Last fall, the college’s Curriculum Committee published a draft report with recommendations and proposals for topics such as pass-fail, course withdrawals, first-year seminars and so forth. One of the most anticipated topics the committee was reviewing and considering was the introduction of minors.
In light of the party policy, it’s clear that more needs to be done to foster open communication between students and administrators before major policies are implemented or changed. This, however, is something that should not be limited to party policy. Active, engaged and open discourse between the administration and students must be a cornerstone of how the school functions and operates. Moreover, transparency on behalf of the administration should be required even when it comes to seemingly banal alterations, such as wording or policy.
We, the Editorial Board, were not planning on writing the editorial on this topic. Jake May’s opinion article clearly articulates the concerns many on campus have with the updates to the party policy that were released last week. However, in light of yesterday’s email from Chief Student Affairs Officer Suzanne Coffey and Senior Associate Dean of Students Dean Gendron, we felt that it was our responsibility to respond.
Early in January it snowed for the first time in 28 years in Tallahassee, Fla. It was part of a massive cold front that went on to sweep the entire nation this winter and indicative of an even broader trend of climate change and extreme weather. Here in Amherst, temperatures reached 15 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, according to AccuWeather. This drop in temperature may be shocking to many, especially following an unseasonably warm fall and an even hotter summer prior to that, but it is in fact in line with the way climate is changing.
Journalism, The Amherst Student included, deserves criticism. Often times what journalists write is wrong, sensationalized, unfair or incorrectly focused. But while other presidents have complained about the press, President Donald Trump has dangerously changed the role of journalism by not acknowledging the essential role that an independent press plays in our democracy.
As the semester begins to end, students are preparing for final exams, papers, projects and other assignments to make sure they get all their work done before holiday break. At such a culturally and economically diverse institution such as Amherst, the way each student spends their leisure time during the break can vary tremendously. It is easy to overlook the depth and ubiquitous nature of diversity when the holiday season rolls around due to the bombardment of Christmas-themed commercials on TV, items at stores, and basically everything else you can think of.
Here is a fact that should sound familiar to all who know about the benefits of early decision in the college admissions process: For the class of 2020, the regular decision acceptance rate to Ivy League schools was 6.8 percent, while the rate for early applicants was 20.3 percent.
