Recently SIUC students have come under fire by the Daily Egyptian Editorial Board for not getting involved with important campus issues.

But students are not the only ones guilty of being grossly apathetic. The faculty at SIUC has not bothered to get involved in the process either.

The last of the four chancellor candidate finalists spoke Wednesday, and now all that is left to do is compile the input from students and faculty about the candidate each group thinks is best.

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Apparently the task will be an easy one for Steve Scheiner and the rest of the search committee. According to Scheiner, only 12 to 15 faculty members have returned response forms to the committee. It appears that SIUC faculty members are as lazy as those they teach.

There are 1,992 full-time faculty and administrators at SIUC. It’s ridiculous that only a tiny percentage of that group has taken the time to turn in their comments.

Like students, faculty members have complained about a lack of voice with the University. They felt so strongly they unionized in November 1996.

Now, while contract negotiations continue between the faculty union and administration, faculty members have not taken the opportunity to aid in the selection of the person who ultimately will preside over campus issues.

Faculty members, however, are not the only group at fault. Students also have consistently failed to provide input to the search committee. Scheiner said he has received very few student responses about the four candidates.

The only group to provide a substantial amount of input so far is the administrators and staff. Scheiner said he was satisfied with receiving more than 30 responses from the group. Thirty responses seems barely adequate, to put it kindly.

SIU President Ted Sanders hopes to make his decision for the chancellor position by the March Board of Trustees meeting. Scheiner originally had set the deadline for responses for today but has extended it due to a lack of input. He is asking for responses immediately, if not sooner.

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Time is running out for those involved on this campus faculty, staff and students to provide input that may affect the choice for our next chancellor.

It should not require so much pestering to get people involved in such an important decision. What does it take to get those on this campus involved with important issues? This editorial board wishes it knew.