We need to come up with some concrete steps to take in order to improve this university. Shift the emphasis of this university from research to teaching. Certainly, research is a major part of any university's role, but research without teaching is like a loveless marriage. Faculty members, regardless of their department, should not be made to feel as though they are not contributing because they aren't piling up the research. A good teacher is worth 10 researchers, and anyone who says differently is only looking at the bottom line.
Freedom of choice is a wonderful thing.
Conflicts of interest should be a thing of the past. If you do not see the conflict of interest inherent in these positions, maybe public service is not for you. If Ed Koch can be a man of the people in a city the size of New York, then certainly the president of Iowa State can get out and mingle once in a while. Do not deny students our stake in this school. Kate Kompas, Greg Jerrett, Heidi Jolivette, Justin Kendall and Tara Payne.