What is not printed in a news article can be every bit as important as what is actually printed. Such is true regarding the article "Low registration cancels classes" (Jan. 24 article). I did have to cancel the environmental inquiry course due to low enrollment and the course is needed by students in the environmental inquiry minor -- that much is true as stated in the article.

However, in a phone interview with the reporter, I stated the following key points which did not appear in the article:

This course was being offered for the first time at Penn State. We cancelled the course because the enrollment had stayed at three students for several weeks prior to cancellation on Jan. 8. Cancellation of this course will not slow down any students from completing the minor because students can take other courses to fulfill the requirement to take the environmental inquiry class.

Class cancellations are unfortunate. Dr. Jim Shortle and I were to co-teach the environmental inquiry course and we did not take the cancellation lightly. The course will be offered in the future as ENV I 200.

Students interested in the environmental inquiry minor can find much information at: http://www.psu.edu/oue/ env_i/default.htm including a list of advisors in 11 colleges within the university and 11 different courses that can be substituted for the required ENV I 200 course until that course is offered in the near future.