2008 Woodie Awards
Students should get what they pay for
The College of Business, ranked one of the best in the nation by the Princeton Review, sets a high bar for the value of a degree
Issue date: 10/9/08
Section: Editorial
Students enjoy extensive freedom and a variety of extra-curricular activities while at college, but the main reason they fork over thousands of dollars in tuition every year is to receive an education.
Minnesota State's College of Business should be congratulated, because if the Princeton Review's judgment means anything, the college has been giving MSU business students their money's worth when it comes to their education.
The Princeton Review just published its 2009 business school guidebook, and for the third year in a row, MSU's College of Business MBA program was listed as among the nation's "Best 296 Business Schools."
In a press release, MSU College of Business Dean Scott Johnson reported that more than 90 percent of the school's business students are employed within six months after graduation.
At a time when the economy is taking a sharp turn for the worse and hundreds of thousands of jobs are being lost each month, such statistics are encouraging and a testament to the strength of the school's business program.
When it comes to academic excellence, however, more work can always be done. Some seem to forget that academic excellence should, in fact, be the most important issue at any university. As the Reporter noted this spring, "academics, advising and career placement should be the primary issues of concern for MSU students right now."
That conclusion came after a long and contentious battle over campus recreation funding that focused around - what else? - sports.
Athletics and recreation certainly has its place at any school, but it's time now for MSU students to demand that they get the most out of their money when it comes to the classroom.
The good news is MSU students have an ally in MSSA President Ryan Anderson, who has made increasing the value of an MSU degree one of the main goals of his agenda this year.
Some students might be inclined not to care about the value of their degree. They might equate better academic standards and performances with more work in their classes, which they want to avoid. They might have other, more important priorities while in college.
Ultimately, though, the value of an academic degree shouldn't be underestimated. It can affect what type or level of job a student receives once he or she enters the work force. As the statistic mentioned above illustrates so clearly, a solid program can help ensure graduating students a smooth and relatively quick entry into the work force.
MSU's College of Business has set a high standard for itself with the recognition it's received the past three years.
The real winners, though, are the students in the college.
Minnesota State's College of Business should be congratulated, because if the Princeton Review's judgment means anything, the college has been giving MSU business students their money's worth when it comes to their education.
The Princeton Review just published its 2009 business school guidebook, and for the third year in a row, MSU's College of Business MBA program was listed as among the nation's "Best 296 Business Schools."
In a press release, MSU College of Business Dean Scott Johnson reported that more than 90 percent of the school's business students are employed within six months after graduation.
At a time when the economy is taking a sharp turn for the worse and hundreds of thousands of jobs are being lost each month, such statistics are encouraging and a testament to the strength of the school's business program.
When it comes to academic excellence, however, more work can always be done. Some seem to forget that academic excellence should, in fact, be the most important issue at any university. As the Reporter noted this spring, "academics, advising and career placement should be the primary issues of concern for MSU students right now."
That conclusion came after a long and contentious battle over campus recreation funding that focused around - what else? - sports.
Athletics and recreation certainly has its place at any school, but it's time now for MSU students to demand that they get the most out of their money when it comes to the classroom.
The good news is MSU students have an ally in MSSA President Ryan Anderson, who has made increasing the value of an MSU degree one of the main goals of his agenda this year.
Some students might be inclined not to care about the value of their degree. They might equate better academic standards and performances with more work in their classes, which they want to avoid. They might have other, more important priorities while in college.
Ultimately, though, the value of an academic degree shouldn't be underestimated. It can affect what type or level of job a student receives once he or she enters the work force. As the statistic mentioned above illustrates so clearly, a solid program can help ensure graduating students a smooth and relatively quick entry into the work force.
MSU's College of Business has set a high standard for itself with the recognition it's received the past three years.
The real winners, though, are the students in the college.
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