Editorial : Hiring Health Services director provides hope for center’s future

Administrators at Syracuse University Health Services said they’ve narrowed the search for the new director down to three candidates after two years without a leader.

Hiring a new director by the end of the semester marks a huge moment in Health Services’ recent history. A defined leader will surely benefit the quality of the center’s services and give it the opportunity to foster a greater presence in campus life.

For the past two years, Health Services operated with two top administrators who have shared the duties of director. With the staff stretched thin, the center was able to maintain service through the day-to-day work of nurses, doctors and other staff. But the lack of central leadership inhibited the center from creating and carrying out long-term goals, special projects and other programs.

Health Services was briefly mentioned in the University Senate minutes of the 2009-10 academic year because the center faced concerns about space issues. Those and most other overarching changes to services or infrastructure could not move forward until the university hired a director.

In hindsight, hiring a full-time interim director would have allowed the center to continue moving forward with long-term plans. With that said, continuing the search after an initial round of disappointing applicants was clearly better than hiring a less-than-adequate director.

Health Services is an area on campus that slips into the background until a student is sick and his or her activity, grades and wellness depend upon a thriving health care center. A new director has the potential to raise it from simply a functioning branch of campus to one that advocates healthy living and provides excellent services.