"GET READY to rumble!" These were the exclamations emitting from Charlottesville on Nov. 26, 2007, as WWE Smackdown/ECW Live arrived at JPJ. This wasn't the first wrestling show in town, however, as thousands of first and second years, as well as prospective students, wrestle each year with the decision either to study business through the McIntire School of Commerce or to pursue a liberal arts education by majoring in economics.?
While evaluating their options, these students will hear a great deal of propaganda and promotion from both parties. This week I will focus on McIntire and dispel many of the criticisms leveled toward it. Next week I will evaluate the economics department and compare it to the Commerce School. Overall, the two programs are complements rather than competitors, and their coexistence is beneficial for one another and the University overall.
Since moving into Rouss and Robertson Halls and recently announcing admissions decisions for the class of 2010, the Commerce School and its 658 students? have garnered a great deal of attention and criticism. Some of this criticism has long been voiced, such as the quip that the Commerce School is more a trade school than academic institution.
It's true that McIntire focuses on the practical rather than theoretical. Indeed, as the economics department says on its Web site, "The focus of such programs (offered by McIntire) is on acquiring practical skills that are useful in starting a career in business." However, McIntire isn't the only undergraduate college to focus on practical skills. The Curry School, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Architecture School and Nursing School all teach particular skills and vocations. Emphasizing practicality isn't any less academic than studying theories and evolving arguments. It's simply a different approach to imparting knowledge.
Although McIntire isn't a liberal arts program, its students do receive a partial liberal arts education. As part of its prerequisites, McIntire requires a course in humanities/liberal arts and successful completion of the English Composition requirement. While its Integrated Core Experience program is "composed of 12 credit hours in the fall semester and nine credit hours in the spring semester," students are not required to solely take commerce courses their third and fourth years.Thus, business students are required to take some liberal arts classes, and many choose to minor or major in the College of Arts and Sciences. The criticism that commerce students don't receive liberal arts educations is false.
Many also oppose the Commerce School's move "back to the Lawn." It supports this move on its Web site by claiming it is "especially important because, as the Commerce School is integrated into the Academical Village, the new complex will facilitate McIntire's exciting collaboration with the University's College of Arts & Sciences."
Criticism of the Commerce School's new location is particularly short-sighted because components of the College will be part of the expanded Lawn very soon. A virtual tour of the South Lawn Project on the University's Web site states that the planned Commons Building, a central part of the expansion project, will physically link "the department of history to those of politics and religious studies." Thus, while McIntire sits on the University's best real estate, large programs within the College will soon have the same distinction.
Finally, naysayers of the Commerce School should consider its impact on the University overall. McIntire attracts highly qualified and ambitious students. The average SAT scores of McIntire students are slightly higher than those of University matriculants overall. Furthermore, BusinessWeek magazine's most recent ranking of undergraduate business programs placed McIntire at number two in the nation. It was edged out by Wharton, the University of Pennsylvania's four year business school that has nearly four times as many students as McIntire and was the first collegiate business program in the world. According to BusinessWeek, "Virginia received the highest ratings from its students of any of the 96 schools we ranked."
Perhaps the best barometer of a business program's success and worthiness is its ability to educate and cultivate students who become well-paid alumni. Using this calculus, McIntire is extremely successful. The average starting salary for a 2007 graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Commerce was $55,746.McIntire students are initially well-paid and go on to become affluent alumni. They generously support McIntire and the University overall. Indeed, McIntire has raised $69 million toward its $150 million portion of the University's Capital Campaign.
The Commerce School isn't a competitor of the economics department or the College, but instead an integral component of the University overall. It provides a practical education with a liberal arts grounding. Its recent move to the Lawn shouldn't be disputed since the College will soon join it. Likewise, other students shouldn't be jealous of affluent commerce graduates. They give generously to the University, and their donations significantly improve the quality of life and education for all students. McIntire is in the top tier of undergraduate business programs for a reason, and while not perfect, it greatly enhances the University.
James Rogers is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. He can be reached at jrogers@cavalierdaily.com.
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