In recent weeks, a movement by the student body known as Wanted By Walsh has swept the campus, and even reached alumni across the state and the country. As students with limited information struggle to understand the abrupt dismissal of their beloved Frank Romero-Crockett, former associate director of LA Term, emotions run rampant and uninformed rumors are going forward.
“Due to the lack of trust and transparency provided thus far from administration, our only other sources have lead us to believe something we acknowledge is difficult to swallow. Drawing from the inconsistent statements made by Dr. Jennifer Walsh, Ryan Hartwig, and Paul Hertig, in correspondence to the timeline, we propose that Dean Jennifer Walsh, or someone under her supervision, fabricated a false accusation…” said the Wanted By Walsh Facebook page.
This statement and accusation made by Wanted By Walsh is one of many both absurd and lacking merit. As it is within our very human nature to attempt to piece together the cause and effect and everything in between for the sake of understanding, sometimes we seem to forget that a lack of information does necessarily mean that there is something to hide.
Personal and professional matters call for a level of confidentiality and privacy for everyone involved. In the same way that a parent is denied access to personal information on a student, even one for whom they pay tuition, a student has no right or any access in any way to the personal matters involving a faculty member.
A parent cannot even call the university and request their student’s schedule or records of any sort, so what makes us think that in our pressing administrators for answers on very personal, private and confidential matters that they would be so insensitive and disrespectful to the person in question? There are legal repercussions that come with such a breach of confidentiality.
I truly believe that if our administration had the liberty to share all of the details involved, it would, because that would clear up matters. And yes, sadly, that is all anyone wants. People just want clarity and they want to understand administrators’ actions and the purpose behind them. However, the fact that Walsh, Hartwig, Hertig and others have no right to share specifics does not mean that they have something to hide or an evil scheme to carry out in order to fulfill some supposed negative agenda.
“Before I became an academic, I spent 10 years as a student development professional at another Christian college, building and overseeing residential life and campus programs, serving as a member of the University’s crisis and student care teams, traveling extensively with student groups, mentoring and developing students and developing collaborations between the academic and student life areas of the University,” said Dr. Hartwig, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies, in an email interview.
Hartwig further stated that he relies on this background in bridging the gap between academia and student life as he and his colleagues strengthen the student support systems in LA term terrain, while working with program faculty in areas of their academic expertise, collaborating with APU student life staff, and gleaning feedback from students and alumni.
“As dean, I am charged with overseeing the academic programs that fall within my college,” said Walsh, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor in the Department of History and Political Science, in an email interview. “My team and I work closely with faculty and staff with each program/department to ensure that academic and extracurricular components align with university and college priorities.”
Sometimes adjustments are necessary and not within the realm of understanding to the student body, but Walsh assured us that her team works closely with program faculty members in making these changes and decisions.
“We are dedicated to prayerfully making and implementing decisions that have the best interests of our students in mind, honor the service and partnership of host families, internship partners and the LA community at large, further the mission of APU and represent Christ well in all that we do,” said Walsh.
As it stands, there is certainly information that is not being shared. However, rather than attack the university and administrators charged with making these difficult decisions, I believe a level of respect and trust should be earned here rather than a perception of being disingenuous and untrustworthy. While members involved in these changes, including those dismissed from the program altogether, have the liberty to share whatever details they want, they also have the liberty to withhold any details they want.
In that, the university and its administrators shoulder these attacks and accusations with such dignity, grace and poise, while refraining from immature and unprofessional acts of retaliation and oversharing. They have held true to their promises of privacy and confidentiality, respected the individuals involved and are doing their best to bridge the gaps.