University of Virginia Library

Complaints Surface

Student complaints, once
provided with the Ritter catalyst,
have surfaced somewhat. Many feel
the department is aloof,
concentrating too much on
graduate students and neglecting
the undergraduates. One student
who has researched the question
said the calibre of the entering
graduate classes is declining, in
terms of previous records and of
fellowships, such as Woodrow
Wilson grants. The department also
has an overabundance of large
lecture classes and no major
seminars; the undergraduate majors,
mostly government students,
frequently attend discussion classes
led by foreign affairs graduate
students who have little interest in
the government subject. Individual
instruction is weak, they add.