[Leica] declining quality of writing

[alal at duke.poly.edu (A. Lal)]

> But in our defense, every department has to teach freshman writing -- 
> even the physicists and economists!
> Such is the modern liberal arts college.

Hi Karen,

Your comment above caught my eye. This is a very strong statement, perhaps 
you meant something  weaker?  I may have led a sheltered
academic life, but I am utterly baffled by this concept. How on Earth can 
anyone teach basic writing and fully cover their own
course syllabus at the same time? Something is very wrong with this picture. 
I have plenty of difficulty in covering freshman
physics in two or three semesters, without having to even think about 
teaching freshman writing on top of everything else. Do the
folks in the english department reciprocate by doing the odd problem in 
electromagnetism or solving an occasional differential
equation?

Does your college not offer prep courses for students who are deficient in 
writing or maths skills?

Regards,
Akhil