Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

A previous letter to the editor from a Central Michigan University student described Michael Rao in a particularly unfavorable light. This student’s previous actions have caused much controversy at CMU, and his views do not represent the views of the general student body-but the views of a single individual. Our intention is to provide a different perspective of Rao that is a more accurate representation of his time spent at CMU.

In our experiences as student leaders, we have found him to be an extremely helpful administrator with a passionate concern for student rights and interests. As president at CMU, Rao has done well with fundraising efforts and taken on a number of ambitious projects that we believe will serve CMU well into the future. Since we have been involved with student government, he has always made an effort to solicit student input and answer any questions we have had about the university.

Rao has had to face a number of challenges, especially in the current economic climate. While we are facing tough economic times, Rao has still pushed for a vision of CMU that will raise academic standards, build new facilities on campus that are desperately needed, and establish a medical school that will serve the needs of CMU and the state of Michigan. Every decision he has made has not been universally popular, but we do believe he has been fair and has always acted in what he believed to be the university’s best interest.

To address some concerns in the previous article, it would be important to mention that the president’s office generally does not bring in specific speakers to our campus. Bringing speakers to campus is mostly handled by the Speaker Series Committee and student programming organizations. So while the choice of speakers may be criticized for being more liberal in nature, the decisions to bring in such speakers are not generally made by the president’s office.

Also, Rao was quick to stand by changes to the student organization policy that would allow belief-based student groups to limit membership to individuals who hold a specific belief once his office was made aware of the legal problems involved in the old policy. Above all else, Rao has always been concerned with protecting student’s rights and ensuring that campus is a safe place where all students can express their opinions in a democratic way.

In closing, university presidents tend to be blamed for every problem an institution has when things go wrong, and when things are going well, they tend to receive little credit. We could write much more about the positive attributes of Rao, but we wanted to express one final thought about him. Here at CMU we have had the pleasure of working with a man who is passionate about educating and meeting the needs of students and is passionate about leading an institution to its fullest potential. We wish Rao and all students, faculty, and staff at VCU the best of luck as he begins his tenure there.

Sincerely,
Paul Pridgeon
CMU Student Body President
Brad Sjoquist
CMU Student Body Vice President

Dear Editor:

I am the most recent former chairman of the Board at Central Michigan University. I served as chairman for two years, vice chairman for two years and as a trustee for a total of six. I also am a CMU graduate and proud to be associated with the outstanding university.

VCU’s Board of Visitors is to be commended for its hiring of Michael Rao as your next President. You are getting one of the nation’s finest university presidents and your gain is truly our loss at CMU.

I had the opportunity to work closely with CMU President Rao during the past six years, and I was able to observe first-hand his leadership style and many accomplishments. I watched how he worked collaboratively and effectively over the years with faculty, administrators, students, alumni, donors, political officials, community leaders, the media and others. It was extremely impressive how Rao could consistently bring diverse stakeholders together and motivate them to accomplish common goals that advanced the university’s mission.

Rao’s achievements at CMU are many. He proved his strong commitment to diversity. His leadership resulted in 22 new initiatives and a highly specific strategic plan to advance diversity at the university for years to come. His focus on research resulted in tripling research revenues. And, his passion for healthcare and medical education resulted in the university’s decision to move forward last year with a new medical school.

I have been in the public relations business for 30 years and appreciate the importance of distinctively branding a university. Rao helped to significantly elevate CMU’s awareness through his keen sense of the importance of public relations, branding and marketing, and in personally representing the university so effectively in media interviews, speeches and political forums.

You will be getting a new president with many personal intangibles I am sure everyone at VCU will find very appealing. He has a very pleasant personality and is extremely approachable. He has high energy but knows when to stop to really connect and listen to those who offer input or seek answers to important questions. You will find him to be a great communicator and someone who steps up to accept responsibility but is quick to give credit to others on his team for a job well done.

He also has a terrific family with his wife, Monica, who is extremely pleasant, smart and talented in her own right. And, their sons Miguel and Aiden are adorable. I am sure the VCU family will enjoy and embrace the Rao family as much as we always have at CMU.

Congratulations to Rao for being named VCU’s next president and to Virginia Commonwealth for making such an astute hire. I know I can speak on behalf of many in wishing all the best to Rao, his family and VCU.

Jeff Caponigro
2007-08 Chairman, Board of Trustees
2003-08 Trustee
Central Michigan University