The Classes of 2017 and 2018 hold a unique place in the student body as the only current classes to have experienced the administrations of both the first and second female presidents of Hamline University. As such, they have seen first hand the strides the presidential administration has made in bettering the institution, primarily by working to bridge the gap between students and the administration.

While the leadership styles of former president Linda Hanson and current president Fayneese Miller are fundamentally different, there still remains a concern for the lack of transparency in the administration.

Having taken office in July of 2015, Miller’s administration has jumped head-on into establishing connections with students, bringing to life what Miller said in her installation ceremony speech: “Hamline is about people. Hamline is about community.”

But with a string of changes being made on institutional levels without much or any communication to the Hamline community, the student body has trouble retaining that sense of inclusion Miller seeks.

The locations of Safety and Security, Student Activities and multiple other offices were changed over the summer without sufficient formal notice. This, combined with the former Law School building’s signs not being updated in time to read “West Hall,” caused frenzied confusion among students finding their classrooms. In addition, students have yet to be invited to discuss the proposed curriculum changes which would eliminate programs such as Women’s Studies, African-American Studies, East Asian Studies, German, French and the Certificate in International Journalism.

With several personnel changes in departments campus wide and with the law school merger taking full effect this fall, there has been confusion across campus, not only with the student body. Both the Provost and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts positions have been occupied under interim status for over a year with no foreseeable plans to award permanent standing.

When broaching these subjects, students are often met with disdain, or at the very least are kept in the dark. With such drastic changes being implemented on a university wide scale, there will inherently be some questions the administration cannot immediately answer. However, this does not justify lacking transparency.

In order to genuinely foster and support the Hamline community, the presidential administration must put forth efforts to provide consistent lines of communication for students to access and actively involve students in high-impact decisions. Anything less is like trying to look through frosted glass.