The Daily Campus

Issue date: 9/26/08 Section: Commentary

It has been a year since Michael Hogan became UConn's 14th president. In this time, the university has experienced a lot of negative attention - it dropped out of U.S. News and World Report's list of the top 25 public universities, two sexual assaults were reported and it experienced a major budget cut. And yet, despite these rather tumultuous times, thus far President Hogan's commitment to good, solid leadership remains the same.

To begin with, Hogan gets high marks for accessibility, both for students and faculty. Most people find him easy to reach and he is frequently found mingling in the community. From football games to honors field trips, Hogan has made his presence known to the student body. Also, we are proud that the president waived his right to his annual bonus, instead urging that the money be used towards graduate studies funding. During these times of financial difficulty, it is important to have a president who makes students a high priority.

In addition, Hogan has not hesitated to make a presence in the administration. Last year he organized a major structural change by bringing the UConn Health Center more directly under university control. This move could end up saving money in the long run and improving the reputation of the Health Center.

This is not to say that the president has not run into his fair share of difficulties since his migration from the University of Iowa. Hogan has experienced a period of adjustment, particularly in terms of the UConn state budget which was cut by three percent. Despite making the effort to go up to the state capital, students remain unconvinced that enough was done to convey how much these cuts will affect the quality of education at the university. In an effort to build better legislative contacts for the coming years, Hogan has made strong attempts to be available to members of the state congress. However, it will likely take some time before his legislative legwork begins to pay off. In the meantime, increasing legislative contacts and fundraising ought to be high on his priority list.

President Hogan has had a very productive first year. Although his performance in regards to state legislation and fundraising need to increase, he has shown a great deal of promise and strong leadership.

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