Shrestha, Nishan; President

There is no single harder job to fulfill than that of being president of a university. I am not a professional pundit. I don’t think I have final say in decisions about what is right and wrong. However, I do believe the few changes I list below to the way our college operates could help our college gain a higher place among the universities in USA.

If I were a president I would add an Engineering Department. In today’s world and due to the economic crisis, many students are interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) courses because people majoring in STEM fields have been able to find jobs more easily. Also, the United States has a pressing need for STEM graduates compared to those in other fields. Second, I would add scholarships for continuing students. We have lots of scholarships for incoming students but very few or no scholarships for continuing students. I  believe that that’s one of the reasons many good students transfer to other universities because even though they have good grades at SAU they do not receive any scholarship funds. Hence, the number of graduating students is less. Next, I would add separate funds for undergraduate research. I believe that any prospective students would not only look for a physical infrastructure of the university but also look at research opportunities in their fields. I would increase the number of guest speakers coming to the university. Right now we have only two or three guest speakers per semester. I think students need more than just classroom education. If more guest speakers come and share their experiences then students will learn a lot from them. I would let honors students live in the Honors Hall at the same cost as living in the other halls. I think it is a privilege given to the Honors students; they have earned it so they must not be made to pay extra to live in the Honors Hall.

I would increase the budget set for the Honors College. I think Honors College has a great responsibility in recruiting academically as well as professionally qualified students to the University. These students play a vital role in raising the standard of SAU compared to other universities. Hence, the university must not overlook Honors College and it should try to help the Honors College in different ways like allocating more money for Honors Research and educational tours.