Members of the Iowa State community have lots of ideas about change and how to deal with it.

Student group representatives were given a chance to ask questions of university officials Thursday at a noon Maintenance Shop forum, titled “Catt, McHub…Strategies for Change at ISU.”

Seated before an audience of nearly 100 university members, six university officials answered students’ questions and suggested ways to effectively bring about change on campus.

Doug Houghton, Department of Public Safety Program coordinator and moderator of the forum, said the idea of the forum was to get students’ questions answered.

Carol Bradley, director of governmental relations, said the easiest way to affect change is to start at the lowest level possible.

“Be very persistent. It does pay. Don’t give up early and recognize that ideas and timing must coincide,” Bradley said.

She also suggested students seek to understand their opposition’s argument. “Don’t burn your bridges. The person you disagree with now, could be your best ally tomorrow.”

Dean of Students Kathleen MacKay, offered this advice to affect change: “Involve as many different constituents as you can. Multiple voices. The more people you have the more successful you will be.”

Warren Madden, vice president for business and finance, said students should take a stand as early as they can and discover new ways that situations can be approached.

“Students view things with short-term objectives. Sometimes issues are complex. They involve many other groups. You need to have patience and persistence to move ahead,” Madden said.

He said most administrators at ISU are relatively open and will sit down and talk with students who have concerns. “You need to take advantage of that.”

Suzanne Hendrich, Diversity Steering Committee member and a faculty senator, said the more the university, faculty and staff communicate with the students as equal partners, the better off the university will be.

An example of this partnership, Hendrich said, is the Diversity Steering Committee which represents faculty, staff, students and administrators.

“I’m not sure if the students involved feel like they’re always listened to…[But] people listen to what they say seriously.”

Student representatives were invited to ask questions after the panelists made comments. The first was Tim Davis, representative of the Iowa State Daily. Davis asked how university officials can make the decision-making process more inclusive of students.

Madden was first to answer. He urged students to take advantage of their student-elected officials. However, he said the university can “certainly improve communication.”

He cited the recent McHub controversy as an example of a situation where better communication was needed. “As administrators we didn’t make a perfect decision. I think affecting change was done,” Madden said. “The system worked; the right decision was made.”

One student question that drew a round of applause from the audience was not answered by all members of the panel.

“[The September 29th Movement] has consistently, intelligently and academically pursued the channels for change and we have been ignored,” said Tai Coleman, representative of the Movement. “How can we affect change when we’re working in your system and it’s not being done?”

Bradley first responded, saying in her professional opinion the name of Carrie Chapman Catt Hall is not going to be changed now.

Coleman said the panel does not know what it is like to feel discrimination. She said there are minority students who are suffering, who are feeling pain. She said it is the responsibility of the administration and ISU President Martin Jischke to make sure the values and opinions of the minority community are respected.

“Are you going to tell me keeping the name is more important than living up to your own set of standards?” Coleman asked.

MacKay answered by saying it is a complex issue and the students of the Movement have done an excellent job making their points of view clear. However, she said, there is another side to this issue, a side which often chooses to remain silent for fear of being called racists.

“I have heard the other side and seen the pain of white women,” MacKay said. “It’s equally as strong. I see tears there, just like from the other side.”

Derrick Rollins, diversity adviser to the president’s cabinet, entered the forum late but commented afterward on the role of panel discussions.

He said it was obvious to him that there is a need for dialogue on the campus. “Seems like a lot of students are upset with efficiency and the way things are run.”

He said it looked as though people were walking away, feeling as if they’ve made little progress. In fact, progress may have been “too small to measure,” he said.

“If you do enough of these, they will start to add up and we will see change,” Rollins said. “With only one forum it is hard to feel that a lot was accomplished.”