This summer, the university administration decided to forego a national search to fill the empty director position for the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center and instead conduct a search locally. When the search fell short, Nora Spencer, who was already director of the Office of LGBTQI Life, was also given the directorship of the Women’s Center.

While at the time the decision was made, this shortcut might have seemed insignificant, the backlash seen from groups on campus is a clear indication that a more thorough search was needed. The Women’s Center oversees five student groups on campus while the Office of LGBTQI Life includes another six, and many of the student leaders and members of these organizations have expressed dissatisfaction with the actions taken by the administration.

The students affected not only feel they didn’t have enough opportunity to input their opinions during the search process, but also that the appointment of one director for the two centers seems to be a union of the two issues. Their concerns are legitimate. Although the administration claims otherwise, this restructuring implies that the Women’s Center and Office of LGBTQI Life are in some way linked. One director for the two organizations symbolically lumps together women’s and LGBTQI issues. While on paper, the organizational chart has the two as separate entities, in reality, the lines begin to blur with one person in charge.

One would hope that these subjects would be individually and separately addressed. Putting the two together makes it seem as though neither deserves the full attention of one full-time director.