FIU needs to remove former president Mark B. Rosenberg memorabilia

Noemy Esther Diaz-Burgos | Contributing Writer

Former FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg may not be returning to FIU in a teaching capacity, yet his presence on campus is still visible. With on-campus tributes remaining, it tells the student body that the incident was not taken as seriously as it should be.

For someone who has been demoted to a research position with FIU’s Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy following an inappropriate relationship scandal, Rosenberg is still in a position where he has a significant say in one of FIU’s most alluring institutes at the university. An institute that attracts plenty of donations and notable guest speakers like former heads of state and intelligence experts.

Just under our noses, past photographs of Rosenberg representing FIU at several community events can be found along the upstairs hallways of the Graham Center. En route to Green Library, under the palm trees sits a bench in honor of Mark B. Rosenberg that faces the building’s Instagram-worthy façade.

According to FIU spokeswoman Maydel Santana, this new role would include planning curriculum and strategizing for the institute.

Clearly, all sense of accountability towards Rosenberg has been avoided. In fact, FIU seems to be walking on eggshells when it comes to Rosenberg instead of holding him accountable for his actions like we are as students.

FIU has the responsibility to manage Rosenberg’s contract while balancing the concerns of students & faculty as a means to avoid further legal issues. However, this does not mean that FIU should sweep the situation under the rug and skip over the consequences of one’s actions.

The reality is that Mark B. Rosenberg has no place on campus anymore – period.

Ideally, FIU should’ve aligned with its own values of integrity and opportunity before negotiating with someone who potentially endangered students and embarrassed our institution as a whole.

With so many new students at FIU, it’s easy for people to forget the high regard and sense of admiration many students and non-FIU community members felt toward Rosenberg. When I first arrived at FIU, I used to always brag about going to a university where the president was a first-generation college graduate himself.

Even in the photographs posted in Graham Center, it is evident that Mark B. Rosenberg was a man of the people. The images feature the disgraced ex-President at many local events like the Graham Center pit ribbon cutting ceremony, Miami Pride, Black Student Union events and FIU faculty award ceremonies.

These photos used to represent the best of FIU, now they serve as a reminder of one man’s
unforeseeable downfall and the lack of urgency to correct the path of destruction left by his reckless actions. It’s shocking to walk the halls and see his face knowing what we know now.

If FIU is truly proud of the work being done here and wants to move forward from the Rosenberg fiasco, they could begin by removing the photographs in Graham Center and rededicating the bench by the Green Library.

I propose that FIU should instead rededicate the bench and other spaces to someone more deserving like notable alumni, deans, or students who better embody the university’s values and the pursuit of knowledge it stands for.

Regardless of what the future holds for Mark B. Rosenberg, FIU students & faculty should be included in these decisions.

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The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.