Famously annoying liberal arts college Wesleyan has a new president, Michael Roth, who's kicked off his tenure by making nice to the freshmen, which we know because he has a blog. (Also, related: Regarding our Most Annoying Colleges poll, Roth told the Wesleyan Argus, "I don't know that I have much to say about this. Gawker is trying to be annoying enough to get noticed (to make some money), but why even pay attention?" Hey, you know, we all have to pay the rent! And not all of us have trust funds.) The blog itself is fine; Roth seems like a nice chap, and really, how down and dirty do you expect a college president to get? But in the comments, a couple of people have taken the opportunity to let President Roth know that they don't think old Wes is all it's cracked up to be. In fact, one parent seems especially peeved that his child has not been recognized as the genius he or she is.

I read the remarks [to the freshmen] and felt the bittersweetness of a parent whose child has not thrived at Wesleyan. Rather than being inspired by the hopefulness of the comments, I am saddened by the gap between the words and my child's experience. Entering Wesleyan in the fall of 2004, my child was eager to expand both intellectual and social horizons. Myriad rejections (special hybrid majors, study abroad first choice, sports) and odd, sometimes callous comments on papers have led my child to narrow what s/he sees as options at Wesleyan. When I left undergraduate, my perspective had been so enlarged and my appetite for learning so increased that I went on to earn my Ph.D. I don't think that was the path for my child, but I am sorry to see that s/he willl leave Wesleyan after four years with less than the enthusiasm for learning than that with which s/he entered.

It is easy, and therefore tempting, to engage the A students (as a faculty member, I know this!). My child did learn the lesson that the rich get richer by watching the A students receive more attention and more opportunities. I am very happy for all those who are having and have had an expanding experience at Wesleyan. My B+ child, however, has fallen through the cracks there. S/he will survive, but what a disappointment that no one noticed. The classroom has been a remarkably impersonal environment for a number of students. My hope for the new president is that over the course of his tenure, there will be fewer students leaving after four years whose intellectual potential was unrecognized and therefore untapped.

Arrival Day [Roth on Wesleyan]