Ginsberg continues learning on last leg of 54-stop listening tour

By Sarah Sternhagen, staff writer, and Gabriel Donahue, editor-in-chief

Before his inauguration as the 15th president of Towson University, Mark R. Ginsberg began a listening tour across campus and beyond to hear from as many students, faculty, staff and university partners as possible. 

“I think dialogue has to precede deliberation, and deliberation has to precede decision making,” Ginsberg said in an interview. 

It’s expected for incoming presidents to familiarize themselves with the campus community; for example, the Alumni Association has organized visits between alumni and university presidents in the past, according to Sean Welsh, the vice president of University Marketing and Communications. 

Yet Ginsberg has gone above and beyond what is normally seen from incoming presidents. Atop the alumni visits in nine locations statewide and in Washington, D.C., Ginsberg will total 54 stops on his listening tour. 

Additionally, he and his wife, Elaine, live at the Residences at 10 West Burke Avenue, a nine-month on-campus housing option. 

“Being on many campus climates, that is not something you often see of your leader,” Special Assistant to the President Tameka Porter said of the listening tour. 

Over 1,100 people have attended the sessions so far, she told The Towerlight.

A student forum on March 26 marked just one stop on the tour. There are about 10 stops left, Porter said.

Students were invited to share problem areas they’ve noticed on campus, and they could speak without identifying themselves if they chose. 

Multiple students found flaws in campus accessibility — they cited broken automatic doors, construction around Smith Hall creating a 10-minute-plus detour for those needing an accessible route, and handicap parking spaces consistently being taken by vehicles without a handicap permit. 

Others took issue with fewer bus routes and not enough parking spaces, the limited accommodations for graduate students, delayed public safety alerts and few programs to help transfer students. 

Ginsberg acknowledged comments as they were made, occasionally asking a follow up question, but overall speaking less than the attending students. 

He said feedback from the listening tour will play into discussions during the summer on how the university will move forward.

Ginsberg told The Towerlight in March that he intends to create a “Towson Tiger Team.” Inspired partially from the movie Apollo 13, the team would be a group of people from various campus departments, jobs and disciplines tasked with tackling issues to improve the university.

“An emphasis on the success, and the learning and development of our students: [what] I’ve learned through the five months I’ve been here is that that’s what people want,” he said. 

Porter said Ginsberg will continue listening to the campus community after the tour’s completion. As of now, students can attend Ginsberg’s office hours or submit an online feedback form.

“I continue to think that [Towson is] an amazing place. I continue to think that the energy and the commitment, the sense of zeal people have for the university is genuine, it’s authentic, it’s meaningful,” Ginsberg said. “I want to be sure that as we move forward, we don’t lose the essence.”