When it comes to selecting a new president for Kennesaw State University, I believe the University System of Georgia should consider the candidate’s political bias and how it can affect our education here.
In June, former KSU President Dan Papp retired, and Houston Davis took over as interim president. The University System of Georgia has not begun an active search for a new permanent president, but rumors have circulated for months that Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens could take over.
Though the rumors have not been confirmed, Olens’ previous role as a Republican commissioner in Cobb County raises questions of putting a politician at the helm.
Some faculty members have written letters to the Board of Regents — which has the power to appoint a new president — asking for an active search to begin, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Olens’ political background has its support and opposition.
“Those who support an Olens takeover argue that putting a politically-connected Republican atop the school’s hierarchy would help Kennesaw State secure more state funding and restore confidence in campus leadership,” wrote AJC political reporter Greg Bluestein.
However, according to Bluestein’s article in the AJC, the faculty members who wrote letters to the Board of Regents “worry that a political appointment could set an unsettling precedent on campus.” I believe these faculty members have a legitimate concern that needs to be addressed.
From what I have seen, KSU has not shied away from hiring politicians in the past. In fact, we have embraced many conservative conversations on campus by hosting town halls for Republican speakers and politicians.
In the fall of 2015, former Republican congressman Bob Barr taught a special topics course on the Constitution. According to the university’s website, he also taught courses on private and public policy at KSU in 2008, 2009 and 2013.
Earlier that year in April, conservative commentator Ann Coulter spoke in the Bailey Performance Center. Coulter spoke about what Republicans needed to do in order to win the 2016 presidential election.
In February of this year, Ohio Gov. John Kasich hosted a town hall in the student center. At that time, he was running in the 2016 presidential election as a Republican candidate.
The most recent example is Newt Gingrich’s town hall, which he held in the student center on Sept. 12 this year. Gingrich spoke on behalf of Donald Trump’s campaign.
Out of all my years at KSU, I have never heard of a Democrat politician hosting a town hall. From what I can remember, only Republicans have been given that platform.
I don’t believe that the majority of the KSU student and faculty body is Republican — I think we are generally split down the middle. Regardless, I would appreciate a more balanced conversation about politics on campus. Students get tired of hearing the same rhetoric over and over.
If the Board of Regents is going to begin searching for a new president, I think it would be wise to stop and at least consider a candidate with less political involvement or at least one who is open to hosting more Democratic events on campus.
