COLUMN: Business education worth every penny

    Three years ago, I enrolled at Utah State University with a variety of academic interests. This made it easy for me to enjoy all of my classes, but it made it hard for me to select a major.  In the end, though, I chose to pursue a degree from the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business.

    Because I have a declared major in the Huntsman School of Business, I am required to pay differential tuition. While I don’t particularly enjoy paying more tuition than my friends with different majors, I can confidently say that my experience at the Huntsman School has been worth every extra penny.

    I am not writing this to cheer-lead for the Huntsman School of Business or to suggest that a business degree is more valuable than any other degree. I am writing this to provide my classmates at USU with a business student’s perspective on differential tuition and why it is a necessary response to the changes that have taken place at the Huntsman School during the past few years.

    Some critics have expressed their disapproval for differential tuition because it may discourage some students from pursuing a business degree because of the extra cost. The statistics don’t support this claim. In the three years that differential tuition has been in place, enrollment has increased at the Huntsman School. It is up 4.4 percent among undergraduates since 2008, and it is up 53.4 percent among graduates. What makes the latter statistic even more impressive is that graduate students at the Huntsman School are required to pay much more in differential tuition than their undergraduate counterparts.

    I would argue that the statistics seem to indicate that the school is effectively using its funds to improve the quality of a business degree, and as a result, more students want to take advantage of this.

    The increase in demand for a degree from the Huntsman School of Business has been a welcome trend, but the school is subject to the same forces of supply and demand as any other market. When the demand for any product or service increases, the cost of providing it follows suit. Enrollment (demand) has risen, but budgets for faculty and staff (supply) have not kept pace. Differential tuition is one method the school uses to make up the difference.

    The Huntsman School of Business is not alone among business schools across the nation that charge differential tuition. The school is alone, however, when it comes to its relative low cost. Even when the increase goes into full effect in the 2013-14 school year, the total amount will be significantly lower than other comparable schools. For example, the total annual cost of the undergraduate business program at the University of Utah is about $2,200 more than at USU.

    The fact that business students are the most vocal supporters of differential tuition speaks volumes. Since we are the ones who pay the extra money, we have done the most research on the subject. The administration at the Huntsman School was well aware of this, and so they wasted no effort in seeking our feedback. Our business senator Skyler Jenks and the student-led business council were actively involved in the process. The administration held three separate open forum meetings where any questions about the increase were addressed. In the end, most students were supportive when they understood why the increase was needed.

    I could go on and on about the great programs and professors I have associated with at the Huntsman School, but I already said I wouldn’t cheer-lead. I will just say that I am thankful to be a part of a school that involved its students in every possible way before making a tough decision. In the days of atrocities like HB 477, it’s admirable to see so much thought and public involvement go into something that would affect such a large number of people.

Connor Child is a junior majoring in economics and marketing. He can be reached at connor.child@aggiemail.usu.edu.