Step into either Case or Holmes Halls on an average weekday, and you'll discover a place where many students living next to one another have the same classes, majors and interests. If you are either in James Madison College or Lyman Briggs School, this world is your reality.

Provost Lou Anna Simon recently announced in her liberal arts restructuring program a recommendation to create a liberal and creative arts and sciences program, based loosely on the current Residential Option In Arts and Letters or ROIAL.

Most students in either Madison or Briggs will tell you the benefits of living and learning in the same building with other students of your major. Many students in Madison or Briggs join the college for the sense of community it brings, as well as the recognition of graduating in a special college.

But with budget cuts and college restructuring, this idea could be gone just as quickly as it was created. After all, ROIAL was based on the Justin Morrill College, which lasted from 1965 to 1979.

The premise was the same: Build a residential college for students in the liberal arts and sciences program where they could live and learn together.

It didn't last long and was terminated in 1979 due to a financial crisis, while James Madison and Lyman Briggs were continued.

We hope, a new residential living option for students in the liberal arts and sciences program would fare better and be given more priority than Justin Morrill College was given.

The structuring of classes should be given plenty of attention and thought in order for it to survive on its own such as Madison and Briggs have.

James Madison College and the Lyman Briggs School are known nationally and recognized in the country as exceptional places to get a great education and become part of a community. Let's hope MSU can have a residential option for liberal arts and sciences students that is just as well-known.