Huntsman scholars to expand program, may eliminate semester abroad
Utah State University’s Huntsman Scholars program is allowing more students to participate due to the high influx of incoming freshmen.
The changes were announced last Thursday but the dean’s office is still finalizing proposals. Dave Patel, associate dean of USU’s Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, said they aren’t ready to make an official statement.
The staff doesn’t have a certain number of students they are allowing into the Huntsman Scholars program. They want to incorporate the right amount of students they see fit.
“Our enrollment is not only increasing, but enrollment of the best students is skyrocketing,” Patel said.
Change is desired so the opportunity can be given to more people.
“We want to change it because we have so many more great students and can create a program that can provide similar opportunities to those students,” said Patel.
The Huntsman Scholar program started ten years ago. Funding provided by The Huntsman family has given business students an opportunity to take part in a unique program.
“It provides some opportunities for undergraduates as far as curricular and co-curricular that are unheard of at any other business school at the undergraduate level,” Patel said.
Their goal is to provide the components from the old program to all of the new people enrolling.
The Huntsman Scholar program is appealing to incoming students because of the scholar semester, which consists of high intensity classes in Europe for six weeks. It also includes visits to different businesses.
With the size of the program increasing, it will cost too much to send such a large group to Europe.
Underclassmen are allowed to apply for scholar semester for the final year that the program is implementing it.
“It’s a pretty competitive process and it’s going to be the last one of its kind,” said Garrett White, Huntsman Scholar co-president.
Upperclassmen who went through the scholar semester have the opportunity to run the program for the underclassmen.
It is still unclear if direct student input will be implemented in the new program since it will involve a larger number of people.
“As long as there is student input and making sure that students are involved in the development, it should be great,” said Madelyn Fife, a Huntsman Scholar co-president.
Reactions to the changes have varied and emotions are high.
“I’m very positive about the changes that have been made. They reflect the high ideals to the program,” said Jake Alder, a freshman Huntsman Scholar. “I am grateful for what the program has been for me and for other Huntsman Scholars this year and in the past. I am encouraged looking to the future by the great opportunities of what we build the scholar program to be.”
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Photo by Matt Halton