My Thoughts…Exactly

Albany journalism program met with displeasure from SUNY New Paltz April 5, 2006

The expansion of Albany academics has been met with suprising resentment from another SUNY institution. 

After years of deliberation, Albany has finally decided to offer a journalism major (4 years too late for me) for students starting this year. 

While this has been good news for the journalism teachers and incoming students with aspirations of being journalists, apparently SUNY New Paltz has viewed this move as potentially disastrous for their school. 

The vast majority of students who go to New Paltz also apply to Albany more than any other school; with that in mind, New Paltz's officials felt that by Albany generating more majors that mirror the curriculum in New Paltz, there will be no diversity.  Therefore, if given the opportunity, students that would pick New Paltz simply because it has a program that Albany doesn't might not do so if Albany offered the same program. 

Whether or not you sympathize with New Paltz's plight, the fact remains that Albany is a far bigger and more popular school than New Paltz.  Nevertheless, this does not mean that Albany should limit what majors they offer their students simply to appease a smaller school that fears they won't be able to compete. 

Schools have become a business, but fundamentally they are a learning institution.  These schools should not be focusing on what programs are offered as much as they should be focused on improving the quality of the education they offer the students. 

Besides, New Paltz has offered the program longer than Albany as a major so they should have the advantage of having a more developed journalism program.