Students Contribute to Presidential Search in Open Listening Session
The presidential search is underway as students gathered virtually to give input about what they are looking for in President Dennis J. Murray’s successor. The session on Oct. 1 was led by Jett Pihakis of Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA), a recognized global leadership advisory and search firm.
The 11 students who attended the live session were able to share their opinions on the college and how they want to see Marist move forward under a new president. Pihakis encouraged students at the beginning of the conversation to share their views openly and candidly.
“I am going to seek to learn as much as I can from the student perspective in terms of what is working well at Marist as well as what you feel needs to be improved upon,” Pihakis said.
Pihakis began by asking students how they would sell Marist to a potential presidential candidate. Students were able to mention their favorite aspects of the campus and community at Marist.
“I want to see a president who is aware of how we can have a positive impact in the community,” Student Body President Roda Mohamad ‘20 said. “I think that is something that drove me to come to Marist.”
Other students recognized the culture they have come to love at Marist. Whether it’s seeing Murray walking on campus or catching up with a prior professor, the students recognized the rare atmosphere on campus.
“It feels very welcoming from an interdispancery standpoint,” Edison Hauptman ‘21 said. “The attitude that everyone has at Marist is that we are free to explore everywhere and I think that sort of culture is the thing I would brag about most.”
Another feature many of the students wanted to highlight throughout the conversation was the study abroad program at Marist. More than 500 students study abroad each year in a variety of different countries and academic disciplines.
“I studied abroad in Florence, Italy in the fall of 2019 at the Lorenzo de' Medici campus, and it was a wonderful educational experience,” Natalie Ford ‘21 said. “Marist makes it ridiculously easy to go abroad because they take care of everything from your classes to your housing. All you have to do is apply for the program, get a passport and go abroad.”
After talking about the areas students enjoy and appreciate at Marist, Pihakis asked the students what they were looking for in a new president. The discussion quickly shifted to the improvements the college can make and how a new president can enhance the environment.
“I think that the most important quality a president should have is communication and transparency with the student body,” Mohamad said. “I think that whoever comes into this role should be aware of the issues happening within and make the community more inclusive in that regard.”
Students addressed different issues with inclusivity and assistance available on campus.
“I have had two or three professors who were very negative when it came to my accommodations because they didn’t honor them or they completely disregarded them,” Arielle Brown ‘23 said. “I want to get a president who can add training for professors and emphasize that accommodations should be honored.”
The conversation concluded with students addressing what skills and experience they hope to see in the future president. Students identified a range of characteristics they would like the next president to have, such as being engaging, young, diverse, open-minded and connected to the student body.
“I think that it's important that the president is everywhere, and not just everywhere because they feel like they must, but because they feel like being there is important in understanding the voices of the people who are there,” Asiyah Farhane ‘21 said.
The Greystone building is home to the office of the president at Marist. Source: Sarah Lynch