New university administrators, such as ISU President Steven Leath, need to be able to choose their own staff so that the team responsible for the university’s well-being and the fulfillment of its mission statement will be a team that can work well together.

Leath has begun to make his choices since assuming the presidency on Jan. 16. Several top administrators resigned over this past year.

Recently, Iowa State had open forums at which candidates for university registrar, senior vice president and provost, and dean of students could offer their visions for Iowa State.

The timing of those forums, however, is suspect. The forums for senior vice president and provost were hosted during Dead Week. The forums for dean of students were also during Dead Week and Finals Week. And the forums for registrar were the week after Finals. That timing made it difficult for students to take an interest in the future of their university.

While in the end those decisions should be left to the officials who will be their superiors, students should be involved in the process, if only so they know what, exactly, those officials do for them and their university.