My office is in receipt of the February 20, 2025 communication from the “Voice of the Wildcats” asking that I respond to the following: “What are some important qualities and traits someone should have to be the best fit for BCU’s next president?”
An unselfish BCU-rooted advocate for students—with a singularly-dedicated focus (i.e., BCU and BCU only)—aptly describes, in my opinion, what has been lacking and what is now needed in the revolving door of proffered “leadership” at Bethune Cookman. Seemingly lost, in what appears to be a struggle for power or battle of egos, has been the respect and duty owed to students (who are the financial backbone and unwitting obligors of the debts being created in terms of academic reputation, financial chaos, and diminishing brand).
Students must be respected and rightly empowered. Students are vested partners. Students should not be silenced and belittled—instead the Board of Trustees should value and embrace their constructive intelligence and hands on daily insight. Take for example the partnership formed for the academic college year of 1984-85, which came on the heels of a student-authored and disseminated 41-Page Synopsis of Student Concerns at Bethune-Cookman College. The synopsis was constructively critical of administrative and Board actions.
The result: a unique and first-ever partnership formed between students, faculty, and staff. The year was marked by unprecedent early return of student “refund” checks, enhanced meals in student dining (e.g., steak), student sponsored contributions to athletic programs, the winning of the MEAC football championship, a daylong campuswide outdoor reading program that paid cash to everyone reading a book, the largest on-campus concert in school history (featuring The New Edition w/ Bobby Brown, etc.), a formal College Ball (e.g., shrimp, prime rib, etc.), the first-ever beachside Black College Reunion, an academic increase in overall GPAs, etc.
In short, it’s the STUDENTS!