Our Word: Crucial conversations

Another potential lawsuit threat, another communication breakdown and another snowballed issue just smacked SIUC in the face.

And it didn't have to happen.

In this case, Christine Mize, a graduate student in social work, wanted to include aspects of religion in an assignment. Her professor, Laura Dreuth Zeman, said religion was not discussed in class and therefore shouldn't be included.

Mize said religion was discussed in class, but she kept it out of her paper.

When she turned in her assignment, she attached legal documents saying Dreuth Zeman should have allowed the inclusion of religion in this assignment, and Mize's First Amendment rights were violated.

So, Dreuth Zeman passed the legal attachments on to SIU's lawyers and gave Mize an incomplete until things were worked out.

This ordeal became miscommunication No. 1.

Was it an overzealous student who thought her way was the only way? Was it a professor who wasn't specific enough about her assignment? Was it a grand conspiracy to nix religious discussion on college campuses?

Whatever it was, it was blown way out of proportion.

Miscommunication No. 2 came when SIU's lawyers didn't respond to the letter. Instead, it appears as though they forgot about it until a reminder letter was sent a few days ago.

SIUC Spokesman Rod Sievers said it took too long.

We agree.

Issues such as religious freedom should be addressed immediately. The pursuit of less important matters should realistically be put on hold.

Perhaps SIU's lawyers didn't find it all that important. Or perhaps the issue was so convoluted that it really did take this long.

Either one is a possibility, and also a third miscommunication.

The interim chancellor didn't know the facts, Sievers said. Neither did the provost nor the university's lawyers.

This confirms SIU President Glenn Poshard's earlier claims that there are "artificial walls" all around campus that hinder communication.

This time, these walls contributed to legal threats.

To graduate, a student had to seek legal help to get a paper graded. That's a big problem. This could have all been taken care of internally, but the whole issue was lost in the great morass of bureaucracy.

And one more fingerprint just tarnished the polished brass of the university.