University classes are overcrowded. We have all suffered through registration days when we couldn’t get into a single class we needed. We have all suffered through courses where discussion would have flourished — had enrollment been 15, not 60.
Despite this, acting President John Silber recently decided to eliminate 450 BU jobs — including 50 to 60 faculty spots that won’t be filled when they become vacant. His decision, made in order to meet what he calls “the demands of a very ambitious building program,” indicates a sheer perversion in his values. John Silber values building hotels and “re-centering campus” over the quality of our undergraduate education. He values construction projects, not classroom discussion. He values a public image, not a strong foundation.
The time has long since passed for John Silber to begin caring about the students at this University. It is time for him to wake up and realize that we want small classes and good teachers, dorms that feel like home and the chance to succeed. Flashy hotels have little bearing on our quality of life or the quality of our education.
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