Editor, Daily Nexus,

We, the students of the Literature Collaborative at the College of Creative Studies, would like to address the recent opinion column regarding CCS (“Gaucho Sends Readers to CCS Abyss,” Daily Nexus, Oct. 29). CCS is often called a “graduate school for undergraduates.” Because of CCS’s more passive approach to advertising, misconceptions have spread throughout the campus. The approximate 300 students are dispersed among eight majors – art, biology, chemistry, computer science, literature, mathematics, music and physics. The program offers a variety of advantages to students, including a higher unit cap and exemption from certain general education requirements. Students are also granted honors privileges that include early registration and access to upper division and graduate courses as freshmen.

Within CCS Literature, which accounts for one third of CCS, the emphasis on personal creativity allows students to delve into their own writing. Although CCS courses do not use the standard grading system, the rigorous workload and relaxed environment encourages students to take risks and write every day. Taking the expected course load – two academic literature courses – in CCS, students often read 10 to 20 books a quarter and write a paper a week. However, if a student does not attend classes when scheduled or turn in expected work, instructors can dock units. In addition to core courses, literature students often take many more units than the minimum requirement.

We agree that the program has imperfections, and we have formed the Literature Collaborative to facilitate student participation in addressing concerns about the major. The Collaborative seeks to improve CCS Literature and offers resources that are available to all students.

In the words of Joseph Campbell, “It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.”

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