THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996           TAG: 9602280008
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A10  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   51 lines

DEGREE IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE ONLY 4 YEARS

Regarding the Feb. 18 article concerning Virginia Wesleyan's guarantee of a four-year degree:

While I applaud Virginia Wesleyan for finding a marketing device which effectively advertises a fact that probably already exists at the college, I find it disconcerting that colleges that are doing the job they are in business to do should have to stoop to such a ploy, while those institutions which do not fulfill their stated purpose of educating students are not called to task for false advertising. It appears that the selection of a college is now considered a shopping experience similar to buying a washing machine or a car. Students skim the glossy ads and select the best deal, when a more careful examination ``under the hood'' could reveal startling inconsistencies.

Randolph-Macon Woman's College, from which I graduated (in four years with no guarantees or contracts) almost 30 years ago, continues to graduate students in four years because that is its mission - to be an undergraduate institution of higher learning. The student enrolls with the expectation that she will study and complete her assignments, while the faculty expects to teach the courses the students need to fulfill degree requirements.

This latest marketing tool in an admittedly very competitive recruiting environment for all colleges, but especially small, private, liberal-arts colleges, seems analogous to putting a ``fat-free'' label on bottled spring water in order to increase sales. If one stops to think about it, one realizes that water has no fat, but because ``fat-free'' is the current buzz-word in food sales, we are more apt to snatch it off the shelf if we see that label.

Apparently, college recruiting has reached the point that catchy labels are necessary.

I agree that many academic institutions are not fulfilling their obligation to students. My son attends a well-respected state college, but expects to need at least one extra semester, if not a full year, to complete his undergraduate degree, despite the fact that he entered with advanced placement based on his high-school record, has passed all his courses and, for tuition-billing purposes, is considered a full-time student.

Fortunately, my daughter is choosing to attend Randolph-Macon College, from which we are confident she will graduate in four years despite the absence of a guarantee or contract, making a private college education an affordable investment.

JANIS G. ANSELL

Virginia Beach, Feb. 18, 1996 by CNB