Spelman College has been the number one HBCU in the country for the past 17 consecutive years. While this is due to the tenacity of its students, it also concerns the administration, which works tirelessly to ensure the college runs smoothly. However, students might not always agree with the administration or its methods of helping students reach success. This article explores students’ relationship with Spelman’s administration and how students respond to administrative staff as authority figures on campus.
Students shared both positive and negative experiences they encountered with the administration. Angel Ware, a sophomore comparative women’s studies major with a double minor in writing and photography, detailed her encounters with administrative offices.
“Anything regarding financial aid, student accounts, I’ve had many issues with them,” Ware said. She described issues with her book voucher, which expired when the administration was not in office during the Labor Day weekend. “I don’t think that was the smartest decision, just in case someone had issues on that day,” she said.
As a first-generation, low-income student, Ware explained she did not have the resources to buy the books and materials she needed without the book voucher. Student Accounts informed her there was nothing they could do to help her. Ware ultimately found resources through her peers on campus, but Student Accounts’s responsibility was to assist students in similar situations.
Not all students shared Ware’s experience with Student Accounts or financial aid, but many voiced concerns about housing. The college’s lottery, first-come, first-served housing system has sparked on-campus protests regarding unfairness. When the administration addresses the stressful process, students often feel undesired by the outcome.
Lauren Proby, a senior English major, commented on the issue. “Last year’s housing crisis was unsurprising, especially because it is, unfortunately, an annual occurrence. I personally did not have issues securing on-campus housing, but I know many of my peers did,” Proby said. She added, “Beyond last year, I think that the housing department at Spelman is very desensitized to the housing issues at the institution. I’ve often felt dismissed by the department when expressing my concerns. It feels like there is a lack of care and concern so long as the public does not know the extent of student housing challenges.”
Proby emphasized the need for transparency, suggesting the office should be upfront about the likelihood of needing off-campus housing after the first year. “Students need to be able to make informed decisions because everyone is not prepared to live off-campus in Atlanta,” she said.
Micheala Miller, a sophomore English major with a film studies and visual culture minor, also reflected on the housing crisis. “Although I wasn’t directly impacted by the housing crisis last year, it definitely opened my eyes to how much the administration values myself and my Spelman sisters,” Miller said.
When asked whether administrative offices fulfill their primary functions through their tone and interactions with students, Ware responded, “No, I don’t think so. A lot of their titles center around students — Student Accounts, Student Affairs. It doesn’t really seem like they’re acting for the students. It seems like they’re focusing more on Spelman’s behalf, what’s best for their brand. It doesn’t really feel like they care about the students that they’re impacting, or there’s a disconnect.”
Miller echoed these concerns. “In my opinion, most, if not all, administrative responses were either hasty or non-answers; they’re lacking in their ability to listen and engage with the residents on campus and function properly,” she said.
Interaction plays a significant role in student culture at Spelman, whether with peers, faculty, or administration. However, some students feel isolated due to class, self-expression, or career interests. Proby shared her experience of feeling disconnected after taking a medical leave. “People often don’t think about you if you disappear. When I took a medical leave, I lost a lot of the peer relationships that I was building, especially in my classes. When I returned to Spelman, I felt even more lonely and out of place,” she said.
Proby acknowledged that some administrators try to build relationships with students, while others dismiss or minimize student concerns. “I can imagine that the administrative staff is tasked with balancing the needs and objectives of the college with the needs and values of students. Sometimes I observe a disconnect between these two parties, as a result,” she said.
Ware added, “I do believe they treat us like we’re still children instead of the adults we are. We’re surviving in college, and it took a lot of work to get here. I feel like they underestimate the work we put in. Even at an HBCU, there are a lot of subcultures and subcommunities within our institution, and I don’t think the administration respects that as much.”
For context, Ware is the event programming team member on the Afrekete e-board. The organization, Spelman’s oldest and only LGBTQIA+ group, has faced challenges from both administration and students. Ware recounted an issue with promoting their annual Pride Week event.
“We were trying to do a speed dating event. And I remember seeing at least two or three organizations that had done it earlier that year. We were trying to get our flyer pushed out and get an email blast sent out to the school. But, they said there was an issue with calling it speed dating, which is interesting because all of the other organizations called it exactly what it was: speed dating. We were hoping for a big turnout, but we weren’t able to advertise it to that extent because no one really knew about it. They only saw it through our social media instead of the email blast they’re used to seeing. I do feel like that was some sort of oppression or silencing of queer people on campus,” Ware said.
When asked about feeling silenced, Proby said, “While an unintended result of some of the challenging interactions I’ve had with administration, they reminded me of the importance of keeping a paper trail, sticking firm to the boundaries I set, and always being prepared to exercise self-advocacy.” Ware added, “There is this stereotype of what a Spelman woman is. Usually, a Spelman woman comes from a higher income background, and I do not fit that. A lot of times, administration isn’t looking at it in that way.”
While many students have positively interacted with the administration, others have faced challenges that caused anxiety and frustration. Despite appreciating the hard work administrators do, students often feel unheard. Moving forward, students hope for more meaningful engagement and responsiveness from the administration, ensuring future Spelman students feel seen, supported, and valued in their college experience.
