How in the world is adding majors, or changing SOME requirements in SOME of our existing areas of study lowering the standards? Honest to heaven!
If that is a real concern then do away with ALL non-engineering & non-arch. majors.
Because, by some folks definition, we compromised the hell out of the school when we added IM, HST (or whatever it is) and other areas of study we have now.
And, if the truth be told, there was a time (and I was alive to see / hear it) when some "elitists" said we were lowering our standards by admitting non-whites and non-males as well.
Adding to our curriculum, without cheapening what is already there, will not compromise our standing one iota.