Erratum

A few months back, I did a post on the CUNY B.A. program and a Vanity Fair essay contest. The contest asked students to analyze, in 1500 words or less, what was on the mind of America's youth. An email circulated to CUNY B.A. students under the signature of a CUNY B.A. administrator also contained an ideologically confining description of essay guidelines, which were not posted on the Vanity Fair website. In my post, I expressed concern that this description essentially would tailor students' responses in one direction, and therefore was inappropriate.

Yesterday, I received an email from the administrator assuring me that she didn't add the language--that she forwarded it, as she received it, from VF, and that the lnaguage, though it didn't appear on the web, was in the VF print edition. She added,"I don't censor opportunities for students. I'll post a job notice with the FBI as easily as one with ACORN or NYPIRG. I want our students to succeed in any area of their interest."

I only wish that we could see more of such a professional approach from academic administrators; and I apologize for suggesting that the administrator added language that, in fact, she did not.