SIU-C listed as tops in academics

To the editor:

I detest the Speak Out statement about Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. There may very well be partying that goes on there, but that's the case at most 20,000-plus state universities. The Carnegie Foundation lists SIU-C in the "Doctoral-Research Universities -- Extensive" category, the top classification offered by the foundation. That is something Southeast Missouri State University cannot claim. The only schools in Illinois that have this ranking are the University of Illinois and Northern Illinois University.

I also want to mention SIU-C has an outstanding mass communications program (journalism, radio-television, cinema and photography) from which I graduated. Look at the resumes of some of the outstanding professors at SIU-C. The students bring home Emmys every year in the radio-television department. I guess they find time to party and do serious work.

JAMES SULYA, Woodridge, Ill.