Yale Daily News

Just be aware that Dr. Sledge also is a master at dismantling institutions. For example, YPI (Yale Psychiatric Institute) disappeared under his leadership. Don't be charmed by his southern drawl, he is a divisive force. I would be cautious about his plans for the residential colleges.

In the discussions about the potential expansion of Yale College, there has been little discussion of the underlying rationale. Yale College is the same size it was a generation ago when I attended, when the nation was one-third smaller, when the student body was nearly entirely American and when Yale's financial resources were a small fraction of what it has today. To merely maintain their contribution to society, great institutions like Yale should be expected to expand. And as is the case with individuals so it is with institutions, to those to which much is given, much is expected. Yale should be increasing its contributions across a wide spectrum of academic pursuits and expanding its outreach across the world.

The only legitimate argument against expansion of Yale College is that it will undercut Yale's ability to provide an experience of comparable quality to that offered today. The fascinating process that has been unfolding over the last year has been addressing that issue. It is a compliment to Yale that so many of its undergraduates feel so positively about their experience as Yalies as to have strong reservations about changing it. But I haven't heard any argument that convinces me that Yale can't maintain its strengths while expanding. And, as Professor Sledge indicates, Yale isn't perfect and can use expansion to improve in various ways. Further, expansion benefits New Haven because a larger Yale increases Yale's economic contributions to the city and Yale in turn benefits from an improved New Haven.

The case for expansion seems compelling - the task should be to determine how to do it well.

interesting how smitten and taken this reporter was by the charms of the good doctor professor sledge. was the article bout that ever charming sledge or about expanding yale enrollment and the college system? and i disagree with the gentleman from the south. harvard isnt precious. have you been to cambridge lately? its a zoo! its wild, unwieldy. he makes yale sound like a faberge egg.

well if master sledge says we should expand, then of course we should! whatever sledge says go. obviously, im writing that with sarcasm but what takes me about this article is that yale, like old institutions, is a place where the sheer will and desire of one individual can make something reality. just one. there's good and bad to that.

OK, someone doesn't like Dr. Sledge; got it. Not sure if these comments pass the News's stated standards. They certainly don't add anything to the issue of expansion.

neither did sledge's arguments.

The rationale for Professor Sledge's military service is nonsensical. The draft ended in 1973; and only military advisors remained in Vietnam after 1972. While Professor Sledge's service is admirable, it is obvious that the YDN writer knows little about the military.