Headline: Speak up 

Subhead: Students should take advantage of opportunities to talk with administrators about issues on campus

Grand Valley State University President Thomas Haas held his second virtual office hours of the year on Thursday. These sessions allow students, faculty and staff to connect with the university president and bring concerns to his attention. He took questions about sustainability, sports, the future of GVSU and more.

This provides the GVSU community with a valuable opportunity to communicate with someone who has a direct connection to how the university functions and has the ability to influence it.

We at the Lanthorn want to encourage students to ask tough questions and voice their concerns to administrators when given the chance. Virtual office hours are one way to speak up about things that concern you on campus.

Some students may have a question or issue, but they do not tell anyone about because they might think its not that important or no one will have the solution. How do you know if you never ask? It doesn’t hurt to ask administrators like the president questions, because others are probably wondering the same thing.

Bringing up ideas for change on campus can also get administrators thinking about possible directions the university can take in the future to improve the college experience for students. There might be an issue that many students have encountered that the faculty and staff know nothing about, and the only way to remedy that is to bring those issues up to someone who can help resolve them. It can also give those leading GVSU a better insight into what campus is like for the everyday student.

Voicing your opinion is also crucial when it deals with tough topics or controversial issues, such as sexual assault on campus. Haas answered a question about this on March 19 when someone asked what steps GVSU is taking to decrease sexual assault. Topics like this are hot-button issues this year. Many people are discussing this because they care about how it impacts their time at GVSU.

Students that are worried can find out what the university administrators are doing to address these controversial issues, which can help them feel better about their safety on campus. Or, if they feel GVSU is not doing enough, they can work to create change with an educated perspective on what is being done and what they think should be done.

In short, there are many positive outcomes to talking to administration about the campus community. It shows them that the students care and want to see GVSU continue to grow in the right direction. Take advantage of opportunities like the virtual office hours to tell President Haas and other university leaders what you want out of your college experience.