When Philip Hanlon '77 is officially inaugurated as the 18th president, he will inherit not only the rich legacy of the position but also the numerous problems our school faces. Students and alumni have certain expectations of him. To some, social issues such as the Greek system or bigotry on campus are most important. Some wish him to address financial aspects like the rising price of tuition. Still others want him to focus on matters of administration and infrastructure within the College. Ultimately, there is consensus that, whatever Hanlon chooses to focus on, we want him to truly improve Dartmouth, not just make little changes that act as an insufficient bandage on the institution's considerable wounds.
As a member of the Class of 2016, I am in an odd position as I watch this all unfold: I have never experienced a permanent presidency. Our class arrived after the departure of former President Jim Yong Kim, observed the interim presidency of Carol Folt and lived through a brief transitional period in which Hanlon began to make his presence known. Most of us were not even here for the summer, during which he further settled in. We have yet to witness what a Dartmouth president can accomplish with long-term, sustained initiatives.
While some pervasive issues will certainly be tackled by Hanlon and his administration swiftly and strongly, as indicated by his recent message to the community, there are several less apparent concerns that I hope to see him confront.
First is the ever-increasing price of food imposed on us by Dartmouth Dining Services. Meal plans are mandatory and their costs continue to rise. The price of on-campus food has been raised disproportionately to how much purchasing money has been added. Students have little say in the matter; we are forced to buy into this system, and we are forced to patronize it for lack of alternatives. There are always options in town, but since we have already paid for a meal plan, we would be losing any unspent DBA that can't be rolled over into the next term. Hanlon needs to address a dining system that is essentially a corrupt monopoly. While he cannot set prices himself, he should place heavy pressure on DDS to stop profit-grubbing, or at least allow other businesses to sell DBA-accessible food on campus.
Hanlon and his administration should also deal with our extremely weak advising system. Like many of my peers, I was assigned an arbitrary faculty advisor whose department was not even remotely similar to my intended major. With a different area of expertise from that which I needed, my advisor was unable to provide me with any solid recommendations for my academic path. A small initiative of peer-advising began last year, but it was only offered to residents of one freshman dorm cluster, and still presented limited insight into what a student should be doing both in and out of the classroom in order to pursue a particular field of study. There needs to be a serious attempt to pair students with advisors who are both knowledgeable about their interests and fully committed to taking on the responsibilities of advising. Perhaps Hanlon can institute this change, along with requiring additional training on how to be an effective advisor.
Finally, Hanlon should focus considerable effort on expanding the international presence and impact of Dartmouth. Our global recognition lags behind that of peer institutions. Hanlon should organize an outreach program that more prominently promotes Dartmouth to foreign high schools and industries. This would allow us to attract even more of the great minds around the world in regards to students and faculty. Fostering international relationships with institutions abroad would also provide better resources and opportunities for us as students. In this increasingly global world, Dartmouth must keep up to offer us the best possible education.
Hanlon has only just begun what will hopefully be a long, fulfilling presidency. He is approaching a laundry list of issues, so we cannot expect that our problems will be solved immediately. But as someone with no knowledge of attending this school with a stable president in place, I am primarily looking for someone to take hold of the reins and lead us to a better Dartmouth with conviction and a clear direction.
