Written by: Elan Waite
When most students think about the college they want to attend, there are many things they take into consideration. They consider the cost, programs, campus and, often times, the name and the weight it carries.
On Monday, students and alumni of Southern Polytechnic State University located in Marietta, Ga. rallied against a proposed merger with Kennesaw State. Many students believe the merger would eradicate the name of their school, known for its engineering program.
The merger would create a mega school with over 31,000 students, and both the name and the president of Kennesaw State would remain intact. The act would be cost effective, and students were assured that the reasons for the merger were triggered by both economic and academic improvement.
This is not the first time schools have been joined. Merging schools is commonly a result of budget cuts toward education. Once the details are worked out the proposal will be sent to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to be approved in December 2014 and then to the Board of Regents in January 2015 for further approval.
It is completely understandable that the students of SPSU have their issues with the proposed idea. SPSU specializes in the areas that their students need for their careers.
It would be a completely rational fear that the engineering program would be overshadowed by the other programs already in place at Kennesaw. It would be like a large chain corporation buying a mom-and-pop shop. We have to think about the little guys.
If VSU merged with a larger school I would hope that our programs that stand out, such as our American Sign Language and nursing programs, would remain intact and, if anything, improve. If Kennesaw State wants to expand they should do so with another school unless they can promise to keep the programs in place unharmed.