The Facts: A barrage of bad publicity and rotten experiences — notably the Mary Easley scandal and the budget crisis — engulfed the University over the summer. Several of its top administrators left in the midst of an excruciating budget crisis. NCSU’s reputation is heavily tarnished and could use some polishing.
Our Opinion: Last year was not the University’s best, but we have an opportunity to overcome those failures and move forward.
The summer is over and thus, for better or for worse, we usher in another year at N.C. State. Hopefully it will provide a fresh start and bring an end to our year of misery.
This past year, the University community experienced some of its darker moments. The scandal and negative publicity surrounding the hiring and subsequent firing of Mary Easley left a dark cloud hovering over the University.
The black eyes from the media, on a local and national level, concerning the Free Expression Tunnel had just begun to heal when the Easley sinking ship once again left the University in peril.
The Easley scandal consumed the University and turned it into a tragically humorous series of firings and federal subpoenas.
In its wake, the scandal swept away Chancellor James Oblinger, Provost Larry Nielsen and Chairman of the Board of Trustees McQueen Campbell, leaving the University in crisis during a painful budget cut.
The 8-percent budget cut will directly affect every student this year. Unlike past cuts, $42.5 million cannot be easily removed from the budget without a direct academic impact. Faculty members, especially adjunct faculty, have been released and the University’s total number of class sections and seats have fallen dramatically.
Students are returning to larger classes and smaller support staffs for their academic endeavors. In no uncertain terms, NCSU is a different university.
Effectively, the degrees we’re trying to earn have already been dragged through the mud to a point beyond recognition.
The only good press the University received recently, the infamous Barrel Monster, was deemed defamation. The irony is typical of the University’s recent experiences and speaks to the nature of its rut.
Despite the negative publicity, there is an opportunity here for students and administrators to come together and set the University’s path straight — let’s put us back on the autobahn of innovation.
The hope for the University doesn’t have to lie on the backs of Russell Wilson and the football team — we have so much to offer.
The administration and Chancellor Jim Woodward must look forward, but also remember to steward this year’s students. We have a chance to do better, and we must.
Convocation speaker Greg Mortenson, author of “Three Cups of Tea” and founder of Pennies for Peace, provided words of advice for the University’s incoming freshmen. In light of recent events, some of them are quite poignant for the audiences at NCSU, “embrace failure and use failure to achieve success.”
Strive to overcome the failures and achieve success this year.
Welcome back!
