It was great to see some positive news in the lead article of the Thursday, May 26 edition of The Post (McDavis praises OU for shrinking diversity gap) regarding the University's improved numbers in terms of both diversity and overall enrollment. However, I find it curious (if not exactly surprising) that The Post's coverage of these developments included no mention of the recent revamping of the front door of the University's Web site, which had the goals of 1) encouraging admitted students to enroll at Ohio University and 2) encouraging diversity in the student population among its primary aims when it was launched. In fact, it's rather ironic that the reverse side of the same article (page two) featured Day 50 of The Post's continuing crusade against that very same Web site, this time proudly labeling it Xtremely awful.
I don't doubt the factors listed in the article and highlighted by the president in his news conference are primary contributors to the success the university is experiencing in reversing its recently declining enrollment trends. But at the risk of letting these new enrollment facts get in the way of The Post's opinion, perhaps it's time to rethink the bullheaded and mean-spirited campaign against the recent innovations on the university's Web site. Maybe it's time to finally acknowledge -in a positive way -the dedicated efforts of my colleagues in Communications and Marketing who worked so diligently on this initiative.
At the very least, in light of these results, The Post might consider admitting that the creative efforts of the C&M Web development team have certainly done nothing to hurt the university's cause from an enrollment standpoint.
After all, if OU fails to attract students in an increasingly competitive environment, The Post may not be around to criticize the university's efforts to take bold, decisive action in attempting to resolve its dilemmas.
-Brian Stemen, a 1998 OU Graduate, works for OU's Communications and Marketing department. Send him an e-mail at stemen@ohiou.edu.
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Letter to the Editor
