The article “Worried about rising costs, Bates plans budget cuts,” by Sun Journal reporter Steve Collins (Jan. 10, Page B1), poignantly invokes the question: Have today’s liberal arts colleges become more like businesses rather than remaining institutions of higher learning?

Sadly, Mr. Collins’ piece never alludes directly, or even indirectly, to how the quality of education at Bates will or will not be affected by budget cuts. It goes without saying a college must be run with fiscal efficiency, but Collins’ article gives short shrift to Bates’ most important constituency: the student body.

The last paragraph, on Page B6, in which Mr. Collins quotes Geoffrey Swift, Bates College treasurer, says it all: “Swift said that cutting non-personnel costs ‘ensure [sic] we retain capacity for compensation increases’ and have the money ‘to invest in better services or new ways of doing business.’ ”

Albert Black
Ogunquit

This letter has been edited on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at 1:17 p.m. to remove the reference to Lyceum, an online course registration platform used at Bates College.

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