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A Cautionary Tale from a College Disaster: Leadership Denied
February 5, 2009 Posted in Reality
While some colleges have a quick one-day orientation or even a simple online registration, other colleges have week-long activities ranging from seminars and lectures to outdoor orienteering adventures. The goal of orientation is to make sure students feel at home on campus or, at least, well versed on where to go, whom to talk to, and what the school offers. Orientation is a way to make nervous first-years feel connected to their academic community of students.
I will never forget moving into my dorm during my first year orientation week being completely scared out of my mind. However, at Hollins, meeting people came easy. In fact, we were put into groups of six or seven students with a student advisor, who was a grade or two older than us, to spend the week with. We played ice-breaker games, talked about high school, and spent the days getting to know each other in the August heat. My student advisor, known as a Student Success Leader (SSL), was a quiet sophomore, English major (just like me). She helped my fellow group members put together our schedules, get to our seminars on time, and learn all about Hollins and its academics.
Although orientation went quickly, I never forgot how amazing my SSL was. She went out of her way to stay in contact with all of us first years, even leaving us goodie bags of finger puppets and Hello Kitty stickers. She always made herself available, and I couldn’t have thanked her more.
At the end of my first year, applications for the new program called Orientation Leaders were released. The application was simple, asking for information on my campus activities, my schedule, and ideas about community building. I then signed up for an interview with two or three other girls. During the interview, the Dean of Students asked questions to the other girls, snubbing me from the conversation.
Dean of Students, Patty O’Toole, and I have gone way back since the very beginning of my academic career at Hollins. She came to Hollins my first year, and I remember her telling my mom how excited she was to be at Hollins and to help all the students during a Parents event at Orientation. When she started to ignore me from the conversation, I knew immediately that I would be rejected from being an O-Team participant because of our run-ins in the past. And my gut instinct ended up being correct!
While other girls found out they made the O-Team program, I received nothing in my e-mail or through the mail. I was told that I would receive a message regardless if I made it or not, but I didn’t get anything. Everyone who applied for O-Team made it (or at least that I knew of, and keep in mind – Hollins is so small, word travels fast), except my friends and me. I didn’t understand why I would be passed upon. Here I was – an eager student ready to I repay the favor of my student advisor the year before with no Honor Court violations, and an active participant in my community – being turned down.
Obviously, since the Dean was responsible for handling (and fumbling through) many issues I had at the school, it was apparent that she kept me off so I wouldn’t share my story with the first years. Better to keep me away from them so as not to ruin the Hollins image. In fact, whenever Hollins and its image of being this sanctuary of sisterly love comes into perspective for what it really is, I have found that the university will do nearly anything to try and keep their image clean, even if they have to hide things and lie through their teeth to do so.
When my mom and I met with the President, we brought this up at as well. After reviewing my credentials with President Gray, she seemed to think it was a little strange that I wasn’t put on O-Team. Home for the summer, about a month after meeting with the President, I received a phone call from the Dean asking me if I was willing to put our differences aside to work as a team during orientation. If I was asked questions about being an O-Team leader to begin with, maybe the Dean would have known why (besides looking at my application) being a part of freshman orientation was important for me.
Although this story ended up having a somewhat happy ending – I got to participate as an O-Team leader and thoroughly enjoyed the orientation process – it was a hassle to go through. All of these unnecessary steps could have been prevented from the get-go. No one should have to go to the President for something as simple as being rightfully placed on a leadership team.
I may strongly dislike Hollins, but it doesn’t mean I have nothing positive to share or give. In fact, after all the things I experienced first year, I came back and became one of the most involved students on campus. I sat on the Student Life council, I was the Guest Speakers Bureau chair for the Activity Board and brought four amazing speakers to campus, and I was an active member in the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance. With those activities as part of my schedule, there was no reason to ignore me for a role as an O-Team leader. The Dean made a subjective decision, which was unprofessional and wrong when looking at the facts of what kind of student I am.
Just because I can’t stand the university, doesn’t mean I am unable of participating as a contributing community member. No one, not even the administration, is going to hold me back from being a part of the community. I refuse to let them because Hollins is my community too, even if the administration and the bulk of students like to make it feel as if it’s not.
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Bates says:
Thu, 5th Feb 200910:54 am
That darn Patty is a Tool.
Skylar says:
Thu, 5th Feb 200911:02 am
Hun, not to sound rude, but all your posts are putting Hollins down. You are entitled to your opinions, but the way that you are complaining in every post makes you sound like you deserve certain treatment, or have been the only one wronged by the school. Universities have a mass of students to take care of and it has never been their resposibility to make sure every need is met in every student. Honestly, do something good for yourself and transfer, and the "I'm too involved" or the "It's too late" excuses, are not good enough. I gree that you haven't been necessarily treated with respect, but who deserves respect in the first place? I honestly think that you need to move on from the past, putting Hollins aside, and go to a place that will make you truly happy.
hmm.. says:
Thu, 5th Feb 200911:13 am
While I kind of agree with the poster above me (I think you should just change schools instead of giving these people your money) I do think that each university IS responsible for making sure their students have a fair environment to live/learn in, and for making sure they are being treated the same as everyone else.
I do wonder though, why is it that you think Hollins has treated you so badly? Not meaning like when they asked you "what did you do to deserve your roomate freaking out on you," but just out of curiosity. I mean, what's everyone's problem with you?
Do they think that you look for confrontation, or that you want special treatment or something? And why dont the students like you? Many times people will tell you these things… its hard to believe people treat us badly without having a prejudice or reason to.
(I mean like how people treat severely overweight people or minorities wrongly, thats not to say its the person's 'fault,' but thats why people are mean to them)
Anyways, I'm sorry you're having such problems with your school. I really think you'd be much happier somewhere else.
snarktastic says:
Thu, 5th Feb 20091:03 pm
if you aren't happy, then leave. there's a solid chance you're making everyone else miserable and blogging about it and using specific names is certainly not the way to ingratiate yourself with the admin.
i'm so sick of people bitching about stuff and not doing anything about it. clearly you hate it – leave. it's simple.
Jacks says:
Thu, 5th Feb 20091:56 pm
Ok, I do really like your series, and am appalled at the way the universities treats you most of the time, but in this situation, their decision made sense.
They knew that you had had a difficult time, and most likely harbored a grudge against the university. They are not going to want you telling first years about this, when they can easily drop out and take all of their tuition money with them. It's perfectly within their rights to want to protect their image.
I can understand how this decision might have frustrated you, but from a fiscal and PR standpoint, their decision was very logical.
Ally says:
Thu, 5th Feb 20092:34 pm
Hollins is insane. I love how Patty thinks she can get away with this sneaky stuff. Hahahaha.
Mandy says:
Thu, 5th Feb 20093:07 pm
I do believe that maybe you are expecting a bit much out of the administration. I had a horrible first roommate who they conveniently forgot to tell me was in the process of switching genders. He was rude, nosey, messy, and frankly, it was weird that I should be forced to live with a guy. The admin didn't apologize, but I was able to switch into a room with a friend.
I really do NOT think that the University should give you certain "entitlements" such as having a single for a doubles price, or giving you the leadership position. Those are earned, not given just beacause you had a bad experience.
Matthew says:
Thu, 5th Feb 20096:49 pm
Why should she be forced to leave when everything that is happening is not her fault? You cant expect a strong willed person to just roll over and play dead for the administration. She is just trying to do the right thing and stand up for her rights as a student paying good money to get an education.
taylor says:
Thu, 5th Feb 20098:14 pm
i just wondered if you ever asked yourself— maybe EVERYONE else isnt wrong and i'm right??
i mean, it just seems weird that they would have a personal vendetta against you for no reason… i would like to hear a column from one of your classmates just to get both sides of the story.
I respect you and believe you, it just seems weird that they would target you for "no reason."
I dont even understand why that would be in their best interest financially or reputationally. Although you do seem to support them financ ially
Skylar says:
Thu, 5th Feb 200910:37 pm
Maybe you should share what you love about it!
Charlsie - Hollins University says:
Thu, 5th Feb 200911:01 pm
Mandy, I didn’t ask for “entitlements” such as having a single for a double price. The way the situation happened was crappy, and The President offered in May that the school would take care of it. When she didn’t and the way it ended up being handled was less than professional, I did get upset because as the President of the university, you shouldn’t say one thing and then take it back.
The point of this piece is that I rightfully deserved the leadership position, prior incidents with the Dean or not. I work hard in my classes, I participate actively on campus, and I have an outgoing personality. I didn’t expect to just be put on, but with my resume and my application, I rightfully showed my case as to why I deserved to be a part of first year orientation. Many girls that applied for O-Team were not as qualified, and if they could participate, why couldn’t I?
I would never go around bashing Hollins. If a student asked me about something specific, I would tell them my story, but I wouldn’t just state “Oh I hate Hollins, let me tell you why…” and go off. No. That is not tactful, and I knew it wasn’t my place to say anything from the get-go.
The opportunity I had to be a part of O-Team was great. I loved it. I liked all my first year girls, and I was able to make connections on campus with other upperclasswomen who came back early, too. If I had just let the whole thing go, I would have been missing out on a great opportunity.
Just because I am writing a column about the things that have happened to me at Hollins doesn’t mean I do not love Hollins too. I really do love so many things about this school, which is another reason why I have stayed. I am have 2 semesters left after this current semester, and I’m done. So, I’m not leaving. That suggestion is moot at this point.
Snarktastic, I am so sick of people bitching about stuff and not doing anything about it too, which is why I am writing about my experience instead of sitting back and doing nothing about it. All my concerns have been expressed before to the appropriate people, and this is just another reminder … I am not going anywhere, regardless of how miserable I make them with my concerns as a student on campus. I look at it this way — if it’s happened to me, it’s probably happened to someone before me and someone after me. The more attention is brought to these issues, the more action can take place to implement changes.
I make no apologies for writing anything in this column. It’s all the truth. While other students may feel differently about it, I am just merely presenting one perspective of what campus life has been for me. If you have had a different experience, consider yourself lucky.
Charlsie - Hollins U says:
Fri, 6th Feb 200910:11 am
The only personal vendetta about me is that I spoke up and brought attention to issues within the administration, and they didn't like it.
At Hollins — you go with the flow, or you stick out like a sore thumb. I am the sore thumb that won't go away.
And that's just so tragically bad, I can't even believe the position I have put myself in by speaking up. Oh my god. It's so terrible to speak up instead of sitting back and doing nothing. Oh dear.
Jillian says:
Fri, 6th Feb 20092:27 pm
girl, when you gonna transfer?
Sigrid says:
Sat, 7th Feb 20096:45 am
Wow, you complain about this college A LOT, and since you don't want to go to a new school, then why don't you just shut up and suck it up. Try writing helpful/interesting articles instead of "The Dean at my school is so unfair" articles.
Didn't anyone tell you life isn't fair? Shit happens and sometimes you'll just have to deal and try to make the best out of it.
And there has to be a reason behind all of this bad stuff that's happening to you, I've read a lot of your posts and you always seem to be the target/victim of some "unjust" rule or something, there has to be something you did, whether or not you want to admit it. Maybe it's karma? Or maybe administration is so tired of your whining and complaining about everything that they don't even want to help you anymore, ever thought about that? Or it could be an attitude problem… maybe you're an elitest, or a snob? Or maybe you complain too much… hmmm, that's a new thought.
Matthew says:
Sat, 7th Feb 20099:55 am
Sigrid, maybe you are just white trash. so everyone might seem like an elitist. it is really all perspective, i think.
LeLe says:
Sat, 7th Feb 200911:29 am
Matthew… Sigrid has a point, and this has gotten out of hand. Charlsie (by the way I love your name) it does sometimes seem like you are puling the victim card, and when people try to give you ideas or constructive criticism (which you don't have to agree with)you don't look at what they are saying and give it a time of day. "You" are not always right, and sometimes other's ideas can benefit you, but you would never know until you try.
belle says:
Sun, 8th Feb 20098:10 am
I don't understand. What was your previous run-in with this O'toole?
Beth says:
Thu, 26th Feb 20092:04 pm
whine whine whine…as usual.
Ashley says:
Tue, 12th May 20097:46 pm
So, I stumbled upon your blog over the weekend and have been reading all your posts ever since. I'm also an English major at a small school in the Roanoke, Va. area. Just wanted to say that I really enjoy your writing and it gives a perspective of a real college student- which is what other real college students want to read about!