CREATE 2020 Fund Proposal for National Competitiveness Utilizing Differential Tuition Prepared for LAEP Student Body 15 September 2014
CREATE 2020 Fund Background
Purpose: Position students in LAEP to compete effectively with peers from leading programs nationally by elevating excellence in design education. Dilemma: LAEP is an expensive program to operate, with a small student body and inadequate budget to provide the top quality experience desired by students. LAEP offers the 3rd lowest tuition of all accredited BLA degrees. The MLA is similarly ranked. With only modest increases in funding we can offer a top-ranked degree that carries the benefits of programs costing 2-5x as much. Strategy: Close the gap between LAEP students and peers in the best programs nationally while maintaining an exceptionally low degree cost. Invest in strategic areas of need outlined in the “CREATE 2020 Fund”, a financial pool created by differential tuition, directly benefitting students. Goal: Elevate national ranking of LAEP’s students and programs to the Top 10 by the year 2020. Governing Principles:
1. Spirit of entrepreneurism and competitiveness thru funding focused on employability. 2. Rapid response to emerging trends in the profession. 3. Decision-making authority resides with joint student and faculty committee.
Operation:
• Tuition only charged to matriculated and graduate students. • Steering Committee of faculty and students will coordinate funding proposals. • Annual voting by students on proposals to advance competitiveness. • Discretionary pool for ideas that emerge during the year. • On-going pool for long-term investments.
Steps of Study Steps to Date: Proposed to Dean of College of Agriculture: 2010 Student Input Gathering in Exit Interviews: 2012-14 Proposal Development: Spring 2014 Approval by LAEP Faculty: May 2014 Dean of CAAS Review: May 2014 Approval by alumni Advancement Board: June 2014 Approval by Student ASLA: June 2014 Approval by Dean/Provost: July 2014 Revised Proposal Presented to President: August 2014 Next Steps: Proposal Presented to Students: September 2014 Submit Final Proposal for USU approvals: October 2014 Implement Phase 1: Fall 2015
CREATE 2020 Fund Areas of Competitive Disadvantage
Competing with the best peers requires exceptional quality along with market differentiation. A study of the advantages that leading design schools offer revealed numerous gaps between LAEP and its competitors. The primary areas of disadvantage were found to be: Careers:
• Recruitment programs • Career placement in leading firms • Job fairs
Recognition: • Student competition awards • National rankings • Marketing presence • Event hosting
Access: • Immersion within the professional world & proximity to urban centers • Scholars-/practitioner-in-residence • World-class speakers • Supportive relationships with firms
Technology • Renewal/testing of leading technologies • Technical staff support • Simulation/testing facilities
Emerging Innovations • Model making facilities • Modern, creative learning environments • Faculty development allocations • Periodicals/Design libraries
Leading Schools studied:
LAEP Peer Programs Ball State Univ. Texas A&M Univ. Cal Poly – Pomona Texas Tech Clemson Univ. Univ. of Florida Cornell Univ. Univ. of Georgia Iowa State Univ. Univ. of Illinois Louisiana State Univ. Univ. of Maryland Ohio State Univ. Univ. of Oregon Pennsylvania State Univ. Univ. of Washington Rutgers Univ. Virginia Tech Additional Top-ranked Programs Kansas State Univ. Purdue Univ. Harvard Univ. Univ. of Pennsylvania Cal Poly – SLO
CREATE 2020 Fund Feedback from Students
Exit Interviews with BLA and MLA students since 2012 have asked those graduating if they would support establishing differential tuition in LAEP. They responded to the following:
1. Purpose: making LAEP students competitive at the highest levels 2. Differential tuition would be applied to both BLA and MLA students 3. Proposed amount of $500/semester 4. Only matriculated students would pay 5. Phased implementation 6. Transparent process of proposals and approvals 7. Student and faculty led decision-making structure 8. A portion of the funds retained for ongoing/long-term areas of need 9. Funds left unencumbered for spring semester to support emerging needs
Responses to the proposal elicited the following: • 93%+ voiced support for the proposal. • Students suggested that financial support be raised for students facing economic
hardships. • Concern was voiced that students shouldn’t solely control the resulting funds.
Student leaders in LAEP have subsequently reviewed the CREATE 2020 Fund proposal and voted unanimously in support of its adoption (see attached Student ASLA Officers’ letter). National Precedents
LA Programs w/ Differential Tuition: Arizona State Univ. Univ. Arkansas Boston Architectural College Univ. of Georgia Iowa State Univ. Univ. of Idaho North Dakota State Univ. Univ. of Illinois Pennsylvania State Univ. Univ. of Nevada – Las Vegas Texas A&M Univ. Univ. of Oregon Univ. of Arizona USU Precedents
Programs w/ Differential Tuition: Huntsman School of Business Caine College of the Arts Masters of Natural Resources Program Aviation Technology Program Communicative Disorders & Deaf Education Other Utah Precedents
Univ. of Utah College of Architecture + Planning students have paid differential tuition since 2001.
• $152.90/cr hr (Masters of Architecture; $5,299/sem, resident)
CREATE 2020 FundStudents in LAEP will benefit from differential tuition through investments in career preparation areas that can not be metthrough classes. These extracurricular areas are focused upon student employability. Their purpose is to situate the program among the top design and planning programs by the year 2020. The resulting Fund returns students' tuition through direct and indirect benefits. The "CREATE" acronym reflects 6 priority areas described by LAEP students, faculty and practitioners since 2008, and identified in the study of leading peer programs. Each priority area offers flexible interpretation, while reflecting significant needs.
Careers : Job placement, internship support, professional preparation.Recognition : Attaining awareness by peers, decision-‐makers, stakeholders, community members.
Entrepeneurship : Leadership development and business training.Access : Connections with leading minds in the profession and influential landscapes across the globe.
Technology : Assuring continual integration of cutting-‐edge tools and software.Emerging Innovations : Bringing the latest advances in sustainable design, construction and devices to campus.
Sample Annual Fund Investments :The following is a sample of how CREATE Funds could be utilized. Actual investments and percentage breakdowns would be determined by theOversight Committee through its review of student and faculty proposals.
Careers 20% $18,960 Careers $3,500 Internship Coordinator supportRecognition 10% $9,480 $2,500 Jobs database development & maintenance
Entrepeneurship 5% $4,740 $1,500 Portfolio workshopAccess 20% $18,960 $1,500 Licensure preparation support
Technology 30% $28,440 $4,500 Speakers: National panel on interviewingEmerging Innovations 15% $14,220 $5,460 Jobs fair
100% $94,801Recognition $1,500 Competition submittals
$2,500 Competition travel for finalists$9,760 ASLA officer travel to annual national ASLA meeting$1,500 ASLA officer travel to LABash national student meeting$700 ASLA officer travel to state chapter meetings
$2,500 Online development of professional CEU courses$500 Marketing and advertising
Entrepeneurship $1,000 Speakers: Business startup & marketing$1,000 Speakers: Contracts & practice insurance$2,740 Community Design Teams operations
Access $4,000 Fall Speaker Series (2 nat'l; 2 reg.)$4,000 Spring Speaker Series (2 nat'l; 2 reg.)$6,000 Practitioner-‐in-‐Residence$2,000 Professional Mentor Program$2,960 Design Futures Symposium (nat'l broadcast)
Technology $3,500 Graphic production: MarkerBot 3d printer$1,500 Speakers: Rhino Workshop$1,500 Speakers: Blender and Creating Fly Thru's$2,000 Rooftop garden stormwater monitoring$18,500 Immersive visualization studio$3,440 Long-‐term Purchase Pool
Emerging Innovations $8,220 Learning lab: Greenwall panels$2,500 Learning lab: LED lighting comparative lab & testing$3,500 Bioswale workshop
CREATE 2020 Fund: Cost Analysis
Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: Year 4:
Impacts by Degree 2015-‐16 2016-‐17 2017-‐18 2018-‐19
$/Cr $39 $49 $59 $59*BLA -‐ Avrg Added Tuition/Sem $480 $603 $726BLA -‐ % Tuition Increase 3.9% 1.0% 1.0%BLA -‐ Tot. Funds Created $44,132 $55,448 $66,764$/Cr $39 $49 $59MLA -‐ Avrg Added Tuition/Sem $515 $647 $779MLA -‐ % Tuition Increase 4.2% 1.1% 1.1%MLA Tot. Funds Created $18,533 $23,285 $28,037Annual Funds* $62,665 $78,733 $94,801
Year Graduating Year 2: Year 3: Year 4:
Impacts by Graduation Yr 2016 2017 2018 2019
$/Cr $39 $49 $59 $59*BLA -‐ Total Degree Tuition $25,555 $26,857 $27,347BLA -‐ Total Added Tuition $819 $2,121 $2,611$/Cr $39 $49 $59MLA -‐ Total Degree Tuition $25,672 $27,426 $28,557MLA -‐ Total Added Tuition $936 $2,690 $3,821
LAEP Credits Assessed Differential Tuition by SemesterCr Hr/Sem Fall1 Spr1 Fall2 Spr2 Fall3 Spr3 Total Cr Avrg Cr/Yr Avrg Cr/SemBLA 15 13 12 9 49 24.5 12.3MLA 13 16 12 14 14 10 79 39.5 13.2
* Differential tuition will increase at the same percentage as Tier 1 tuition beginning 2018-‐19.
Notes:Calculations assume 64 total students (18 MLA + 46 BLA).Total tuition by degree based upon fixed '13/14 tuition rates (BLA: $24,736; MLA: $21,402).
CREATE 2020 Fund LAEP Revenue Stream Additions
Additional revenue to support students and their programs has been aggressively sought from numerous sources since 2008. Substantial gains have been made in the diversity and amount of funds garnered to support student education. Those dollars are lessening the demands on students personally, while elevating the quality of education each is receiving. Examples include: Private Support:
• $350,000+ raised from alumni gifts in LAEP’s 75th Anniversary Campaign. Included were LAEP’s first-ever planned gift agreements, creating long-range program support.
• 500% increase in privately funded scholarships since 2008 ($15,000 in awards for ’14 vs. $3,000 in ‘08).
• $75,000 raised by our alumni Advancement Board to fund capital projects for teaching. • LAEP faculty members personally fund both a BLA and an MLA scholarship ($1,000/ea),
the first in the College of Agriculture & Applied Sciences. Industry Support:
• Regional landscape architects annually volunteer 200+ hr/yr in Student Mentor Program. • Utah Chapter of ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) invested $25,000 to
create an annual scholarship in 2012. • Practitioners annually donate $15,000+ of billable hours in support of LAEP studios,
lectures, and project planning. • $20,000 of sponsorship was raised for the 75th Anniversary Celebration.
Institutional Support:
• College of Agriculture & Applied Sciences has underwritten classroom remodels in LAEP, as well as providing needed student advising personnel.
• USU Facilities has supported LAEP through cost-matches on various projects. • LAEP has invested Operating funds to remodel studio teaching environments, replace
hardware and software, and underwrite visits by distinguished speakers. Student-generated Revenue:
• Community Design Teams, a service-learning outreach program, now generates a basic Operating Budget for our Student Chapter of ASLA.
• Student leaders have sought and secured USU/SA grants, as well as community grants (e.g., Wal-Mart) to underwrite classroom projects.
Program-generated Revenue:
• RCDE course development has enabled funding of a local practitioner to teach graphic communication.
• LAEP was chosen to host the 2016 Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture conference (estimated host revenue: $16,000).
• Grantsmanship among LAEP faculty has risen annually, providing overhead annually. External funds raised have risen from $40,000 in 2008, to an average of $194,000 ($10.2M submitted since 2008).
CREATE 2020 Fund Responses to R401 Questions 4.2. Differential Tuition: Differential tuition schedules for undergraduate and graduate programs may be authorized by the Board on a case-by-case basis. In addition to initially approving differential tuition rates for academic programs, differential tuition increases beyond the regular institutional tuition increase proposal should be approved by the Board. The increased revenues from the differential tuition rate charges shall be used by the institution to benefit the impacted program and to help support related campus services. Institutions requesting differential tuition schedules should consult with students in the program and consider the following: 4.2.1. Student and market demand for the program; Landscape architecture is a profession that requires licensure in all 50 states. Graduation from an accredited BLA or MLA program is virtually mandatory for obtaining licensure. The U.S. Dept. of Labor found 26,000+ employees in the profession nationally, with ~16,000 being licensed landscape architects. Some 70% of those are employed in the private sector. A 14% growth rate has been projected by the Federal Government for the profession for the 10-year period ending in 2022 (vs. 10% for the overall labor force). The National Endowment for the Arts, in assessing job reported through its “Artist Employment Projections Through 2018”, listed landscape architecture as having the 3rd highest growth rate (20%). Based upon a national survey of intent to hire, 40% of professional firms intended to add one or more employees in 2013. 4.2.2. Impact of differential tuition rates on student access and retention; During exit interviews conducted with BLA and MLA students since 2012, 93% of students indicated that they supported the proposal to implement differential tuition in their program. Responses were broadly enthusiastic when the direct student benefits were described, along with an outline of the structure of implementation, allocation and oversight. The proposed increases would only impact students who had applied to and been matriculated into the upper division of the BLA, or who had been accepted into the MLA. Increases in overall degree costs would not appreciably change the affordability of the program compared to peer programs in the Intermountain West or nationally. On the contrary, the substantial direct benefits to students will mean their degrees provide them with an enormous array of advantages that they currently lack as they compete against graduate from better funded schools. Consequently, students will be more satisfied with the program, and be more readily recruited, as their call for improvements and competitive advantages in the program are backed with finances to make those desires achievable. 4.2.3. Tuition rates of comparable programs at other institutions; LAEP conducts regular BLA tuition surveys of all peers programs (i.e., those offering comparable accredited degrees). Our 2009 survey revealed that USU ranked as the 6th lowest tuition nationally. Today, USU offers both the 3rd lowest Resident and Non-Resident tuition out of the 46 peer programs in the U.S. Assuming fixed tuition rates at peer schools, the proposed tuition change would make USU the 7th lowest BLA tuition by 2017, and the 2nd lowest in the region.
4.2.4. Potential earnings capacity of program graduates; and According to the 2013 independent survey of graduating BLA and MLA students in the U.S., starting salaries averaged $41,800 and $44,100, respectively. Those figures represent increases of 19.4% and 16.1% over a decade. Based upon the 2010-11 annual survey of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the average salary for a landscape architect was $78,600. For 2014, estimated median salaries for landscape architects in the U.S. range from $64,180 (Bureau of Labor Statistics) to $81,300 (Salary.com), with 90th percentile earnings at ~$104,000. 4.2.5. Societal importance of the program. Utah State University offers the 13th oldest program of its kind in North America. With over 1400 alumni, the program has produced some of America’s most award-winning practitioners. It is the oldest and most influential program in the Intermountain West, yet its graduates practice across the U.S. as well as internationally. The profession and its licensure statues are based upon the critical role it provides for the public’s health, safety and welfare. These expectations are governed through strict national licensure standards. The core principles for licensure are the “3 E’s”: education, examination and experience. It is the responsibility of programs accredited under the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) to meet the prior principle through rigorous graduate and undergraduate professional degrees. LAEP was fully reaccredited in 2011, making it one of the 26 programs with both accredited BLA and MLA degrees. Only USU and Arizona State University offer both degrees within the Intermountain West.
Tutition Comparison Data for Landscape Architecture Programs2013 -‐-‐ Bachelors Degrees
Ordered by Increasing In-‐State Total Degree Cost
SCHOOL RANKINGREGIONAL PROGRAMS
Sample DIFF. TUIT. ACCREDITATION DEGREE
YEARS TO COMPLETE OLD -‐ 2009 In State
IN-‐STATE TUITION 2013
% CHANGE -‐ 2009 to 2013
IN-‐STATE TUIT. -‐ DEGREE 2013
IN-‐STATE TUIT. -‐ w/ Full Diff. Tuition -‐
DEGREEOLD -‐ 2009 Out of
stateOUT-‐OF-‐STATE TUITION 2013
% CHANGE -‐ 2009 to 2013
OUT-‐OF-‐STATE TUIT. -‐ DEGREE 2013
OUT-‐OF-‐STATE TUIT. -‐ w/ Full Diff. Tuition
-‐ DEGREEFlorida International Univ. 1 yes BLA 5 $4,580 $6,540 43% $22,900 $22,900 $16,980 $18,939 12% $94,695 $94,695California State Polytechnic Univ., Pomona 2 in review yes BSLA 4 $4,551 $6,118 34% $24,472 $24,472 $14,049 $17,278 23% $69,112 $69,112West Virginia Univ. 3 yes BSLA 4 $5,304 $6,456 22% $25,824 $25,824 $16,402 $19,632 20% $78,528 $78,528Univ. of Idaho 4 yes ***Program closed BSLA 4 $4,932 $6,524 32% $26,096 $26,096 $15,012 $19,600 31% $78,400 $78,400Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas 5 yes yes BLA 4 $4,527 $6,570 45% $26,280 $26,280 $16,867 $20,480 21% $81,920 $81,920Mississippi State Univ. 6 yes BLA 4 $5,151 $6,722 30% $26,888 $26,888 $13,021 $16,960 30% $67,840 $67,840North Carolina A&T State Univ. 7 yes BSLA 5 $3,696 $5,422 47% $27,110 $27,110 $13,138 $16,503 26% $82,515 $82,515Utah State Univ. 8 yes BLA 4 $4,828 $6,184 28% $24,736 $27,347 $13,802 $17,888 30% $71,552 $74,163Iowa State Univ. 9 yes yes BLA 4 $6,651 $7,726 16% $30,904 $30,904 $17,871 $20,278 13% $81,112 $81,112Univ. of Florida 10 yes BLA 5 $4,373 $6,263 43% $31,315 $31,315 $23,744 $28,541 20% $142,705 $142,705Univ. of Nebraska 11 yes BLA 4 $6,857 $8,068 18% $32,272 $32,272 $17,897 $20,968 17% $83,872 $83,872SUNY-‐ESF 12 yes BLA 5 $6,170 $6,995 13% $34,975 $34,975 $14,070 $16,445 17% $82,225 $82,225North Dakota State Univ. 13 yes yes BLA 5 $6,455 $7,233 12% $36,165 $36,165 $15,554 $17,478 12% $87,390 $87,390Univ. of Maryland 14 yes BLA 4 $8,053 $9,162 14% $36,648 $36,648 $23,990 $28,348 18% $113,392 $113,392Oklahoma State Univ. 15 yes BLA 5 $6,887 $7,441 8% $37,205 $37,205 $17,241 $20,026 16% $100,130 $100,130Univ. of Arkansas 16 yes yes BLA 5 $6,459 $7,818 21% $39,090 $39,090 $15,337 $19,074 24% $95,370 $95,370Louisiana State Univ. 17 yes BLA 5 $5,233 $7,873 50% $39,365 $39,365 $14,383 $25,790 79% $128,950 $128,950Purdue Univ. 18 yes BSLA 4 $8,638 $9,992 16% $39,968 $39,968 $25,118 $28,794 15% $115,176 $115,176Arizona State Univ. 19 yes yes BSLA 4 $6,846 $10,002 46% $40,008 $40,008 $19,630 $23,654 20% $94,616 $94,616Ohio State Univ. 20 yes BSLA 4 $8,706 $10,037 15% $40,148 $40,148 $22,278 $25,757 16% $103,028 $103,028North Carolina State Univ. 21 yes BLA 5 $5,474 $8,206 50% $41,030 $41,030 $17,959 $21,661 21% $108,305 $108,305Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison 22 yes BSLA 4 $8,310 $10,403 25% $41,612 $41,612 $23,059 $26,653 16% $106,612 $106,612Texas A&M Univ. 23 yes yes BLA 5 $8,176 $8,506 4% $42,530 $42,530 $22,606 $25,126 11% $125,630 $125,630Univ. of Rhode Island 24 yes BLA 4 $9,528 $10,878 14% $43,512 $43,512 $26,026 $26,444 2% $105,776 $105,776Texas Tech Univ. 25 yes BLA 5 $7,485 $8,942 19% $44,710 $44,710 $15,795 $19,562 24% $97,810 $97,810California Polytechnic State Univ., SLO 26 yes BLA 5 $5,826 $8,997 54% $44,985 $44,985 $15,996 $20,157 26% $100,785 $100,785Ball State Univ. 27 yes BLA 5 $7,228 $9,250 28% $46,250 $46,250 $19,796 $23,660 20% $118,300 $118,300Colorado State Univ. 28 yes BSLA 5 $6,318 $9,313 47% $46,565 $46,565 $22,240 $25,166 13% $125,830 $125,830Univ. of Connecticut 29 yes BSLA 4 $9,886 $12,022 22% $48,088 $48,088 $25,486 $30,970 22% $123,880 $123,880Univ. of Oregon 30 yes BLA 5 $7,428 $9,763 31% $48,815 $48,815 $23,718 $29,788 26% $148,940 $148,940Washington State Univ. 31 yes BLA 4 $8,489 $12,545 48% $50,180 $50,180 $19,565 $25,889 32% $103,556 $103,556Univ. of Kentucky 32 yes BLA 5 $8,123 $10,110 24% $50,550 $50,550 $16,678 $21,192 27% $105,960 $105,960Univ. of Georgia 33 yes yes BLA 5 $7,624 $10,262 35% $51,310 $51,310 $25,740 $28,472 11% $142,360 $142,360Univ. of Massachusetts 34 yes BSLA 4 $11,917 $13,258 11% $53,032 $53,032 $23,415 $27,974 19% $111,896 $111,896Rutgers 35 yes BSLA 4 $11,886 $13,499 14% $53,996 $53,996 $22,518 $27,523 22% $110,092 $110,092Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State Univ. 36 yes BLA 5 $8,198 $10,930 33% $54,650 $54,650 $20,825 $25,320 22% $126,600 $126,600Univ. of California, Davis 37 yes BSLA 4 $9,402 $13,896 48% $55,584 $55,584 $20,021 $36,774 84% $147,096 $147,096Temple Univ. 38 yes BSLA 4 $11,764 $14,340 22% $57,360 $57,360 $21,044 $24,710 17% $98,840 $98,840Michigan State Univ. 39 yes BLA 4.5 $11,434 $12,863 12% $57,884 $57,884 $27,832 $33,750 21% $151,875 $151,875Univ. of Illinois 40 yes yes BLA 4 $12,660 $15,258 21% $61,032 $61,032 $26,802 $29,640 11% $118,560 $118,560Univ. of Washington 41 yes BLA 5 $7,692 $12,383 61% $61,915 $61,915 $24,367 $29,938 23% $149,690 $149,690Boston Architectural College 42 yes yes BLA 5 $11,468 $13,196 15% $65,980 $65,980 $11,468 $13,196 15% $65,980 $65,980Clemson Univ. 43 yes BLA 5 $11,478 $13,382 17% $66,910 $66,910 $25,388 $30,816 21% $154,080 $154,080Pennsylvania State Univ. 44 yes yes BLA 5 $14,416 $16,992 18% $84,960 $84,960 $25,946 $29,566 14% $147,830 $147,830Philadelphia Univ. 45 yes BLA 4 $27,498 $32,990 20% $131,960 $131,960 $27,498 $32,990 20% $131,960 $131,960Cornell Univ. 46 yes BSLA 4 $37,954 $45,359 20% $181,436 $181,436 $37,954 $45,359 20% $181,436 $181,436
AVERAGES 4.49 $8,838 $11,015 28% $48,461 $48,518 $20,351 $24,668 22% $110,048 $110,105
Notes:Tuition data for graduate tuition are not nationally collected by independent sources. Proportional comparisons between schools' undergraduate tuition are useful for general comparison only. Actual graduate tuition should be obtained from each school.Tuition data for 2009 were derived from Chronicle of Higher Education online database for college and university tuition.Tuition data for 2013 were derived from 2014 US News and World Report online figures for colleges and universities.Figures in BOLD reflect highest amount in its category.Figures in RED derived from institution's web pgAccreditation data were derived from ASLA.org and its listing of schools and/or program's web pgs.Only tuition rates in RED reflect Differential Tuition as part of a school's total tuition rate.
Copyright © Dept. of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, Utah State University, 2014.
5 August 2014 Re: Create 2020 Fund Proposal Dear Sean, On behalf of the alumni Advancement Board, this is to offer our wholehearted support for the Create 2020 Fund proposal. This is going to sound like nostalgic reflection, but in the late seventies and early eighties our program was a top five program in the country. With strong leadership and the dedication of our current faculty we are ascending once again and everyone is excited about this "great program tucked away in Cache Valley, Utah". We are excited about this department and its ability to prepare students for the tremendous challenges that face our planet. For Utah State to be a top five-ranked program requires resources and the commitment of the faculty to prepare our graduates to be leaders in the most demanding roles worldwide. It also requires commitment and sacrifice from the students. Our Board provides substantial funds annually to help support meaningful improvements such as renovation of the graduate studio and building the jury room. These improvements along with the dedication and addition of new faculty have given us the boost to get to the next level. The Advancement Board has studied the proposed adjustments to student tuition in light of this 75th year of our existence. We are excited about this department and its ability to prepare students for the tremendous challenges that face our planet. For Utah State to be a top five-ranked program requires resources and the commitment of the faculty to prepare our graduates to be leaders in the most demanding roles worldwide. We believe that the students should also shoulder some of the burden, primarily from their effort to study and practice design and planning, but also from their tuition support. We remain one of the most affordable undergraduate and graduate programs in the country, even with the proposed changes. We realize that we are in a "customer conscious" era where there is great emphasis on how the customer is being served. Other findings would suggest that students are also motivated by the challenge and the sacrifice that they and their families make. We must be transparent in our desire to move the program forward, to become the best in the country. This administration, the alumni, the faculty and the students ‘are all’ in for excellence. This is truly a commutative relationship; the responsibilities and the benefits flow both ways! Very Truly,
Todd Johnson, FASLA (BLA, ’76) Linda Snyder (BLA, ’81) Board Co-chair, Development Committee Co-chair, LAEP Advancement Board LAEP Advancement Board
Larry Harmsen (BLA, ’83) Development Committee Co-chair, LAEP Advancement Board
11 August 2014
To Whom It May Concern:
As the executive officers of the student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects at Utah State University, we represent the voice of the students within the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP). As such, Dr. Sean Michael recently met with our committee to discuss the CREATE 2020 proposal, which would introduce differential tuition to the LAEP Department. Upon our review of the proposal and a discussion amongst ourselves, we motion to implement this proposal.
The introduction of differential tuition to the landscape architecture program will be crucial to the future success of the department and the students it educates. Additional funding will sponsor much needed facility improvements, course additions, guest lecturers and workshops, and as a whole help students achieve a more competitive placement in the professional job market following graduation.
In supporting CREATE 2020, our committee also advises the following structure to be added in order to ensure the wise expenditure of differential funds:
• Hold a department meeting annually to allow educate students on differential tuition and
allow them to contribute all ideas they may have which could be funded by differential tuition.
• Create a committee of students and faculty, including the ASLA officers and one representative from each class, to evaluate all student input and create a budget proposal.
• Send the budget proposal back to the student body for vote. Offer different options which the students may choose between. This allows certain items to pass where others might need further discussion.
• Final ratification of the budget made by the department head and any other required executives.
• The committee oversees that the budget is met. It is our hope that CREATE 2020 will create more opportunities for students to better their education in landscape architecture and be better prepared for the rapidly changing market which they will face upon graduation.
Sincerely,
Samuel Taylor, President Scott Harris, Vice President Cara Glabau, Secretary Sarah Gunnell, Treasurer