OUR VIEW: College deserves recognition

The U.S. News and World Report magazine recently named USU’s College of Education and Human Services 35th in the nation and 25th when excluding private colleges. While the university’s education program has almost always been ranked high in national reports, few realize what an important accomplishment this is for the college and the university in general.

The college, ranked in the fourth percentile nationwide, is most recognized for its education program and rehabilitation counseling program. This does not just mean other schools are doing poorly – USU’s programs should be recognized for their importance and dedication.

Often, teachers and educators – especially in Utah, where pay is meager – are underappreciated. Many of our good teachers go to California and Nevada, where they receive better benefits and pay. Yet USU’s programs have not let down in their intensity to train the best educators it can. The administrators, professors, staff and students work extremely hard to become the best they can and have consequently been recognized by organizations such as the U.S. News and World Report.

The Center for Persons with Disabilities is another entity that often goes unnoticed by students on campus. One of the United States’ largest centers of its kind, it does an excellent job educating and serving the community and university.

While the students in these programs should be recognized for their work and ability to keep up, perhaps the staff should be honored more. Those people work year-in and year-out to not only raise the college’s reputation, but to maintain it for the rest of the nation to look up to.