User:TanaB

=Analytical Writing=

Statement of Intent
I started going to The Art Institute of Seattle a little over a year ago and, ever since then I have heard students ask the same question repeatedly, “We pay so much to go to school hear, where is all our money going?" Now at first I didn’t really think nor care about where goes. Than i started hearing so many students have said the equipment they are using are out dated or broken. I have hared teachers explain that we are a private school so no one else gives AIS money besides the students. This got me asking "Where does the money go?"Now since i might have problems with this one i also came up with another one.

Now for the next topic to research or find out more about is on a more personal level. I started out in the video program at AI then later switched into the IDT program. I am having some second thoughts about it. i am torn since i do like and have fun both programs. Some tell me video cause i already have been doing it for so long and others say IDT cause of other reasons. yet the only one who can make the choice is me and i have zero clue what i will end up doing but i would like to make my decision by the end of this quarter.

Overview
1. I hope to find out where the money goes or at lest where some of it goes. 2. I hope to find out what i really want to go to college for and yes even stick to it!

Rationale
1. I hope to find out where the money the students pay goes. A real answer to the question. 2. I hope find out what i really wanna do.

Publication
1. I would print it out in a booklet/magazine and let the students hear the answer to their question(s).

Schedule



 * 1) week 2 - make-up questions for students and staff to see their views on our school/money
 * 2) week 3 - ask questions to students and staff to see where they stand
 * 3) week 4 - write up the answers
 * 4) week 5 - find out who i need to talk to who knows where the money goes, make appointment, and write up questions for them
 * 5) week 6 - after that i am not too sure at this point am not sure until i get to this point or get started.
 * 6) week 8 - research where tuition in general goes
 * 7) week 9 - write up 1st draft
 * 8) week 10 - write
 * 9) week 11 - Polish and turn in


 * 1) week 2 - Make a list of positives and negatives for/about IDT
 * 2) week 3 - make a list of positives and negatives for/about Video productions
 * 3) week 4 - make an appointment with Don and talk to him about it
 * 4) week 5 - See if my list has changed with both video and IDT
 * 5) week 6 -

Anticipated Problems
1. Things that might go wrong in this are; I could get no one to talk to me about this on the record, hit a dead in information, or not have enough time. 2. not make a choice in time or find out i don't wanna do either

Week 6 Project Review
So far the project is going okay. I am not really finding out a lot about where MY tuition goes but more about where tuition goes on average. I am kind of just riding on that for now. I have talked to kids around the school and found out what they think and even some teachers too. Mostly the teachers tell me how the money effects them which is good to know since most people (me too) thinks a good part of their tuition goes to the teacher.

I have also decided on only doing the where does the tuition go instead of doing a few small essays.

After researching and hitting some blocks i have tried to steer my paper in a simi different direction. I did find the answer to my question but it was very simple and not what i was looking for i guess will still be writing about where tuition money goes but not just about AIS it will be about college in general. This way i can find more info even if people don't really want to talk to me about this.

This maybe kinda last min but it is where the things i was finding where leading me.

I had no clue i forgot to site my sources!

Before and Including week 6

 * Marketline - use through AIS Library
 * Personal anecdote - intersperse.
 * Secrecy thing - a fireable offense to discuss salary.
 * For-profit education.
 * Student - teacher ratio.

Project
<

Where’s my money?

Asking too many questions?

When I first walked in to the Art Instittue of Seattle the last thing on my mind was where does my tuition go. Now that I have been there for over a year its one of the top things on my mind. I wondered how many other people at not only my school but at other colleges wondered the same thing. I began going around AIS asking students what they thought.

I asked the students where they thought their money goes and where it should go. Every AIS student I talked to answered the questions just about the same. Students believe their money was going to the owner of the school or to teachers and that it needed to go towards new equipment for students to use. The best answer I got was “The money goes to doughnuts and coffee”. This made me laugh since around 4 months ago the school had boxes and boxes over filling with free doughnuts and coffee just around the corner from the finance office.

The Art Institute of Seattle is a little pricier than the average college. This is because it is classified as a private school. Basically, that means AIS has no out side resources for money only what they make. At the average 4 year college (not a community college) the price per credit is around $250.00. Now at AIS the price per credit is $471.00 (what it says on the website). Now, on top of this the average college tuition cost as been on an up rise. In 2005 a study was done to show the rise of colleges. It showed that in the last ten years (in 2005) the average four-year college has went up 5.9 percent. So if the non-privet schools are going up in price AIS must be too.

I wanted to know more about what the students thought before I looked up too much info or asked the higher power of the school questions. I didn’t really ask any questions at all I just listened to friends and classmates talk. I heard all so many students make the same complaints. The top two where, “why do we have to pay so much for printing a colored copy” and “why does our school café cost so much for crappy food”? I went and made a copy and asked why I had to pay the dollar. The answer was I don’t know it just is.

Research?

It was a shocker when I read, “only about 5% of your college tuition goes to the students”. But what does that even mean? I found out tuition is the money that powers a college. Tuition pays the bills the school has, student services, paychecks, and even for a school library. When the cost of something goes up the tuition goes up. So it was that easy, I googled it and found it from many sources all finding that answer did was make me want to know more. It couldn’t be that easy there had to be more, more factors.

Teachers? Classes?

Classes in The Art Institute of Seattle can very in size from ten to thirty five (or so I have scene in my classes) depending on the class and demand for the class. Now, after chatting with a teacher I found out how they get paid. It does not matter how many students are in a class the teacher will get paid the same amount. In my eyes that does not seem 100% fair. More students mean more money is coming in to the school/class. Won’t that leave extra money going somewhere? Teachers are said to be very underpaid for all the schooling they have and what they do for people. In 2004 the average college professor salary was $51,800. A plumber can start at $40,000 and in about twenty years they can make almost two times that. When will a teacher start making more?

The Demand?

I have only been in college for 1 year and some change yet; since I have been there even I can see the growth in the classrooms and halls. I was talking to a teacher about the growth in the school. He said that the average number for a class has even changed since I have been going to The Art institute of Seattle. The writing classes use to have no more than about 20 in a class. Now, there is about 30-35. This makes every class overly crowded; sometimes there are not even enough chairs to seat every student who has paid for the class. Since the numbers of students who are attending college are growing wouldn’t the cost be shrinking not growing?

Schools like The Art Institute is a school puts an emphasis on the time each student in a class is given buy a teacher. Now with the number of students per teacher growing isn’t that false advertising?

So, this made me think, maybe too many are going to college. When I was reading a web site called Yong Money Talks it had an article from 2006 about college students dropping out. According to it 30% of students drop out in the first year and 50% of students wont graduate.

Are some people just not made to go to college? According to author Charles Murry some people aren’t made for college. When talking to USA today he clarified why he believes this. He is not saying some are too dumb for college just, that a bachelor’s degree isn’t right for everyone. There is other after high school trainings one can do. At the same time he does not think its good to only let the top 10% in to college, its more of are you being prepared for college and the work that comes with it. The public eye looked at Murry and thought he was being rude or it was just wrong for him to say it. In the interview Murry told about what an A student had to say about his thoughts. A student said, "I knew I had to (go to college), but it wasn't right for me, and I wish it didn't stand there as this great promised land that sucked us in.”

End?

At the end of all this I did basically find the answer to my question “where does the tuition go”. It goes to the bill of the campus. But after all that it just made me ask more questions that go around the answer and dive deeper into it all.

References

1.	Kelley, Bob. "Colleges cost going no where but up." www.cnn.com. can, 1018 oct 2005. Web. 20 Mar 2010. .

2.	"Where does college tuition go?." www.associatedcontent.com. N.p., 23 feb 2009. Web. 20 Mar 2010. .

3.	"Where does college tuition go?." www.timemagazine.com. Time, 13 apr 1992. Web. 20 Mar 2010. .

4.	Garrette, Jared. "What do college teachers make ." www.helium.com. Helium, Inc, n.d. Web. 20 Mar 2010. .

5.	Marklein, Mary Beth. "Do too many people go to college? This author says yes." www.usatoday.com. USA Today, 21 aug 2008. Web. 20 Mar 2010. .

>