2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 6/13/07 Section: Opinions
CUSTOMS important, not waste of time
To the Editor:
As alumni of both MTSU and the CUSTOMS program, I thought that it should be noted that your editorial board column, "New students failed by rushed CUSTOMS" [June 6] contained some misleading information. While I don't have a problem in questioning any institution, it's not fair to do so by supporting your argument with falsehoods.
To be fair, let's start with what the editorial board got right. Take this quote, "There is the noteworthy fact that CUSTOMS completely ignores the needs of transfer students, dooming them to confusion as they enter a new school." True, there does need to be more help for our transfer students, because they make up such a large amount of our student population and their situation is much different then true incoming freshmen. However, to say they are ignored is just wrong. CUSTOMS hosts a separate and abbreviated session for these students. For them, the social and "college life" aspects have been established. Few 20-year-olds need to hear the importance of balancing social activities with homework, therefore the main focus centers around advising and signing up for the correct classes. CUSTOMS even does some sessions where they go to the actual community colleges.
The editorial board continues, "MTSU needs to treat classes as the focus of the event, not just a last-minute afterthought." Again the editorial board is right on the money. That is why CUSTOMS makes each student spend hours with advisors from their own major, telling them what they need, pitfalls to avoid and classes to consider. Then, the CUSTOMS staff works with each individual to make sure they understand what has been said. On top of that, there are at least two CUSTOMS staff members that stay at the dorms till the end of the night to help. The following day each group's CUSTOMS leader meets with everyone in his or her group to make sure they understand and our happy with their schedule
To the Editor:
As alumni of both MTSU and the CUSTOMS program, I thought that it should be noted that your editorial board column, "New students failed by rushed CUSTOMS" [June 6] contained some misleading information. While I don't have a problem in questioning any institution, it's not fair to do so by supporting your argument with falsehoods.
To be fair, let's start with what the editorial board got right. Take this quote, "There is the noteworthy fact that CUSTOMS completely ignores the needs of transfer students, dooming them to confusion as they enter a new school." True, there does need to be more help for our transfer students, because they make up such a large amount of our student population and their situation is much different then true incoming freshmen. However, to say they are ignored is just wrong. CUSTOMS hosts a separate and abbreviated session for these students. For them, the social and "college life" aspects have been established. Few 20-year-olds need to hear the importance of balancing social activities with homework, therefore the main focus centers around advising and signing up for the correct classes. CUSTOMS even does some sessions where they go to the actual community colleges.
The editorial board continues, "MTSU needs to treat classes as the focus of the event, not just a last-minute afterthought." Again the editorial board is right on the money. That is why CUSTOMS makes each student spend hours with advisors from their own major, telling them what they need, pitfalls to avoid and classes to consider. Then, the CUSTOMS staff works with each individual to make sure they understand what has been said. On top of that, there are at least two CUSTOMS staff members that stay at the dorms till the end of the night to help. The following day each group's CUSTOMS leader meets with everyone in his or her group to make sure they understand and our happy with their schedule
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Matthew Davis
posted 6/15/07 @ 2:34 PM CST
I would like to disagree with your statement about transfer student. I was never offered any type of CUSTOMS here at MTSU.
My "offical campus tour" was me and one other student in a golf cart with a guide who was spouting off letters like KUC, JUB, BAS, PH, and LRC. (Continued…)
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