BY HARRIS KORNSTEIN

In print | Published March 30, 2006

As I’ve been preparing to leave Swarthmore, it feels as though I’ve been bombarded with “helpful tips” for various life skills that classes at Swarthmore didn’t necessarily teach me: how to write a resume, strategies for interviewing, networking advice, proper dinner etiquette, grad school application guidelines and so on. In my nearly four years here, I’ve learned several other lessons outside of the classroom that I think other Swarthmore students, staff and faculty could also learn from. As this column looks at the ways in which power and decision-making occur at Swat, I have compiled a list of “Five Helpful Tips for Talking to an Administrator.”

Granted, these tips certainly do not apply to all situations or people, are not intended to be critical of any particular individual (President Bloom is used as an example simply because his name and title are commonly known), and deal with instances in which a common interest or goal is not shared between organizers and administrators. They are based largely on my own experiences, particularly with the Living Wage & Democracy Campaign, which included meeting with administrators ranging from deans to the President’s Staff to members of the Board of Managers.

1) The Personal and Political Don’t Always Mix, or, These Are Their Jobs. Taking the example of President Bloom, when you meet regarding a political issue (anything from the living wage to wind energy to Islamic Studies), you are meeting with the president of Swarthmore College, not with Al the person. This is not to undermine administrators’ personal identities, but rather to remind students that often administrators are simply doing their job, and that often entails pushing back against student demands. It’s not relevant whether “Al” supports the idea of, say, an anti-war resolution, if “President Bloom” isn’t willing to sign it. It’s important to remember, then, not to hold personal grudges against administrators as individuals, but rather to challenge the institutional power they wield (whether it be the fact that they have a budget, a staff and board to back them, certain credentials, racial or other privileges, and so on). On the flipside, don’t forget that you deserve respect as an individual from administrators, regardless of what tactics you employ to exert pressure. I’ve walked out of meetings with “President Bloom,” but I still say hi to “Al” outside of Parrish.

2) Straight to the Source. Whenever you strategize for a campaign, it’s helpful to identify the specific targets that hold the power to make changes; targets are generally one person or a select group of people (such as the Board of Managers, or specific committees). In my experience, administrators often unnecessarily involve other staff members, which can be both intimidating and delaying to students (whether or not this is their intent). By identifying a target early, you can better hold them accountable to their responsibilities and assure that you won’t be sent on a wild-goose-chase as various administrators shift responsibility to others.

3) Make Your Demands Clear. You should also have a clear sense of what you want, particularly out of the specific meeting. Demands may range from receiving information, to setting a deadline for a decision, to signing a statement enacting a policy change. Obviously, the type and degree of confrontation in your tactics will need to match the seriousness of your demands. Again, while “demands” may seem like too strong of a concept (and administrators will often say they will engage in “dialogue” but not with “demands”), they are being made to challenge some form of institutional power, not the integrity of the individual.

4) Commitments Now, Committees Later. In my experience, one of the most effective ways that administrators can put down student organizing is not to actually say “no,” but to delay an answer. They will typically argue that they need more time, need to consult with other administrators, need to gather more information, etc. This may be true and sincere, yet regardless, it allows them to control the timeline and can lead to a loss of organizing momentum. It is important to set specific and reasonable deadlines with administrators and to organize measures to hold them accountable, so that, if you come back to the table a month later and they ask for more time, you are able to respond effectively. Specifically, college committees are often used as a means of delaying or diverting student pressure, as they can require significant amounts of time and often find themselves working on goals that are different from the original intent.

5) Get It in Writing and Follow Up. Things that are said at meetings are easily forgotten, misremembered or misinterpreted later, especially when statements are vague (“I’m working on…”). Again, this is not a question of intentionality, but nonetheless means that student organizers need to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Asking for written statements, or taking formal (agreed-upon) minutes, is important to making sure that your specific demands are actually being addressed and to keep track of gains that have been made. It is also useful to consistently follow up to clarify exactly what work is being done between meetings, which keeps serves as a reminder that you are willing to put pressure on them if they don’t live up to their statements. It’s important to remember that the closed-door can be a form of power that works against organizers, so having meetings in public (such as fireside chats) or bringing a reporter or observer from outside of the campaign (such as a faculty member, an alum, a union organizers, etc.) can also be effective.

Most importantly, regardless of whether you meet with administrators regularly or not, students, faculty and staff can and should learn from previous organizing to better understand the ways that Swarthmore functions as an institution that seeks to be ethically intelligent.

Harris is a senior. You can reach him at hkornst1@swarthmore.edu.

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