3:49 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10: The moment that time stood still as news broke that this semester would mark the last for Dr. Laurie M. Joyner and her presidency on campus.
Mere minutes after the email hit students’ inboxes, the university was in a state of pandemonium. Questions arose without foreseeable answers, confusion gave way to moments of realization, and the student body suddenly found itself without a central authority figure.
Even still, a considerable percentage of students responded to the news of Dr. Joyner’s departure with one concerning question: Who?
We asked a dozen students for their thoughts surrounding Dr. Joyner and her resignation, and the results were certainly telling. Two responses were positive, two were negative, and eight were neither; the overwhelming majority claimed to have no idea who Laurie M. Joyner is, what she does, or what her leaving means.
The Xavierite Editorial Board echoed this sentiment, with most members attesting they’ve “never met” Joyner despite her having served as president of the university since 2017. “Many students could not point her out if they saw her,” a member added. Why do so many students view the president of the university as a complete stranger?
Furthermore, where does the fault lie for that critical issue? Should students be more active in seeking out administrators to familiarize themselves, or should Dr. Joyner have been more involved in campus activities?
As some may know, Dr. Joyner moved the Office of the President to MMC 116, a room deeply seated within the Mercy Ministry Center. The space is wildly unfamiliar to students, to the point that most undergraduates have never seen, heard of, or been inside the building. For all intents and purposes, the office is isolated from the student body.
In other terms, the president is isolated from her constituents.
News of Joyner’s imminent exit arouses many uncertainties regarding the university’s future. Who will fill the now-vacant position? Will anyone be filling it by the time the 2023 fall semester begins?
The President’s Vitae boasts a slew of past administrative positions and multiple awards Dr. Joyner has received throughout her career. In a statement released in 2021, the SXU Board of Trustees extended Joyner’s contract due to her “many accomplishments” on campus, including increased first-to-second-year retention rates and a lack of COVID-19-related layoffs.
The achievements celebrated as merits of Dr. Joyner, however, do not come without criticism. As one member of the Xavierite Editorial Board suggested, “first-to-second-year retention isn’t the issue; students will stay for their gen eds and then leave” for a better school environment that Joyner has sadly failed to provide.
African American students specifically have spoken out over feeling overlooked during Joyner’s administration. Multiple upperclassmen have testified that they’ve “never felt seen” by Joyner, nor have they felt supported during events meant to celebrate Black students and staff.
Additionally, recent years have shown little to no stability for faculty members. As many students have noted, the number of adjunct professors rises each year while full-time faculty dwindles.
Whether of their own volition or due to internal circumstances, upperclassmen have become accustomed to watching educators they’ve known for years leave the university.
As for the faculty who remain, none have been quick to react to the news of Joyner’s resignation.
In correspondence with a news article surrounding Joyner’s departure, ten faculty members were contacted with the opportunity to comment on the story along with two campus organizations and Joyner herself.
Out of thirteen emails sent, only seven received responses that would go on the record. Of the ten faculty members asked, only four agreed to give a public statement.
The hesitation gave us pause.
Why would faculty members refrain from sharing their thoughts on such a drastic change that directly impacts them? What stopped the chosen faculty from commenting?
Perhaps their silence speaks volumes.
What concerns the Xavierite is what Joyner’s exodus reflects about the current state of higher education.
In the past six years, how many deans has the university seen come and go? How many provosts? Directors? Moreover, how many positions have we seen filled with a glaring qualifier of “Interim” placed before the title? So many that the term has practically lost all meaning.
This alarming trend has not been lost on students. As one board member observed, “a lot of people have been leaving lately or seeking other opportunities.” But if administrators are in a constant state of migration, how can students possibly feel as if their concerns are truly being addressed? Being taken seriously? Being heard at all?
Not everyone fears for the future of our school or schools in general. As many board members have predicted, her absence can be a harbinger of positive development for this community. Some view this as a “golden opportunity to restart and rewrite what our future could be”.
Without a doubt, we all know that SXU is in for a world of change; “For better or for worse, only time will tell.”
The Xavierite wishes nothing but the best for Dr. Joyner and her future position at St. Norbert College.