Has anyone ever contacted their college’s president about an issue or concern they were having? I’m thinking about doing this about something school related and wanted to know if it was a good plan and if others had tried it before. I’m asking the president and not like someone lower because my issue wouldn’t be solved by asking someone like a professor or staff member.
It’s hard to tell from your description. There is probably someone else on campus to talk to, since college presidents don’t really deal with individual students on a day to day basis. Perhaps you want a department chair or provost for an academic issue or the dean of students for a student community issue? Ask a prof or staff member familiar with your college who you might speak to.
It’s hard to get to the president directly. They usually have layers upon layers of bureaucratic administrators you have to go through.
Good points above. It depends on what the issue is.
If it’s something personal to you or an acquaintance (e.g. discrimination, assault, academic misconduct) then there are well-defined reporting procedures to ensure the issue is received by the responsible official in a timely manner. Search your college website for “how to report ____” and I bet you’ll find the procedure.
If you’ve uncovered something much bigger (e.g. financial fraud, systemic abuse, illegal activity), then this is much more appropriate for discussing with a Dean or the Provost. You’ll probably want to research which Dean may be most appropriate as they have specific areas of responsibility.
Finally, if the issue may implicate the President his/herself, the Board of Trustees (or similar governance group) would likely be the appropriate venue.
Good luck!
I would say at first NO.
You should go through the chain of command…
Issue with roommate? First talk to roommate, then RA, then housing office
Issue with professor? First talk to professor, then head of dept or advisor, then Dean of Students
Issue with behavior issues of students? First talk to Dean of Students
Most (all?) colleges have an ombudsman, who is a person whose specific job is to handle any kind of complaints/issues about the administration or university. I would seek them out; at the very least, they can point you in the right direction with who to talk to. I agree with the above, don’t contact the president directly.
Last month my wife had to change her email address after ten years with our last internet provider. She responded to the quarterly Letter From The President sent by our daughter’s (not small) school, and lo and behold he actually answered it! It turns out he wasn’t sure how to change the address either, but he sent her request on to someone who figured it out. Not all school administrators live behind a moat or atop an ivory tower.