As a goal for this year and going forward, state legislators want more graduates in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) majors in order to attract high-paying jobs to the state of Florida. This is a noble goal that should be pursued by all means.
STEM jobs not only provide jobs for those who have earned a STEM degree but can provide a ripple effect in the community surrounding these jobs. Workers in these fields need services, everyday goods and entertainment just like everyone else. Quite often, due to their higher income, they are willing to pay more for these areas of commerce and are therefore providing higher-paying jobs to the surrounding community.
However, UF President Bernie Machen has responded with an idea that, to students in STEM majors, may seem to be counterproductive on the surface. President Machen proposed to the state legislature that it should grant him the ability to raise tuition for these students.
This would appear to be a move to dissuade students from pursuing these fields for financial reasons. The goal, however, is to increase graduation in the STEM majors. Therefore President Machen's proposition is beneficial in a number of ways.
First, the increased tuition for STEM majors would undoubtedly provide improved funding for the items associated with the coursework in these majors such as lab equipment, high-salaried faculty and costly teaching materials. The way in which this increase in tuition would benefit the state is that undergraduates would consider the pros and cons of pursuing a STEM degree more carefully.
Students would take more into consideration when gauging their interest in the field of study as well as their career aspirations. This is similar to the higher cost of graduate and professional degree programs and the way in which students weigh the pros and cons of pursuing them, all the while taking into account the costs associated with pursuing these studies.
Some opponents will say this keeps students of lower socioeconomic status from pursuing STEM majors. This is not so. The State University System will always have a priority of providing a quality education to students of all economic backgrounds. Students with financial need will get aid. Students with academic merit will also get aid. That's not the issue.
The issue is students hear on the news and in the media about the high-paying jobs associated with earning a STEM degree, and they pursue these jobs without considering their own interest in the field. This increase in tuition for STEM majors will give incoming students pause to consider their career options and the paths they wish to follow, encouraging students currently within the programs to finish the mission and make their education worthwhile.
It will also benefit the overall four-year graduation rate by sending high-achieving students into majors they are actually interested in, without spending time pursuing a major that they do not have a passion for. This measure should be supported and carefully considered by faculty, students, legislators and citizens alike.
Austin Swink is a political science sophomore at UF.
