Christopher Newport University

Date: Sep 25 2008
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
The way I have heard CNU described, and the way I have described it to others, is like "Disneyworld." It is a pruned, perfected mold of what it was promised to be to students, but once you pierce that image you are left horridly disappointed.

The school is, aesthetically, beautiful: the campus lawn is a great place to hang out, the fountain by the Admin Building is beautiful, and the brick plaza between the library and the Student Union is a great space for campus events.

That said, it is very "Disney" - the new Library is architecturally stunning, but not particularly functional. The budget for the library more than doubled between when I toured campus in 2005 and when the building was finished (much later than promised) in Spring 2008. I am also curious to know where this money went, since only a few thousand new books have been added, the computer systems are consistently falling apart, and massive swaths of the first floor are architectural "dead space." Just wait for the massive portrait of Paul and Rosemary Trible to be placed at the landing of the grand staircase in the Rotunda: it's going to happen.

There is an overarching feeling of indifference, or even helplessness on campus. Students have no real, discernable say in anything on campus, except what the Admin dupes students into buying into. While many students in CAB, or SGA would like to think they have the power to effect our campus, they really don't - they are at the whims of the Administration. Don't be fooled, at the first sign of dissent, you'll know when the Admin has hit you back. I know, personally, of students who have been "strongly encouraged" to stop speaking out, publicly against University policies. They no longer attend CNU.

That leads to my last major complaint: CNU is a public unviersity and is therefore beholden to certain requirements of transparency, yet there appears to be none. When asked about the cost of the furniture in the Student Union, or the cost overruns of the Library, the Administration refused to comment. When confronted with the realities of the disparity between

Admitted student numbers

and the numbers of students who ACTUALLY attend CNU (GPA/SAT scores for students who are admitted are around a 3.7/1270, but the admitted numbers are significantly lower) - the Admin refused to comment.

I have tried to make the best of my stay here, becoming involved in no fewer than a dozen campus groups/organizations, taking on leadership roles, and challenging myself through academics. Whether or not I will be actually, thoroughly prepared for graduate study is highly debatable: I can not say I know anyone who has been accepted to a Tier 1/Top 10 program in any career field so long as I have been here, so I must admit my own chances are limited.

That said, CNU is not all doom and gloom. It really is what you make of it. Some people embrace the limitations of the University, work within it, enjoy what they can from it, and move on with their lives. I can honestly say, however, I am not one of them: restrictions on my ability to speak loudly, proudly, and freely, along with restrictions to information regarding my own education (which I am paying for!) do not sit well with me. I will not forget these issues when I graduate, and CNU will never see a penny of my money after I am gone. (Don't get me started on costs of tuition, housing, and food - it's highway robbery; don't let them sell you a Kia for the price of a Porsche)