Students, taxpayers are talking, but who's listening?

The news media in Kansas City are abuzz with talk of how the University of Missouri-Kansas City is considering separating from the University of Missouri system. Every time I hear or read something to this effect, my blood boils, because that statement is half wrong. It's the other half, though, the part that's correct, that really gets me burning.

Reporters are incorrect in asserting that UMKC has any desire to go it alone. Administrators and faculty (two groups I rarely find myself aligned with) are informed enough to realize that the leaders of the old, private University of Kansas City asked to join the UM system for a reason: The school couldn't make it on its own. Students enjoy the widely respected University of Missouri name on their diplomas. Across Missouri, communities benefit from the presence of a first-class public research university with a statewide mission and statewide accountability.

What the media got right is that there is a group of well-financed Kansas Citians who have hired slick, Ivy-League spokesperson Benno Schmidt to do their dirty work and who are actively working to hustle taxpayers, community leaders and students. But they certainly do not speak for UMKC. As a UMKC student, I can tell you that they don't speak for us, either.

I don't know who awarded Schmidt's blue-ribbon task force its ribbon, but it wasn't anyone associated with our university.

The task force couldn't possibly know what students want, because it hasn't bothered to ask. Schmidt's idea of gathering input from students consisted of holding one open forum (take it or leave it) on one of our three widely scattered campuses (no point in gathering feedback from our medical, nursing or dental students, or from students who live north of the Missouri River) during finals week (what, you've got something better to do?)

So if this task force, which claims to be trying to help Missourians like you and me (a student, homeowner and taxpayer), is clearly unconcerned with listening to our ideas about what's best for UMKC and for higher education in our state, then what is it concerned with?

Great question. Perhaps it's one legislators should ask before they even consider following the task force's advice. Make sure yours does.

Shawn Gebhardt of Kansas City, Mo., is a student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.