The university is dead and we killed it. 

What once used to be an institution built upon the foundation of research and discovery, the great bastion of knowledge and open dialogue, has been wholly captured by commodification. Today, programs, faculty, and students are evaluated based on the newest models and metrics. Funding is determined by a return on investment. Intellectualism is a liability, a hindrance to profits and growth. Stipends are stagnant while cost of living skyrockets. Faculty positions increasingly fall victim to adjunctification. The message: you’re only valued so long as you push the graph upward. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. As it stands today, the university is thriving. Enrollments are up. Student retention is up. Profits are up. In fact, this institution is set to see a mind-blowing $20.4 million increase in revenues this fiscal year—$2.4 million of which was granted by the state due to our students’ success, when compared to other statewide universities. We, the students, are outperforming everyone else. Educators are committed despite the adversity. So why then the decay? What it comes down to is the question of administrative priorities. 

Thankfully, we have the ability to resurrect it—to recommit ourselves to the ideals and values that inspired generations of Falcons. We can confirm to first-generation and working-class students that education—from the humanities to STEM—isn’t reserved for only the wealthy and well-connected. We can mitigate the extreme financial insecurities faced by our overworked and underpaid graduate students. We can update our rapidly aging infrastructure to ensure that students across our campus have the means to belong, go far, and stand out. 

To accomplish this, we must start by hiring a provost who champions responsible growth. Someone who supports students, faculty, and staff intellectually as well as financially. Someone who maintains that this university must prioritize all programs and not just a select few. Someone who recognizes that student success correlates with secure and well-funded faculty positions. A provost who believes, above all else, in us. 

While this is just one piece in a very, very large puzzle, it’s more important now than ever that we make our voices heard. If we’ve truly embraced the model of commodification then customer satisfaction must reign supreme. It’s time to say that we’re not impressed. It’s time to say that enough is enough. 

If we can do this then we may finally, truly, embody what it means to a public university for the public good. 

–Chase W. Fleece and Jack Lawrence are Graduate Teaching Assistant’s in the Department of History.