The Stute released its first Staff Op-Ed on October 9, 2026. This was not a decision that any of us took lightly. Rather, it was the culmination of months of disagreements, unfulfilled promises, and growing frustrations.
A few weeks ago, I published my two Editorials, “The art of the PR response” and “Fail, get up, and try again,” which outlined the beginning and end of The Stute’s issues with the administration. As discussed in those pieces, the primary way the organization can be affected is when our production is halted because of a lack of information from them.
We chose not to explore The Stute’s perspective in greater depth because, ultimately, it was not just about us. We did not have to seek out student leaders who felt concerned — they found us.
Several student leaders approached me with an interest in sharing their experiences with the administration with the newspaper. I initially encouraged them to write their own articles and submit them to The Stute for publication. It was not until we were directly affected that I found myself in an administrative office voicing my concerns. During the conversation, I recall saying something along the lines of, “I have so much evidence about how much they do not want us to share; I could make an article on it.” The response was quite simple: “Why don’t you?” And so, Staff Op-Ed came to fruition.
The article was always intended to be a critique of administrative decisions rather than an attack. The administration has been viewing students through a glass window, and it is time they join us in the room, sit down, and level with us.
I once heard an administrator remark that significant efforts have been made to shield students from the effects of the university’s current budget challenges. When asked to elaborate, they struggled to understand why students were concerned about the changes and their impact on us.
What changes, then, do not disrupt a student’s quality of life on campus: the credit reduction, shortened dining hours, reduced library hours, decreased tutoring center hours, additional dining upcharges, decreased food quality, the planned library closure beginning in Spring 2027, persistent construction disrupting class and essential walkways, and the faculty layoffs that leave students concerned about who will be able to support and mentor them. The list goes on.
Since the Op-Ed was published, several alumni reached out to us, asking how they can help. Honestly, I do not have a definitive answer. We want to be brought into important conversations, we want to rebuild our trust with the institution, we want the administration to act with kindness, and, above all, we want transparency from Stevens.
Students recognize that Stevens, like many other institutions nationally, are navigating budget constraints. We understand that difficult decisions need to be made to sustain the school. But if we are expected to pivot, the faculty, administrators, as well as the Board of Trustees should be willing to do the same. This responsibility cannot fall disproportionately on the members of the community with the least influence over these decisions.
This article is a cry for help, Stevens, and I hope the administration recognizes it as such.
Throughout my term, I have been careful in determining what we publish. And for the first time, I chose a completely different approach. This time, I continued to follow our established guidelines and published this piece as an Op-Ed rather than a News article, despite having the evidence to back up our claims. We could have included more, but we didn’t.
Student leaders have made their positions clear. Now, Stevens, what will you do?
