According to the College's Web site, the Committee on Academic Priorities (CAP) was formed in order "to develop proposals to meet the academic needs of the College over the next decade and beyond." This process of self-examination will culminate in a report-due in January-that will guide the College for the next five to 10 years. The report will touch on everything from facilities to curricular matters. With January nearly here, the 12-member group of faculty, staff and students opened its meeting on Tuesday night to the campus community in an attempt to inform its report with student voices.

We appreciate the administration's eagerness to include students in the discussion of Amherst's future. Forums like Tuesday's are reminders of why many of us chose a small college. Although small class sizes get most of the publicity, the ability to have dialogue with the administration on important issues is something that would be impossible at larger institutions. Furthermore, as President Marx noted, this is a unique time in the College's history. Deliberations such as these only take place every decade or so, and they can determine the course of an institution for generations to come. As students fortunate enough to be on campus during this phase, we should not take for granted the opportunity at hand.

Although Tuesday was a good initial step toward building a bridge between the students and the CAP, future talks will be necessary. We are glad to hear that the administration also sees this as simply the first of many conversations in a larger discussion. Members of the CAP have been vocal in inviting students to e-mail or call them with any suggestions, comments or concerns that might help the committee. President Marx in particular e-mailed the entire campus, twice, strongly encouraging people to attend Tuesday's meeting. In everything its members have done so far, it is clear that the CAP is sincere in its desire for students' input, and students should be eager to oblige.

We were happy that Tuesday's event in Converse Hall's Red Room was well attended, but this shouldn't be a surprise. The array of topics being investigated by the CAP covers every aspect of life at the College, so students should have no problem finding one that is important to them. Unfortunately, most of the conversation offered more questions than answers. How can we improve students' writing? What should be done with the social dorms? What additions should we make to the curriculum? How will we handle access for prospective students from low-income families? With these and many more controversial and provocative topics on the table, we hope that students will begin to offer their own answers. Thanks in part to the administration, there are a number of avenues welcoming student opinions and ideas. We encourage students to e-mail the CAP (cap@amherst.edu), attend its future forums or even send The Student their opinions.