n Some things never change.
As I recall, the Boston University student community was engaged in this same debate the year that I graduated. What the debate lacked then and continues to lack today is perspective. Does The Daily Free Press’ editorial board truly believe that eliminating the College of General Studies will create a better BU (“Phasing out CGS,” page 4, Oct. 17)? A university is more than the statistics of its incoming freshman class.
If the primary mission of the university and all its parts is to enrich those who are part of its community, then CGS actively contributes to the BU melting pot. Among other things, CGS provides a representative example of those who are capable even if their high school grades do not reflect some specific academic credential. And, just like the university’s other schools, CGS provides examples of those who waste their potential and those who are in over their heads. The majority of the students that I made it through CGS with are survivors – people who had a very solid understanding of the correlation between hard work and success.
The benefits of a CGS education remain unchallenged aside from some acronym hurling. CGS students are drilled, stressed and ultimately expanded beyond what they thought they could be. This was a formative experience for most who went to CGS; and the experience is generally either misunderstood or condemned by active students at other schools within the university. One of the things that CGS teaches is the perseverance necessary to complete difficult tasks. The honest among the BU community will admit that some courses (School of Engineering classes not withstanding) are tougher than others.
As an incoming CGS freshman my grades and scores were less than that of the average BU student. My grades in CGS were only a bit better than average. My grades in my School of Management concentration were among the best, and today I represent you as a promising young executive at a large, diverse global technology firm. Nobody asks what school(s) I went to within BU, because my efficacy speaks for itself. If they did ask, I would not hide the fact that CGS is partially responsible for my intellectual curiosity, my work ethic and my collaborative research skills. In return, I continue to give what effort I can to the university community.
On Monday, we in the D.C. area had the privilege of hearing President Robert Brown discuss the capability of BU’s faculty, the strengths of BU’s students, the depth of BU’s assets and the commitment of BU’s alumni.
As an alumnus, I take pride in the academic diversity that is found at BU.
Refusal to admit the students that comprise this year’s CGS class may have raised BU’s average SAT score and GPA for incoming freshmen. That looks great on paper, but life is lived in three dimensions. To remove CGS from the BU landscape would be to deprive the BU community some of what makes BU great – the opportunity for all individuals to learn in a setting whose diversity reflects what can be found in the real world, and to cultivate an individual’s ability to succeed against odds and expectations.
Malcolm Harden CGS ’91, SMG ’93 Board member and Scholarship Chair, Boston University Alumni Club of Washington, D.C.
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