Being a student at UNM is more than just attending classes and trying to get good grades.
It's about making connections, joining organizations and forming relationships with teachers and peers.
Being president of this University is about more than fundraising and serving the University's needs. It's also about making connections and forming relationships - and not just with the regents or administrators, but with faculty and especially with students.
Many students know UNM President Louis Caldera because of tuition hikes in the last couple of years, but probably have never seen him on campus.
One alumnus who attended the regents meeting Wednesday gave Caldera a hug, saying he was sorry about what happened to him.
He told Caldera it meant something to him when Caldera handed him his diploma when he graduated.
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Caldera didn't even know his name.
These are the types of connections that should be important to a university president.
A president of this University should be a presence on campus. He should know names of students. Students should at least recognize him.
Starting a Budget Summit, increasing enrollment, increasing retention, research and fundraising are all good things to do for the University.
But knowing your faculty and staff, and knowing your students and working for their interests is what being a president of a university should be about.
The regents say they want to pick a president who has academic expertise.
That's a start. But maybe they should find a president who knows what it's like to be a student at UNM, what it's like to teach at UNM and what it's like to work for UNM.
Maybe this time around the regents will pick a president who will stay long enough to build a relationship with the University.
Rivkela Brodsky
Editor in chief
