The Famous Letter

Here is a letter that was presented to Sheila on September 27th, 2007. The students that composed this letter gave us permission to post their names.




Cambridge College Administration
350 Blackhawk
Aurora, CO 80011

Dear Cambridge College Administration,
Subject: Questions from the student body
Recently, there have been many changes within the school. These changes have given rise to a multitude of concerns. Collectively the student body would like to have these concerns addressed by the Administration. Our goal is to resolve the following issues to the satisfaction of both the students and the Administration. Please devote your time and attention to the following questions:

1. Some students still don’t fully understand the results of the new accreditation process. Is the process complete? Is the school in danger of losing it’s accreditation?

2. What can the student body do to improve communication with the Administration? We felt that under the previous Administration, some concerns were brushed off. ”You don’t need to know” is not an appropriate answer.

3. What is the cause of the high faculty turnover rate? Is there anything the student body can do to help?
4. What is the Administration doing to address faculty burnout? Does the Administration feel that a teacher who teaches four sessions a day can deliver the same performance in the classroom as a teacher who only teaches two sessions per day?

5. Why do we not have the appropriate number of instructors? We know there are ongoing efforts to hire new instructors, but they don’t appear to be effective. Is there a plan to address this deficiency?

6. We have seen several instructors leave the school in the last few months. Is there a plan to retain the present, high quality staff, as well as retain future employees?

7. There is concern among the student body about the quality of education we get for our tuition. Several times, instructors have indicated dissatisfaction with textbooks. Some textbooks are rarely or never used in the class. There are also instances where students have chosen to purchase books from outside vendors that were of more use during the course. Is a more effective use of the textbook dollars possible?

In closing, we would like to reinforce the idea that this letter is not meant to be confrontational or accusatory. We are cognizant of the high reputation the school has in the community, and we wish to maintain the level of respect the school enjoys. Our goal is to achieve an outcome that is equitable for students and staff. We would like the school to be profitable and continue to serve as a place of employment for the many fine staff members. We as students would like to receive an education that we would be proud to recommend to our friends and family members. We would be happy to sit down on a one-on-one basis to provide any necessary clarification, or provide ideas for addressing these concerns. We appreciate the administration’s time in reading this letter.

Respectfully,
Matthew Sarchet and Owen Bradshaw