On Saturday, May 5, 2007, a free, independent and self-funded student newspaper is scheduled for a quiet execution at Saint Louis University, a self-professed Catholic, Jesuit institution of higher learning in St. Louis, Missouri. Most of the world with its varied woes will little note the goings on at the Board of Trustees meeting of Saint Louis University where an “executive committee” member hand-picked by University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J. will likely recommend to the full Board that they adopt “recommendations” and implement a centralized student press “re-organization” which actually means the death of the First Amendment at the oldest university west of the Mississippi, and the death of a student voice, The University News.
Saint Louis University students don’t have a formal journalism program. Participation in The University News, the student press, is now voluntary and open to all students. Under “re-organization,” all student participation will be subject to a “Student Media Coordinator” which reports to the Vice President for Student Development who reports to the University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
Saint Louis University students now run The University News, and any student is free to participate and run for election among the student selected Editorial Board for the post of Editor-in-Chief. Under “re-organization,” all student participation will be subject to a “Student Media Coordinator” which reports to the Vice President for Student Development who reports to the University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
Saint Louis University students now have all accountabilities for staffing, hiring, firing, editorial content, production and business practices at The University News. Under “re-organization,” all student participation will be subject to a “Student Media Coordinator” which reports to the Vice President for Student Development who reports to the University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
To be fair, the “re-organization” plan says students control editorial content but, under “re-organization,” all student participation will be subject to a “Student Media Coordinator” which reports to the Vice President for Student Development who reports to the University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J. Also, under “re-organization” all other aspects of control of appointments and hiring and firing of The University News and related organs are in the hands of the Vice President of Student Development who reports to the University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
The Constitution of the University News Organization which will be abolished by “re-organization” says the “University News Organization is chartered directly by the Board of Trustees, in order to assure its independence.” The Constitution of the University News Organization which will be abolished by “re-organization” provides for the current system which has served students and Saint Louis University well for 37 years. The Board of Trustees of Saint Louis University should reject “re-organization” and leave the First Amendment and The University News, the student press, intact.
[Phone calls to University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J. to oppose the death of the First Amendment at SLU may be made between the hours of 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. CDT at 314-977-7777. Please be respectful, we shouldn’t want to upset the good Father. The SLU Provost (Second-in-command), Dr. Weixlmann’ e-mail is weixlmj@slu.edu [1]. The SLU Vice President for Student Development, Dr. Porterfield’s e-mail is kporter6@slu.edu [2]]
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