Editor:
The "in-depth report" about President Emeritus Henry Koffler (Sept. 30) was disappointing. Although the reporter clearly made an effort to cover this "story" in a fair and balanced way, I find myself wondering why the Wildcat continues to attack Dr. Koffler. I am not surprised that an element of the faculty seems unable to find more constructive things to do, but I would hope for more enlightened reporting by the Wildcat.
I wonder why the Wildcat has not done an in-depth report on the many outstanding contributions Dr. Koffler has made since he became president. For example, as president, Dr. Koffler mandated a reorganization of the UA's biological sciences units that led to their development of the nationally acclaimed strength, and he encouraged the establishment of the Undergraduate Biology Research Program, which is now is arguably the finest program of its kind in the nation. As president emeritus and a tenured professor, he created the splendid program of freshman colloquia, and now he teaches six of these courses, involving an amount of contact with lower-division undergraduates that few other faculty members can match. Moreover, he has mounted a vigorous and imaginative effort to create an Arizona Senior Academy, which could attract distinguished senior scholars and teachers to the UA community at no cost to the students or taxpayers of the state.
Instead of reflexly criticizing Dr. Koffler and singling him out to question the terms of his professional appointment, why not report the facts of his untiring positive efforts on behalf of this university and its students?
John G. Hildebrand
Regents' Professor