Every single day, I ask Carole McNall, my trusted professor and former adviser to The Bona Venture, whether she has heard anything regarding her possible reinstatement as adviser to The BV.
Every day, the answer is an exasperated, “Still nothing,” a slight shake of the head or a joke to play off the delay.
McNall has not served as The Bona Venture’s adviser for over three weeks now, after her unjustified removal on Sept. 11.
For three weeks, BV editors, university alumni and McNall’s fellow faculty members have eagerly anticipated some word—any word—from an administration that promises transparency, then never seems to deliver it.
For three weeks, alumni have texted me, emailed me and private messaged me on social media, asking, “Any word on McNall?” or wondering, “What’s going on with The BV?
For three weeks, I haven’t known the answer to their questions.
I’m tired.
If the Student Affairs Division wants to help the students it’s meant to represent and respect, administrators need to talk to us. We need some inkling of what’s going on. If they’d ask us how we feel about McNall’s potential reinstatement, or ask us whether we need help, they’d have more clarity.
We do need help, by the way—from our now-former adviser.
We need someone who we can call in the late hours of the night for a judgment call. We need someone we can share story ideas with. We need someone we can ponder the ethical ramifications of a tough interview with.
For eight years, The BV had that person in McNall.
We’re lucky enough to have an interim adviser who cares about his students to the extent he does. I’m sure serving as our interim adviser while simultaneously acting as the dean of the Jandoli School of Communication has not proven easy; we are beyond grateful for Dean Chimbel and his efforts.
But we want our permanent adviser back. I don’t know how to say it any other way.
The dust from the fundraising issue has settled. We admitted our wrongdoings. We explained that our adviser shouldn’t be penalized for student mistakes.
Students make up the editorial board of The BV; this is a student media organization. We make mistakes. A fundraising misunderstanding seems like a minor problem, in the grand scheme of things. Treating a venial sin as a moral sin doesn’t align with our Franciscan values as a university.
How about some understanding, some compassion, some forgiveness?
I promise, people won’t stop asking about McNall. This issue won’t just dissipate.
I shouldn’t have to answer more texts, emails and private messages about McNall. Editors don’t need the stress of mediating Facebook threads amongst alumni. McNall shouldn’t have to answer the same question from her students every single day.
It’s time for administrators to make a decision. It’s time to reinstate our well-revered, immensely dedicated adviser.
As alumni, faculty and students have said on Facebook, “#ReinstateCarole.”
We need McNall.
By Meghan Hall, Associate Editor
hallml18@bonaventure.edu
