Alumni Association holds conference
The Utah State University Alumni Association held its annual Chapter Presidents Conference on Friday.
Alumni in attendance discussed issues such as the state of the university, chapter organization and alumni records.
Randy Talbot, vice president for Advancement, said, “Utah State University is on the right path, and [alumni] are the key to what happens at USU.”
There are 39 Aggie chapters throughout the world, from Seattle to Washington, D.C. and from countries such as Bolivia and Thailand.
House Bill 331 was a big topic for the conference.
Under the bill, a student can gain Utah residency after 60 credit hours are earned or if the student has lived in the state for 24 months.
“We have to quit apologizing for out-of-state tuition costs,” said Eric Olsen, director of Recruitment/Enrollment Services.
He went on to say many colleges will not grant residency for the entire time a student is at school.
House Bill 331 is not market-driven, but credit-driven, Olsen said.
“We need to start looking at the quality of the education at USU and not how much USU costs,” he said.
For example, 96 percent of USU engineering students pass the National Fundamentals of Engineering Exam on the first try. The national average is 55 percent, Olsen said.
“It will be three to four years before Utah State fully sees the impact of House Bill 331,” he said.
Provost Stan Albrecht said he estimated USU will lose $9 million if nothing is done about the bill.
The student-to-faculty ratio was another topic of discussion for USU’s alumni.
The university’s 25-to-1 ratio is one of the highest among its peer institutions.
Sharod Broadhead, president of the northern California Aggie Chapter, said cheap tuition seems to lower the university’s reputation.
Another topic discussed was USU Athletics being a part of the Sun Belt Conference.
President Kermit L. Hall made a special appearance to thank the alumni for their support in USU Athletics.
Wright Waters, Sun Belt commissioner, said, “In order for Utah State to be successful, we must do three things: one, win non-conference games; two, put people in the stands; and three, do it with class.”
Waters complimented USU’s basketball team, saying it will have a tremendous impact on the league.
Rance Pugmire, director of Athletics, said the new link between USU and the Sun Belt Conference is “not just about athletes at USU, it’s about the university.”
-lindseyp@cc.usu.edu