The week is more than just a celebration, of course. People have to trust the President. They have to know that even if you don't agree with him, he's listening. There are inevitable differences on budgets, and there are people who d on't think they're getting their piece of the pie. The trick is to make sure that there is a level of trust between the president and the regents and the faculty and the administration and the state, and that decisions are being made in good faith.
People have to know they are being considered.
And that's the great, lasting hope for the Yudof presidency. After a recent legacy of faculty-regent tensions, academic crises such as the proposal to close General College, debate over increased University corporatization and battles over the state budge t, the University community is yearning for new definition and direction. In his first 100 days Yudof is delivering. Listening to an often-cacophonous community is an important first step, and whether the ideas are really new is almost beside the point. I t's the honeymoon.