The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Murray State News.
Last week the Board of Regents decided to bury the President’s plan for a new library. If readers remember, the plan relied on the potential introduction of a new fee for students. After a stiff reaction from both this publication and the Student Government Association, the Board of Regents took effective action on the side of students.
It goes to show the voices of a few determined people doing what they think is right can make change and it happened right here on campus. The library was a good example of how this campus is still willing to stand up for the well being of its students.
There are still a lot of strong feelings on the subject, but it is up to us as members of this institution to do what we think is best. If we keep piling cost after cost onto the student body this institution will be left with nothing but ghosts and expensive building projects.
We hope the rest of campus can see this as an opportunity to speak its mind about the direction of our beloved university. Students, faculty and staff need to see this as a victory, seeing as victories are so few and far between these days. And we all owe a thank you to the Board of Regents for listening to the different voices across campus and taking the side of those who will be most affected.
Josh Jacobs, chief of staff, said only time will tell if the Board is not interested in discussing options to fund the library.
“The Board made it clear in the discussion they are not ready to discuss the need for a new library at this time,” Jacobs said. “They did not present the prepared presentation and instead acted to halt all actions to accomplish this item, which was established as a priority of the Board from the Board’s August retreat and meeting.”
It’s not always good to make a decision that isn’t based on all the evidence, and in this regard we would have liked President Dunn to have his say on the project. But the Board made its decision and we can only applaud it all the same.
SGA President Jeremiah Johnson said the Board of Regents is student oriented and had in mind the effects of the fee.
“At this time without further research, I cannot support the use of student fees for the library or any academic building for that matter,” Johnson said. “But I would love to see the option stay open for student facilities. I’m just not completely sold.”
So a pat on the back goes out to all those who finally stopped this plan and put students first. Thank you for your courage.