Likins posts university priorities

University of Arizona President Peter Likins is working toward widespread campus communication through a discussion paper that reaches both students and faculty.

"I'm anxious to connect with (the) community out there," he said Tuesday. "This is intended to stimulate thoughtful people to talk out loud with each other - to engage the community."

Likins sent his first discussion paper Jan. 6 through an e-mail listserv for UA deans, directors and department heads.

Although it has been well received, UA community members have suggested how its format can be restructured, Likins said.

Likins said he received criticism about one of the 10 university priorities he suggested in the paper. This criticism focused on his third priority, which stated that freshmen and outstanding scholars should get more attention from faculty and staff.

Freshmen, Likins wrote, are the most vulnerable students because some have a difficult time adjusting to campus life.

"Seniors take the initiative while freshman stay in their rooms," Likins said about becoming involved in campus activities.

He said freshmen need more attention to help them become "competent, self-assured learners."

Likins said more seminars should be focused on freshmen. The UA, he said, should "push honors programs, involving them in research."

Putting no more than about 20 students in some freshman classes, Likins said, would help students connect with each other.

He cited nine other priorities, ranging from advancing student learning to enhancing community development to stimulating response and helping the university plan for the future.

Likins said that in February, after he accumulates and reads the responses about his first draft, he will decide whether to produce another discussion paper. He said his next paper, which may not focus as much on prioritization, could include different campus issues.

If the paper continues to succeed, Likins said he will produce one every few months.

Roger Caldwell, interim educational communications director for Soil, Water and Environmental Science, said the paper is an effective way to raise campus issues because it engages the entire campus in discussion.

"A lot of people do care, and this will give them a chance to put things on the table," Caldwell said.

"I think it's an extremely valuable initiative on the [president's part] and will generate a very productive discussion across campus," said political science Professor John Schwarz.

Likins stated in the paper that its readers should not treat it like gospel.

He said a similar discussion paper, used at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, worked well.

Likins was the president of Lehigh University before he began his presidency at the UA in October.

Lehigh has a student body of 6,300 students, compared with UA's 35,000.