Deanna Hobbs hobbsdm@plu.edu
Gracie Anderson andersgn@plu.edu
We, the students, are protesting the failed Presidential Search Process that blindsided the campus community with the decision of appointing Allan Belton as the new President. We consider this a failed Presidential Search due to the Board of Regents’ lack of transparency on the reasons for their final decision, the undervaluing of the time committee members spent bringing candidates to campus only to have the Board select a noncandidate, the lack of student power to vote in Presidential Search Processes, and, most importantly, the neglect of the search process by unfairly appointing Allan Belton without requiring the same procedural qualifications as other candidates.
There are many other concerns with the appointment of Allan Belton as the President, and this explanation does not completely encapsulate why students, staff, and faculty were hurt by this decision.
We are demonstrating and organizing throughout the rest of the school year to remind the Board of Regents and the PLU Administration that the campus community still feels resentful, hurt, and neglected by the results of the Presidential Search Process. We invite students to join us, as well as faculty and staff, to ensure there will not be another failed search process and to codify the procedures for the future.
