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Differential tuition, an investment for business students

More differential tuition dollars go toward faculty than any program in the Huntsman School of Business.

In their January presentation for the Board of Trustees, Associate Dean Dave Patel and Dean Douglas Anderson gave a report on differential tuition spending in the school. About 65 percent, more than $4.2 million, goes toward faculty salaries.

On top of regular tuition, which is $2,808.64, business students pay $117 per credit for upper-division courses, $2 for lower-division courses, and $389 for graduate courses.

Undergraduate upper-division courses will increase $20 per credit hour for the 2016-17 school year and another $20 for the 2017-18 school year. Graduate level courses will also increase $80 in the next two years. This plan was approved by USU President Stan Albrecht, the USU Board of Trustees and the State of Utah Board of Regents.

“I speak with our students all the time, and the general response is that while no one likes to pay more, our students understand the value of the education provided by the Huntsman School,” Patel said in an email.

Patel said they have revised the core curriculum to provide updated, relevant education to students. Bret Crane was hired last summer to help teach a new leadership course, which is newly required for business students. He is one of several recent hires.

“They’re going to come in and help support this course so we can deliver an outstanding experience for the students,” Crane said. “Differential tuition essentially allows for more resources to build programs to provide additional experiences, to enrich what a student learns.”

Differential tuition, while sometimes frustrating, is a boon to students, Crane said.

“Overall, we are doing these things to benefit the students. I think helping them connect the dots and the benefits they’re receiving is great,” he said.

USUSA Business Senator Ben Vera and USUSA President Trevor Sean Olsen sit on an advisory board that gives recommendations to the dean of the school on the use of funds generated by differential tuition. While scheduling conflicts have prevented the board from convening yet this year, both student leaders have met with Patel to discuss the uses of tuition.

“It’s hard for me when I look at my payments for school and I see $2,808 as my regular tuition and then I see $1,785 as my differential tuition,” said Olsen, who is a finance and international business major. “It’s a little bit shocking.”

While six of USU’s eight colleges charge some form of differential tuition, Olsen and Vera think the business school gets the most attention for charging the addition tuition because it is the most expensive.

“I think it’s very easy to see that big of a difference in amount that’s going out of our pockets. We’re more concerned about large amounts,” Vera said.

As enrollment in the business school has grown during the past few years, keeping class sizes small has been a concern, Vera said.

“That’s been one of the issues and one of the reasons they have to hire more professors faster and faster to address that issue,” he said. “Classes have stayed to a relatively good size. There have been a few classes that have been really big, but it hasn’t been overwhelming.”

According to an explanation on the Huntsman School of Business webpage, differential tuition is market driven. While the sacrifice primarily benefits students, it also keeps faculty salaries competitive.

“The curriculum is always changing. Faculty are always trying to respond to changing needs for the students,” Ferguson said. “Differential tuition gives us flexibility to do that in ways that are most effective.”

In addition to hiring more faculty, differential tuition allows the business school to maintain its current faculty. Meredith Ferguson, for example, has been offered positions at competing institutions.

“There are lots of other schools that have called over and tried to headhunt to get her to move over there,” Ferguson said, “and she stayed here because they’re able to keep her here.”

Businesses around the country have cost premiums of about 36 percent in hiring business faculty due to the high demand. Compared to peer institutions, students aren’t paying much for the caliber of professors they have access to.

“I do see the value in the faculty they’ve brought in,” Olsen said. “The quality of professors the school of business has, I think is one thing that has helped me in my career.”

Olsen said Ricky Hornsby is one professor who has taken time in and out of class to share insight. In addition to teaching in the finance and economics department, he is the COO of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a regulating agency for 12 federal home loan banks.

“I have been able to network with the professors I’ve made an effort to network with. I think if students understand the quality of professors we’re getting, they’ll understand the importance of networking with them,” Olsen said.

It’s helpful to know these well-known professionals when it comes time to apply for graduate school or hunt for jobs, Olsen said.

“Anybody can say, ‘I don’t like what’s happening,’ but if they’re not willing to reach out and make a difference then it won’t change,” Olsen said. “If they’re upset with the way that it’s being used or if they don’t like that it’s there at all, I would urge students to speak with administrators.”

Olsen said unfortunately, even when information about tuition is available, only interested students take the time to learn about it.

John Ferguson said he understands how paying tuition can be painful, and — with a child of his own in college this year — he knows school is expensive.

“I’m not a huge fan of continually raising rates,” he said, “but overall by far we are really the cheapest school of our kind in the west.”

Patel said he is happy to meet with students to discuss the purpose (and future) of differential tuition. Because Utah State is a public institution, anyone can request to see how tuition and fees are spent. Olsen said students should be informed in this respect.

“I encourage students to be more aware of what they’re doing. A normal person wouldn’t invest money and not follow up and keep track of what’s happening with their money,” Olsen said. “I think students should look at their education that way.”

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