Letters: Preventing suffering
A story about seasonal affective disorder (SAD) implied that the condition was invented by big pharmaceutical companies ("Study finds no proof of 'seasonal depression,' " Philly.com, Jan. 28). While GlaxoSmithKline developed Wellbutrin XL to prevent the depressive episodes of SAD, it was not out of a desire to create an illness for which it could sell a treatment.
ISSUE | WINTER BLUES
Preventing suffering
A story about seasonal affective disorder (SAD) implied that the condition was invented by big pharmaceutical companies ("Study finds no proof of 'seasonal depression,' " Philly.com, Jan. 28). While GlaxoSmithKline developed Wellbutrin XL to prevent the depressive episodes of SAD, it was not out of a desire to create an illness for which it could sell a treatment.
Rather, the development program was undertaken at the urging of clinicians who saw the suffering caused by SAD and the benefits to patients of a preventive treatment option. The identification and naming of seasonal affective disorder came 20 years before the development program was conceived.
Dr. Jack G. Modell, senior medical officer, Rho Inc., Chapel Hill, N.C., info@rhoworld.com
ISSUE | COLLEGE COSTS
Creating value
Trends in higher education do not paint a flattering portrait of the future of colleges and universities ("Hard times on campus: Economics behind merger of Phila. U. and Jefferson," Jan. 31). A decline in college-age students, especially in the Northeast, has led to enrollment declines at many institutions. At the same time, as the cost of a college education climbs, the value of a degree has come under greater scrutiny.
Widener University has overcome these trends by elevating the value of its degrees in the global marketplace. The university has done this by delivering a unique combination of leadership development and experiential learning, while focusing on proven teaching and learning practices and involving students in tackling real issues in the communities we serve.
Proof of this success includes the record-setting freshman classes of the last few years, a consistent increase in the academic profile of incoming students, and a significant rise in retention of students from freshman to sophomore year.
Widener ranks in the top fifth of colleges and universities nationwide based on the salary potential of its graduates, according to Payscale.com. All of this reflects the value of a Widener degree and a greater return on investment for alumni.
Julie Wollman, president, Widener University, presoffc@widener.edu