TO THE EDITOR:
I’m writing in response to your editorial “In, but left out” concerning the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s recent decision to raise the minimal GPA standard for admissions from 2.9 to 3.1. The editorial contains misrepresentations and at least one error in fact.
Rather than highlight them all, I’ll mention a few. Contrary to the editorial’s claim, the current class of sophomores making application to the J-School will not be affected. Also, it should be noted that, if the requirement had been in place last year, only 20 students would have been affected.
You also chose to leave out that the average grade at UNC is a 3.2 and that the current J-School GPA requirement is the lowest of the professional schools on campus. The GPA requirement was last raised was in 2004, from 2.7 to 2.9. No one is scaring students away. Even under the current requirement a student can request special consideration of other factors in their application to the J-School.
The editorial implies that future J-School student applicants should have a voice in setting the GPA standard. How many universities ask high school seniors to set their admissions standards? How many corporations (newspapers included) allow job applicants to establish employment criteria? Current and future students expect us to preserve the richness of the academic experience and manage the school’s growth in ways that ensure they will receive a first-rate education. Raising the GPA for admission was a reasonable decision.
Finally, the J-School has a long record of inclusiveness. It’s a bit of a stretch to cry foul when you only have to stop in and ask about the schedule of open meetings in the building where you are taking classes. I hope these additional facts and perspective help paint a fuller picture of the issue.
Napoleon Byars
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
