'Cushy' department gives few A's

Vindication at last! Arlie Rahn's 8/27/98 Wildcat article titled "Major athletes hurdle toward easier majors," which stated "40% of starters were in the traditionally cushy' majors of family studies and communication," infuriated many in the Communication department. I suppose it depends on the definition of "cushy," but if it means easy A's, Rahn's facts are incorrect.

The front-page article of the Arizona Daily Star on grade-inflation this Sunday reported that Communication gives out the second-fewest A's in the entire University! Accounting gives out the fewest (16%) and Communication is a close second with (19%). This is fewer A's than even traditionally "non-cushy" majors like mathematics, economics, and civil engineering.

If Rahn thinks "cushy" means everyone passes, even if they don't get A's, once again the facts prove otherwise.

Communication was also on the Star's list of departments that fails themost students - and the UA communication graduate program is one of the most demanding in the country. The faculty work very hard to be on the cutting-edge of communication research and are known as some of the brightest and most productive scholars in the world. Rahn and theWildcat should re-think their categorization of communication as a "cushy"major.

Norah Dunbar

Graduate teaching associate

Department of Communication