Comments on: Economic Realities and Wesleyan Hopes http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2008/10/15/economic-realities-and-wesleyan-hopes/ Michael S. Roth became Wesleyan University's 16th president on July 1, 2007. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:17:25 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Ruth van Eck-Rotholz http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2008/10/15/economic-realities-and-wesleyan-hopes/comment-page-1/#comment-15628 Ruth van Eck-Rotholz Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:14:08 +0000 http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/?p=171#comment-15628 Dear Michael Roth, I first wanted to congratulate you for becoming the president of Wesleyan. Your interest in the arts, creativity, and individual perseverance and excellence will certainly benefit the Wesleyan community. We were classmates, in those days pre e-mail days when the letters of Roth and Rotholz shared the same postbox space at Fisk hall. Times have changed. I read your letter about the necessary cuts to be made in light of the present economic downturn. I am worried that by increasing the student body at the same time reducing the faculty puts pressure on the wonderful low teacher-student ratio that I experienced when I attended Wesleyan. I chose the school because of this quality where the individual really matters. I wondered why there isn't any mention of cutting energy use and save in the long term while making the students aware of art of working efficiently with our planet? With the addition of the new Usdan Center building, being next to Fairwheather where the physical plant was housed, is an ideal opportunity to use the long extent of the south sloping roofs of both buildings, unobliterated by cast shadows, for an extensive installation of Photo-voltaic cells. This investment will not only reduce Wesleyan’s long term dependance on expensive energy , but will also educate the students and faculty in a responsible way. Reflect on it. Your classmate, Ruth van Eck-Rotholz '78 Dear Michael Roth,
I first wanted to congratulate you for becoming the president of Wesleyan. Your interest in the arts, creativity, and individual perseverance and excellence will certainly benefit the Wesleyan community. We were classmates, in those days pre e-mail days when the letters of Roth and Rotholz shared the same postbox space at Fisk hall. Times have changed.
I read your letter about the necessary cuts to be made in light of the present economic downturn. I am worried that by increasing the student body at the same time reducing the faculty puts pressure on the wonderful low teacher-student ratio that I experienced when I attended Wesleyan. I chose the school because of this quality where the individual really matters.
I wondered why there isn’t any mention of cutting energy use and save in the long term while making the students aware of art of working efficiently with our planet? With the addition of the new Usdan Center building, being next to Fairwheather where the physical plant was housed, is an ideal opportunity to use the long extent of the south sloping roofs of both buildings, unobliterated by cast shadows, for an extensive installation of Photo-voltaic cells. This investment will not only reduce Wesleyan’s long term dependance on expensive energy , but will also educate the students and faculty in a responsible way. Reflect on it.

Your classmate,
Ruth van Eck-Rotholz ‘78

]]> By: Howard Grodman http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2008/10/15/economic-realities-and-wesleyan-hopes/comment-page-1/#comment-12637 Howard Grodman Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:04:39 +0000 http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/?p=171#comment-12637 It is hard to imagine that one of the frequently asked questions is how will the economic events affect next year's tuition. So I am asking that. Since so many students and families are struggling in these difficult times, I would hope that there will at a minimum be a freeze in tuition, or even consideration to a decrease for next year. It is hard to imagine that one of the frequently asked questions is how will the economic events affect next year’s tuition. So I am asking that. Since so many students and families are struggling in these difficult times, I would hope that there will at a minimum be a freeze in tuition, or even consideration to a decrease for next year.

]]> By: Martin Kim http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2008/10/15/economic-realities-and-wesleyan-hopes/comment-page-1/#comment-12116 Martin Kim Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:26:16 +0000 http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/?p=171#comment-12116 There is a lot you don't know! There is a lot you don’t know!

]]> By: Beth Masterman '79 http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2008/10/15/economic-realities-and-wesleyan-hopes/comment-page-1/#comment-12067 Beth Masterman '79 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:00:24 +0000 http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/?p=171#comment-12067 Community and institutional leaders can have vision and values, can control quality, can plan and control the planning process, but cannot predict the impact tension between human flaws like greed combined with laudable aspirations -such as home ownership- might have on budgets and timing. We are all connected by virtue of the finite resources we share. Mr. President, I have absolute confidence in your judgement and ability to ride this wave and make sure that the "table is set" for Wesleyan to maintain its distinctiveness and intellectual leadership in fine liberal arts education, when resources flow again. Community and institutional leaders can have vision and values, can control quality, can plan and control the planning process, but cannot predict the impact tension between human flaws like greed combined with laudable aspirations -such as home ownership- might have on budgets and timing. We are all connected by virtue of the finite resources we share. Mr. President, I have absolute confidence in your judgement and ability to ride this wave and make sure that the “table is set” for Wesleyan to maintain its distinctiveness and intellectual leadership in fine liberal arts education, when resources flow again.

]]> By: Susan Smythe http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2008/10/15/economic-realities-and-wesleyan-hopes/comment-page-1/#comment-12005 Susan Smythe Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:47:12 +0000 http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/?p=171#comment-12005 Was very excited to hear you speak last night in Philadelphia - and you made great opportunity of the last woman's question about slippage in the rankings, and the need for financial support to support the academic program - I felt like getting out my checkbook right then and there - and I will shortly - I thought it was a wonderful, impassioned answer - and demonstrated the need really well. I really enjoyed your speech - and learned quite a bit - one of the hallmarks of Wesleyan - lifelong learning. Good to hear and see you - look forward to more. Was very excited to hear you speak last night in Philadelphia – and you made great opportunity of the last woman’s question about slippage in the rankings, and the need for financial support to support the academic program – I felt like getting out my checkbook right then and there – and I will shortly – I thought it was a wonderful, impassioned answer – and demonstrated the need really well. I really enjoyed your speech – and learned quite a bit – one of the hallmarks of Wesleyan – lifelong learning. Good to hear and see you – look forward to more.

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