:  The sentiment about Bucknell students not taking advantage of what is offered to them was brought up again while discussing academics.  Students commented that they feel many students at Bucknell do not prioritize academics and getting to know their professors.  Many of the panelists spoke to how lucky we are as students to attend a small school and how so many students do not take advantage of this.  Everything is here for students to succeed such as strong alumni connections, small classes, accessible professors, etc.  One panelist noted that it’s our job as students to take the initiative, which really resonated. The panelists encouraged students to take advantage of everything offered and get involved. 

International Education:  Great concern was expressed at the discussion about the Office of International Education.  Students were very upset by the lack of support from the professionals who work in the office, the lack of programs offered to students, and how the school overcharges on programs that cost less than Bucknell’s own tuition.  The discussion became very heated, as many students expressed that they felt misguided and unsupported when it came to international education, an opportunity so important to the college experience for many students.

Theme of exclusiveness:  The discussion throughout the night seemed to divert back to Greek life and the exclusivity of our campus.  One panelist poignantly noted that while so many organizations on our campus create homes for students, most organizations unfortunately don’t work well together. Panelists noted that this creates extreme separation amongst the student body.  Minority students expressed that they feel very excluded on campus, as well, and spoke strongly about the need to fix the racism that is unfortunately rampant on our campus.  One student commented on the racial slurs they are subjected to on campus and the separation they feel both inside and outside of the classroom.  One panelist stated how “strengths lie in differences,” which spoke to the need for our campus to accept one another and to use our differences to make us stronger.  A lot of the discussion focused on how there was a major need for inclusivity and how to achieve this goal.

To make change we need to be both direct and honest: One of the seven panelists made this powerful statement during the discussion, which really resonated with the audience.  Throughout the evening, many students stood up to share comments and concerns about the Bucknell community. Each student’s contribution was extremely honest and thought-provoking. Honest discussions like the Campus Climate Panel need to continue throughout the year. Such conversations should incorporate diverse members of our community to lead to effective change.

The 2014 Campus Climate Panel was a powerful discussion that was able to open people’s minds to issues and challenges that our campus community faces.  The Panel and the honest discussion that ensued, however, was just step one.  Now it is time for step two, where we act on these issues and challenges, and make a change.  A discussion is not enough to make a change, but it is a great start.