VOICE or an echo?

The 2013 Vision of the Ideal College Environment Report report was published by the IU Student Association last week.

The report is a “summation of student thought about Indiana University” and “strives to address the most critical issues facing students.”

It is broken into five key areas of interest which five committees worked on: Student Collaboration, Technology, Intellectual Curiosity, Campus Safety and Facilities.

Every IU Bloomington student received a portion of the survey pertaining to one of these areas, and overall the report received more than 5,000 responses.

The report’s main three “Guiding Recommendations” are very familiar.

The first is to centralize University resources and systems, which sounds like a cloak and dagger way of approving school mergers.

They believe that students “want to complete tasks and learn material in a central location.” And we were afraid they were going to be vague.

Second, they want to increase the awareness of the University’s resources. This is of course a well-known issue, so we like that they’re making ground-breaking revelations about student life.

Third, they want to make technology a more important part of student life.

And with the multiple computer resources, a library brimming with Macs and PCs, the University Information Technology Services help centers and the fact that students walk around with backpacks full of iPads, laptops, cell phones and e-readers, we understand how sometimes it can look like technology isn’t really a part of student life.

The main issue with the report is that it caters to administration. It doesn’t bring hard issues to the table.

The students leading the report’s committees are chosen specifically because they are already members of the student elite. The original report was “commissioned” by President Michael McRobbie to “‘find out what students think.’”

To an outside eye, that seems like these committee chairs are prospects. It feels like they won’t aggravate the administration because they don’t want to screw over any chances they have of getting an internship recommendation.

It’s hard to believe these “Guiding Recommendations,” made by committees from a survey based on what they — not the student population — thought the “key components of the Indiana University experience” were, actually represent student voices.

They seem more like administration voices.

What about the multiple construction projects happening in the southern neighborhoods, the ones slowly creeping up into the center of campus?

These “philanthropic” projects were supposed to have been completed months ago. Instead, they are severely interfering with student life.

What about the problems IU has with integrating its international population?

What about developing projects and classes for students from outside the United States who feel that they are struggling? Or creating forums and programs to really integrate the diverse cultures represented here on campus?

What about department and school mergers? Why, with all the outcry against them, does the report remain silent on the topic?

What about the cost of tuition and textbooks? What about creating a safety alert system that actually works? Where is the student “voice” that this report proposes to represent?

This report is beating a dead horse. It addresses issues that are known, and for the most part, resolved. It pats itself on the back for shedding light on student issues while ignoring the student voice in order to cater to administration.

There are too many questions left unanswered. In short, if any real progress is going to be made here on campus, it must not start with a survey written by committees of those already under the thumb of the administration. It must start with the real voice of students.