Happy week ten, Pioneers! We are getting to the final stretch of the semester. If you have not already done so, remember to register for summer and fall classes. Check in with all your academic advisors to make sure you are on track and know what to do for course registration. Burying your head in the sand with your classes is not going to be helpful,  so do not be afraid to ask for help.

For this week’s column, we would like to provide further comment on the piece regarding part-time communications and English professor James Begley being arrested. We would like to clarify that The Globe takes no particular stance or ‘sides’ on the situation and that all are innocent until proven guilty in the court of law. Slandering a faculty member by immediately concluding their guilt is counter to good journalism – the facts are not known yet.

All police records mentioned in the article are public information and can be viewed at ujsportal.pacourts.us. Each record cited will have links to the reports on our online version of the story at ppuglobe.com. You can look up any court case in PA with this resource, as it is all public information.

While the university is private, we believe that there should be transparency, honesty and clear communication in cases like this, especially for those who had Begley as a professor this semester. Having a sudden professor change in the middle of a class can be jarring and stressful, but being clear and honest about situations that arise prevents the harmful effects of miscommunication and rumors. To squash false rumors, the truth needs to be put out in a clear manner.

This is not a complicated issue, students should be notified if one of their professors is arrested. Again, while the case is ongoing, who knows if notifying students and others about the situation could have made them feel comfortable to share valuable information. We always encourage students, staff and faculty to use their voices and share their thoughts and experiences no matter the situation. Your stories and what matters on this campus deserve to be shown.

As journalists, we felt it was our duty to provide you all with a clear answer on what Begley’s employment status is, and we apologize for not being able to give you that. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide any updates as they arise.