I will always take pride in my choice to attend Truman State University. There’s something about the professors, the students and the history that has led me to call this place home. That being said, there are some things I have struggled with at this University. Throughout my time at Truman, there has been a number of student deaths, and each time, the lack of communication between the various levels of our University appalls me.
Don’t get me wrong, I applaud the new vice president for student affairs who reached out to students in a timely fashion and followed up Monday morning. However, I feel as though these events call for more than an email from a single administrator. It’s time for a conversation, and it’s time for University to pull together and address the issue rather than simply having this discussion and expecting students to move forward. In the past, we’ve “addressed the issue,” but we’re still struggling to find out what that means to us as a university.
In August, The Index printed an article about Truman becoming a JED campus, a program that is to assist with the mental health issues on campus. I checked the other day and saw that our University is listed as a JED campus on JED’s site, yet I haven’t seen any fruit from this. I haven’t seen a survey come across my email. I haven’t heard about the consultation that is to occur, and I haven’t heard the steps we’ll be taking as a campus to improve the current situation.
Like I said, I don’t blame any one individual, but I do think it’s time we come together and address an issue that appears to be growing. It’s time for administrators, faculty and students to move forward not blindly but with a clear vision as to what we want, and need, at this University.