Presidential finalist Casey visits campus
By: Andy Bruner
Issue date: 2/12/08 Section: News
Friday was take two in DePauw's parade of presidential finalists, as candidate Brian Casey, associate dean for academic affairs at Harvard University, came to campus for a full day of meetings and forums with students, faculty and staff. Trinity University's vice president for academic affairs, Michael Fischer, did the same on last Tuesday.
The wide range of subjects Casey discussed at the forums included many of the usual top issues at DePauw, including diversity, sustainability and the state of the greek system.
At the student forum - which brought slightly fewer students than Fischer's, possibly due to its timing on a Friday afternoon - Casey said he was committed to creating a sustainable university, though like Fischer, he said he couldn't commit to specific actions as a presidential candidate. Casey said sustainability is something that has strong importance to him "personally" and is excited about.
Regarding expansion of diversity at DePauw, Casey said it is an issue "the president has to own."
"Dr. [Robert G.] Bottoms has done a nice job in diversity of faculty members. It's just the beginning," Casey said. "If we don't provide a diverse faculty, we've impoverished the educational experience."
He added that issues of diversity should not be limited to race.
"Diversity should cross a variety of parameters," he added. "This has got to be a constant intellectual, sort of institutional effort."
Casey's ideas on the benefits of diversity and internationalization overlapped with his answers to questions about DePauw's greek system. He said he hopes DePauw students might come to define themselves more broadly through exposure to new ideas and variety of experience.
"I would like to think - and I think this is already happening to some extent - that your greek life just becomes one layer of your full experience at DePauw," he said.
Casey said he understands the importance of DePauw's greek system to students and alumni.
The wide range of subjects Casey discussed at the forums included many of the usual top issues at DePauw, including diversity, sustainability and the state of the greek system.
At the student forum - which brought slightly fewer students than Fischer's, possibly due to its timing on a Friday afternoon - Casey said he was committed to creating a sustainable university, though like Fischer, he said he couldn't commit to specific actions as a presidential candidate. Casey said sustainability is something that has strong importance to him "personally" and is excited about.
Regarding expansion of diversity at DePauw, Casey said it is an issue "the president has to own."
"Dr. [Robert G.] Bottoms has done a nice job in diversity of faculty members. It's just the beginning," Casey said. "If we don't provide a diverse faculty, we've impoverished the educational experience."
He added that issues of diversity should not be limited to race.
"Diversity should cross a variety of parameters," he added. "This has got to be a constant intellectual, sort of institutional effort."
Casey's ideas on the benefits of diversity and internationalization overlapped with his answers to questions about DePauw's greek system. He said he hopes DePauw students might come to define themselves more broadly through exposure to new ideas and variety of experience.
"I would like to think - and I think this is already happening to some extent - that your greek life just becomes one layer of your full experience at DePauw," he said.
Casey said he understands the importance of DePauw's greek system to students and alumni.
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