Editorial
Arizona Daily Wildcat
March 4, 1998

Peter Likins- Arizona's new radical?

When one peruses stories on former UA President Manuel Pacheco, one doesn't often find him taking the state's university system to task for its failings. And seeing the president stop to give an impromptu talk to UA students concerned about an upcoming administration decision would have been an unimaginable sight.

Apparently, those days are gone.

Last Friday, UA President Peter Likins blasted the Arizona Board of Regents forallowing a system that excludes the state's three universities from the budget process, while at the same time demanding each of the universities submit five-year strategic plans for their futures.

"We need to develop a strategy to allow institutions to realize the goals set forth in the plans," Likins told the regents during their meeting at Arizona State University. Likins declarations took both the regents and the presidents of ASU and Northern Arizona University by surprise.

The regents responded by creating a committee to address the lack of communication regarding university planning and funding.

Despite Likins' criticism, all three university plans passed the Board of Regents unanimously, amid comments the entire planning process was forced on the universities by a "micromanaging" Legislature.

Regardless of the plans' passage, we hope this new, public honesty among the state's public higher education leaders brings about a coordinated resolution to help the Arizona's universities get ready for the next century.

At the very least, we hope President Likins will continue to take public stands on the issues that face this university.

Likins Feb. 16 trip to Oregon to speak to Nike head Philip Knight also demonstrated the kind of personal investment of time and energy the UA community needs to see from its chief executive when he/she is faced with a controversial issue.

At the same time, Likins decision to stop and speak to the UA chapter of Students Against Sweatshops about the proposed contract was a good one. We hope, however, that the president can follow through on that conversation by giving those students the formal time they say they need to plead their case.

Likins did find time in October to talk to the Student Environmental Action Coalition about their frustrations with the UA's controversial Mt. Graham telescope project.

It's high time the UA had a president willing take opinions of the entire community into account before reaching a decision.

A president willing to call his erstwhile bosses on the carpet? We wonder if the state can handle that.