Letters to the Editor

Author: [no author name found]

To the Editor:

Around March 6, Middlebury first-year and senior students will be invited to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The NSSE is a questionnaire that is being given to students at hundreds of colleges and universities. Collective results from Middlebury students will allow the College's faculty and staff to evaluate and compare experiences at Middlebury College with those of students throughout the country. In other words, you can help the faculty and staff further demonstrate the value of a Middlebury education. The results are also covered by major media as a measure of national trends in higher education.

The Dean of Student Affairs Office and the Alliance for Civic Engagement have offered further incentives for students to participate in the NSSE. Five $50 gift certificates for local restaurants will be awarded by lottery to students who complete the survey by Friday, March 17. First-year and senior students should receive e-mails next week with survey links to the NSSE. When you receive an invitation, please complete the survey.

If you have any questions about this project on our campus, or our interest in using the results, please contact Jane Kimble at jkimble@middlebury.edu or at x5351. Thank you in advance for your participation!

Sincerely,

Jane Kimble

Institutional Research



To the Editor:

I wanted to add a few points to your recent article on U.S. Senate Candidate Rich Tarrant ["Surveillance sparks senate debate", Feb. 23]. Mr. Tarrant recognizes unaffordable health care as the number one issue facing Americans. Tarrant is a candidate who has a solution to the health care crisis in the United States and will put his extensive knowledge in the health care industry to work, once in office, to make sure no one suffers without the health care that he or she needs.

Tarrant is truly the independent candidate in the race, he is only taking donations from in-state individuals. His opponent, Rep. Sanders, raises 95 percent of his donations from out of state individuals, PACs and special interest groups. Rich will not be taking money from out of state voters, political parties, PACs, businesses or special interests, and will be able to provide an independent voice in the U.S. Senate.

Tarrant is also concerned about the many young people who have to leave the state yearly because of limited job opportunities and high living costs. Rich brought hundreds of quality jobs to Vermont as the owner of a successful business, and will continue to foster environmentally and economically responsible job growth in the state of Vermont as a U.S. Senator.

I encourage all of you to attend a spaghetti supper with Rich Tarrant the next time he's in Middlebury and ask him about his issues. He has hosted many around the state in his energetic efforts to meet voters and hear what's on their minds. Check out his website at www.tarrant06.com.

Sincerely,

Allison Kennedy '07

Gillette, Wyo

To the Editor:
I write to point out that your article headed "Student-Faculty Ratio Expounded" contained a number of errors that could have been eliminated by routine fact-checking. Professor Bill Hart's name, for example, is not "Heart." The President of the College does not spell his name "Leibowitz," as appears three times on p.4. Finally, the article states: "Faculty members like Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of English Alison Byerly voiced skepticism of the rather sudden, extremely positive change in the reported ratio." Perhaps a faculty member like me expressed this view, but I myself was not present at the meeting.
Sincerely,
Alison Byerly
Professor of English
V.P. for Academic Affairs