A week after the dean of the College of Law, Hannah Arterian, told third-year law students that she would not book a commencement speaker for this year’s graduation ceremony, a committee of students has chosen Dan Abrams of MSNBC news to speak.

Katrina Atchley, a third-year law student and member of the College of Law’s class senate, said Abrams’ appearance at the commencement was announced via an e-mail sent to all law students by Nancy Hammel, the class president.

Atchley said a committee of law students met Wednesday night to form committees to find a new speaker after they received word from Arterian that it would be their responsibility to find one with 45 days left until graduation.

The committee sent out forms to the third-year law students asking for suggestions and contact information for potential commencement speakers, Atchley said.

‘Fortunately the class has been able to rise to the occasion,’ Atchley said.

Abrams is currently the host of his own show on MSNBC, ‘The Abrams Report.’ He also worked as a legal reporter for NBC.

Arterian, speaking by phone from out of town, addressed criticisms that she isn’t accessible enough to current students and is out of the office too often. She also said The Daily Orange’s coverage of Thursday’s open forum mischaracterized the event.

Arterian didn’t offer any clarifying information, repeating, ‘This isn’t the appropriate kind of setting to correct the facts.’

‘You have to allow people, because there’s a lot of emotion, to have that moment,’ Arterian said of why students may have sounded emotional during the meeting. ‘(Students) have needs. They want their needs met. It’s human nature. But based on what the students told me about the meeting, the first 10 or 15 minutes were all that was reported on, and even that was mischaracterized.’

The flame-up started in part because of a problem with booking a commencement speaker. Usually the student senate is responsible for finding a commencement speaker. But in February 2004, Arterian told students the administration would handle it.

Then, with 45 days before graduation, Arterian informed students she had not booked a speaker, and that it was now the students’ responsibility to find one.

The debate sparked emotions at an open forum Thursday, when almost 50 students attended the event.

At one point, College of Law Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Robin Paul Malloy responded to a student’s question by saying, ‘You don’t pay my salary, and I don’t work for you. … I work for the university. If you demand something, I don’t have to give it to you.’

For clarification, Malloy sent a mass e-mail to law students Saturday morning. In part, it read: ‘Students are not mere consumers or customers in a university setting. The university is not similar to an ice cream parlor or a restaurant where the menu simply changes with consumer preference.

‘Faculty have a professional responsibility with respect to their engagement with students. They have a position of trust and stewardship, and in this position we do not simply respond to consumer tastes. … We can not simply retreat from these obligations because students may not agree with them.

‘The professional relationship does not turn on how much the student does or does not pay to attend a university. … A faculty member’s role does not change based upon how much or how little a student pays. The role is a professional one.’

The e-mail did not address the commencement speaker or Arterian’s relationship to students.

Arterian would not comment on whether a commencement speaker has already been booked, or who specifically is now responsible for finding one.

‘In general,’ Arterian said, ‘I’m working with students, and we’re going to make sure we have an appropriate commencement.’

When asked for more specifics, Arterian said, ‘Let’s just say this is a process, and the process is still developing.’

Arterian said students have approached her and offered support on what they considered unfair treatment.

‘I can’t speak to what others think or feel (about me),’ Arterian said. ‘I care tremendously about the current students. It’s critically important to them and the alumni that the credentials they hold are something they’re proud to have. … Not all the students are going to feel like those who were most vocal at that meeting.’

At the meeting, other students voiced complaints about how Arterian wasn’t available to students. One student said Arterian hadn’t connected with any students. When Malloy said he didn’t think that was true, many in the room started laughing.

Arterian addressed those concerns Tuesday.

‘I love our students,’ she said. ‘I love the law school. And I think we are on our way to becoming a great law school.’

At Thursday’s forum, Malloy said Arterian is usually out of town improving alumni relations, something important to gaining more recognition.

Law professor Leslie Bender said Arterian had changed the responsibilities of the administration, assuring at least one authority figure was always present for students to talk to.

‘We care very much about our students. They’re our reason for working,’ Bender said. ‘I think there’s just been one big misunderstanding. They never intended to leave the students with no commencement speaker.’

Arterian said she has had three days of vacation in the past 20 months.

‘I spend my time doing what I have to do,’ she said, ‘working mightily to make this the best law school it can be.’

Published on April 12, 2005 at 12:00 pm