Since none of my fellow columnists have written about the issue of rapid growth on campus in recent weeks, it is thus incumbent on me to write about how this immense change affects the students at the University. I could complain about the lack of parking spaces, the ever-increasing size of campus buildings and the just plain ridiculousness of getting lunch at the Ferg during the hours of 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but those issues have been written about more than Michelle Obama’s arms in national newspapers.
Surprisingly few students at The University of Alabama acknowledge just how great their lives are during their tenure here, and even fewer realize that this quality of life will quickly evaporate after graduation.
We, as students, will be lucky to have the same housing quality, access to food, social opportunities and avenues for learning at any point later on in our lives. Indeed, part of the allure of attending The University of Alabama, or any university now for that matter, is the world-class facilities. Because when all else fails at recruiting students for academic reasons, we might as well show them the new recreation center and dining halls.
Now, the problem is that students become adjusted to such a great standard of living without realizing it. And when the median pay for UA graduates is around $32,000, some students will face abject poverty that the University does not prepare you for. (Note: Different majors and colleges have different incomes, but the median for all UA graduates who secure work is around $32,000.) The question becomes: Is the onus on students or the University to prepare ourselves for a seemingly brutal awakening to post-graduation life? The answer to that question depends on how one views the roles of The University of Alabama and the students that attend the Capstone.
Still, The University of Alabama’s growth model is fundamentally focused on attracting more out-of-state students and slowly increasing the tuition rate for all students. The University is quite apt at strategically targeting students from suburbs of major cities – Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Orlando, etc. – because those students are more than likely able to pay the tuition. So, as the University continues to raise and receive more tuition and issue more debt bonds, the first-class amenities will continue to be built to satisfy the standards of living of students. It’s a pretty vicious cycle if you ask me: We pay more in tuition and fees every year for amenities so the University can recruit more students in the years to come only to raise tuition and fees on these future classes.
Welcome to the business of higher education, though, and if you have not noticed, business is booming. The business, however, is based on providing a transient four years of unequal happiness and then quickly letting students go into a nightmare of bills, student loans and low income jobs. Enjoy these four years and relish in the memories because it will all change soon, and so, too, will your standard of living.
Patrick Crowley is a junior majoring in mathematics, finance and economics. His column runs weekly.
