Employees proud to work for UA

I was pleased to see the new Millennium study get front-page coverage (“”Study: Employees not feeling appreciated,”” Aug. 21). I’m wondering, however, why you failed to include that 82.8 percent of classified staff and 79.4 percent of appointed staff believe UA is a “”good place to work.”” The data included other positive trends, like that 75.6 percent of classified staff and 74.3 percent of appointed staff are “”proud to work for UA.”” Your statement that “”some classified staff and appointed personnel enjoyed their work and felt commitment and loyalty to the UA”” suggests that these are not majority views. Actually, more than three-fourths of employees felt loyalty, and more than two-thirds felt commitment. “”Most”” would have been more accurate than “”some.”” It sounds to me like a lot of our employees are pleased with their employment. I urge people to read the whole report.

-Dianne D. Horgan, PhD
Associate dean, Graduate College

Balanced opinion essential everywhere

In his plea for political balance in the Wildcat (“”Balanced opinion essential in Wildcat,”” Aug. 21), Shane Dale opines, “”Students have plenty of left-wing opinion from the UA’s professorial team.”” Not all professors, teachers, and scholars at UA and at other institutions of higher learning are leftists. This hasty generalization aside, I would like to see this notion of balance carried out in the larger culture – in the media and among the many corporations that give vast amounts of cash mostly to right-wing politicians. When I am charged with being a leftist, I just shrug and say, “”Oh well.”” As I see it, if universities tend to employ more leftists than otherwise, then at least students will be exposed to views not commonly espoused elsewhere, views they may never hear otherwise. In some ways, the university acts as a counterbalance to the overtly conservative mainstream media and culture. Or, to look at it another way, why is it that many of the intelligent people who work very demanding university jobs for little pay, as compared to their counterparts in industry, and who do so for the benefit of others – i.e., students – are leftists? Reflect on that, Mr. Dale.

-Greg Grewell
doctorate student in English