A suggestion that may increase retention and graduation rates: I would like to suggest a change of curriculum for the incoming students. My Astronomy class had far too many students that did not possess at least junior high math skills.
Dear Campus Echo: I am writing this letter in response to the well-written article,"On the outside looking in: NCCU senior fights to be re-admitted after controversial suspension" regarding fellow NCCU student and member of the Gamma Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. by the name of Roddrick Howell.
Dear Chancellor Nelms: I recently read an article in the Campus Echo regarding the interim suspension and consequent one-year expulsion of Mr. Roddrick Howell, following an on-campus incident on August 18 of this year.
Dear Campus Echo: I write this in frustration, frustrated over people not being able to think for themselves. North Carolina Central University has the motto, "Truth and Service," but currently, students are only required to do the latter. Students are required to do community service, about one fifteenth (120 hours of service per 1860 hours in class) of all the required hours to get a degree MUST be spent doing service.
Dear Campus Echo: While I appreciate Mr. Hicks' position, I believe it is inappropriate to say that gay is the new black; the implication behind such a statement is that the issues of the black community take a back seat to the issues of the gay community. The black struggle is not over, racism is not dead, and America is a far crueler and more dangerous place for blacks than it is for gays.
I was disappointed to learn of some of our English department's faculty being disenchanted with the decision made concerning the appointment of our newly appointed dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
Your article headline "New CLA dean under Fire…" gave the impression that the new dean, selected for the position, had been fired before he ever started the job.
According to the Campus Echo article, "CLA dean search draws fire" (Jan. 19, 2011), three searches were conducted.
Only one person applied the first time, so the search was extended.
Thanks for your response to our news story. We appreciate how you have underscored Dean Wilson's commitment to teaching and to the University.
We feel, however, that you fail to make a clear distinction between "the article" and what someone is cited as saying in the article.
Upon reading the latest issue of the NCCU's Campus Echo, I must admit that I was truly at a loss for words at the article entitled "CLA dean search draws fire." The article in various ways slanders Dr. Carlton Wilson, current dean of the College of Liberal Arts and former chair of the department of history. As a former student of Dr. Wilson I felt insulted, as the article challenged his "fundraising experience [and] scholarly credentials."
As a senior at NCCU with aspirations to attend graduate school and enter academia as a professor, I am troubled by the presumptive bias in the quotations of university administrators and professors, whose advanced research degrees are an indication of their solid training in the fundamentals of causality and reasoning, in the article "Step up or Get Out: GPA of less than 2.0 won't suffice" [Campus Echo Volume 102 Issue 3 October 6, 2010].
Dear Clifford Harris, Jr., When I heard the news about your recent situation, I had a strong reaction. It's the same reaction that I typically have when I hear about a student, client, family member, or friend dealing with their inner struggles: I have a desire to reach out and help and I pray that the person will make a legal U-turn to get back on the right road.
I live far away from NCCU now, but I had the pleasure of visiting the campus this summer. It was wonderful seeing how the campus has grown, seeing the newly erected buildings, and seeing many new programs instituted. I felt a great sense of pride at my alma mater's accomplishments.
I just finished reading the April 21, 2010 edition of NCCU's Campus Echo. The articles were very informative about attitudes of our young people. These attitudes leave me concerned about where we are headed as African-American people.
Math professor enters the debate
Dear Editor: After reading the article in the Campus Echo entitled "Missing the math mark," I felt compelled to respond. I am Dr. Richard Townsend, the coordinator for College Algebra and Trigonometry I and for Elementary Statistics in the Mathematics and Computer Science department here at NCCU.
Dear Editor-in-Chief Carlton Koonce, I am writing a response to your article "A Poet Falls Silent," published on September 9, 2009. Campus Crossing would like to extend their condolences to the family of Lance Johnson. We know this must be a difficult time for you.