To the editor:

Phasing out CGS (page 4)? It is appalling how this paper continuously ridicules CGS. To phase out one of BU’s most practical and demanding colleges would be a mistake. CGS students represent the diversity boasted by the office of admissions and through a serious course of study, they are given a strong foundation to progress into their primary field of interest. It is unnecessary to single out a demographic among the university population to make a broad statistical observation. Furthermore, not all CGS students “rejected” from other schools. Many CGS students were undecided on a concentration and applied directly to CGS in hopes that they would receive a broad liberal arts education conducive to making a thoughtful decision based on the person’s strengths. By the end of their sophomore year, these students are able to realize their full potential. CGS classes expose students to a wider variety of course material than the core curriculums of other colleges. CGS reflects a complete education rather than a passive schooling. The fact that almost all CGS professors hold PhD’s and actually grade assignments rather than leaving them to a TF is a great benefit to the students. Therefore, the students feel like they are answering to a professional rather than a novice. The coursework of a typical CGS class consists of large and small lectures, along with frequent discussion sections. Such a rigorous schedule prohibits the ability to take leisure classes to boost their GPAs. Not to mention, the demanding capstone project that requires more research than an average master’s essay for a graduate degree, and a level of deeper thought that aims at creating future looking policies. This is what a college education should be about. We are here to grasp concepts and digest knowledge necessary to enhance our abilities in the workforce (so that if we were to hypothetically write for a newspaper some day, we wouldn’t confuse “endowment” with “full tuition”). Therefore, I think the question at hand is not how to phase CGS out, but how to make a rigorous CGS education available to all members of our community. It is clear that CGS does help Boston University. Smearing and acting like a “high school newspaper” does not.

-Vanessa Porter Alexander Fondrier CGS ’06 CAS ’08 CGS ’05 CAS ’07