On Stoute: Be the leader we need

In the Oct. 9 edition of The Griffin, in our article covering President Steve K. Stoute’s lunch with our editorial staff we stated: “The Griffin does not have any opinions about the topics discussed in this article.” The statement we made at the beginning of that article was intended to explain that the purpose of the article was to provide the statements of President Stoute objectively and without editorial comment. This was poor wording on our part and was not the point that we intended to get across. The following article addresses the opinions The Griffin does have on Stoute’s recent discourse with students as well as a response to the United Students Association (USA) meeting from last Friday (see pg. 1). All statements made in this article are opinions from students, and are student reactions from each conversation with Stoute.

The level of apathy Stoute shows for the people who work at and attend Canisius is becoming rather concerning. Every time he is asked a genuine question about an issue that is affecting people, he redirects the question and gives a very media trained answer. We don’t want the media trained Stoute, we want the president of Canisius University to give us a straight and honest answer. In some contexts even an “I don’t know” or “let me look into this” would be better than the responses he comes up with to questions he has been asked.

A university president should not need to be reminded that students deserve direct answers to questions about their own education. Yet, time and time again, speaking with Stoute leaves us wondering whether we have actually spoken to a leader or simply been subjected to a masterclass in avoiding accountability.

Stoute knows how to speak. He knows how to present the university, defend its decisions and carefully navigate uncomfortable conversations. What remains frustratingly unclear is whether he understands that sounding like a president and acting like one are two very different things. 

Students deserve direct answers about the university that they fund. When concerns arise about faculty availability and students’ ability to complete their degrees, pointing to the university’s overall faculty numbers does not necessarily address the problem. Students need to know whether their departments can offer the courses they need to graduate. Dismissing concerns as misinformation does not resolve the uncertainty students face. If the information is wrong, explain why. If a problem exists, explain how it will be addressed. 

One of the most alarming parts of The Griffin’s sitdown with Stoute was his reaction to concerns raised about the lawsuit involving the recent Cornell lawsuit regarding a repulsive sexual assault incident in 2024. When asked about the incident and what his thoughts were from an educator’s perspective, Stoute glazed over the question and responded by talking about the Title IX training incorporated into Griff Orientation. We were looking for an answer regarding how Canisius is looking to protect students from sexual assault and any systems or culture that exist on many college campuses that can create an environment for these attacks to occur. Instead we got a PR–esque answer that protects his likeness rather than taking a stance against the unjust reaction of Cornell regarding the incident.

In the future we hope Stoute can offer sincere transparency to our questions and give us the answers that build our collective trust and confidence in the institution we are all a part of. The best leaders inspire people to have confidence in them and themselves. Genuineness and rapport with the people you represent should take priority over protecting a constructed image.