Loh, admins meet with student leaders

University President-designate Wallace Loh and his cabinet talked with SGA officials in a meet-and-greet yesterday to discuss challenges facing the university, a key step in his plan to stay in touch with student needs, officials said.

Loh, who will take over as president Nov. 1 after settling his affairs in Iowa, has visited the campus several times since his appointment was announced Aug. 16. Since his welcoming address, Loh has frequently said his first goal as a newcomer will be to listen.

Student Government Association officials said that's largely what he did during yesterday's meeting.

"The new president and his cabinet are interested not only in hearing from students, but working with them to solve big issues facing the university," said SGA Chief of Staff Michelle McGrain said.

SGA President Steve Glickman presided over the hour-long meeting, which was divided into several segments: a question-and-answer session with Loh, a portion in which each member of the SGA cabinet met individually with his or her counterpart in the presidential cabinet and a roundtable discussion of major university issues.

Loh said Glickman briefed him on a variety of SGA projects, including Glickman's SmarTrip initiative, which he has been trying to advance since being elected to his first term in 2009.

Loh, who said the meeting went "wonderfully," wants to make himself as accessible to students as possible, said SGA Press Secretary Sarah Kraut.

Kraut added that the incoming president expressed his hope to build on and improve the policies set in motion by former university President Dan Mote rather than completely overhaul programs already put into place.

"He's not trying to force his initiatives on us," said SGA Communications Director Staci Armezzani. "He's trying to make the transition as smooth as possible."

Loh told SGA officials that he hopes to reach out to students by meeting leaders of all types of student organizations and getting their input on university issues, Glickman said. He also plans on continuing Mote's tradition of having regular talks with students over lunch at Adele's in Stamp Student Union, according to several SGA members.

Loh said he will also have monthly president-to-president meetings with Glickman to stay up-to-date on student issues. Glickman said he hopes to expand those meetings to further include the student body.

"In terms of student outreach, I offered to work with him to meet students at student group events," Glickman said.

Several SGA cabinet members said they will be more comfortable discussing issues with members of Loh's cabinet throughout the year now that they have begun to forge positive relationships.

"I think it was productive," Kraut said. "I think we started some dialogue that we wouldn't have necessarily had otherwise."

meehan at umdbk dot com