Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Tim Davis, Jamey Hansen, Tim Frerking, Chris Mende and Keesia Wirt.

Warren Madden, Iowa State’s vice president for business and finance, made himself available for a forum at the Maintenance Shop on Tuesday concerning the McDonald’s in the Hub issue where, after his opening statement, he received questions and heard statements from students, faculty and staff.

During the forum several heated remarks were made, some directed personal attacks at Madden, but the goal of the crowd at the M-Shop seemed to be to get their questions answered and vent some of their frustrations about being excluded from the decision making process.

We commend Madden for taking time to listen to students, faculty and staff members’ concerns on this issue. This is a step in the right direction.

We are pleased to see Madden and university officials delaying any decisions concerning a McDonald’s in the Hub until this fall. We’d like to remind them that it is not that difficult or out of the way for people to go to the McDonald’s at the Memorial Union’s food court.

We hope university officials wait until the Government of the Student Body Senate and the Faculty Senate get a chance to speak their views on the subject. We have these elected bodies for several reasons, one is to be voices for their respective groups. Without their input the Regents will be making an ill-informed decision.

Perhaps because of Tuesday’s forum Madden and university officials were able to hear opinions that eventually let them to the decision to hold off on the McDonald’s issue. This type of open-talk forums with the ISU community should be used when any important decision regarding the university is made.

When Madden said administration had spoken with representatives from students, faculty, and staff, it seems they only spoke with people they knew would agree with their plans. This may be the reason why Faculty Senate president, Bill Woodman, was never consulted.

Madden’s excuse is, “Could we have done a better way of communicating this? I would say sure, you can always do better.” A press release sent in the spring stating the university’s consideration of the McDonald’s issue would have solved many problems. This, as opposed to keeping it a seemingly private matter.

Yes, Mr. Madden, you can always do better, and the open forums are a good start.