Why can't we take classes at other schools?

By Preet Anand

Santa Clara claims to be an institution of holistic education, teaching the mind, body and soul.

We have a large gym, an intramural club sports program and lots of intramurals to nourish and enliven our bodies.

Our business and engineering schools are nationally acclaimed, and our math department is the administrative home of the omnipotent math challenge known as the Putnam test.

Also, our Arts and Sciences professors are individual experts dedicated to honing and encouraging our mental strength. Our Campus Ministry sends us on purifying and morally stimulating immersion trips across the country.

The school is even built on a Mission, with masses still being performed in the church.

The university goes past this, though, in its desire to deliver an optimal education -- we have the ability to study abroad. Santa Clara will even let students from other universities come study here to gain the valuable experience a Jesuit education brings.

So the question has to be asked: If they will let us study abroad, why won't they let us study at other universities over the summer when we are at home with our families?

Santa Clara is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Students from many other universities can come here and receive credit for their studies. Yet we aren't allowed the same option to take classes for credit at other institutions.

Santa Clara will only accept a maximum 10 units -- as electives -- taken from other universities. This basically means that taking classes at any other university is worthless because the credits won't fulfill any requirements.

This policy extends to universities of the same association that Santa Clara is accredited by, which includes the likes of University of California, Berkeley, Claremont McKenna College and Stanford University.

You tell me, but I'd call it a little big-headed if the school didn't honor Stanford classes as of the same caliber as Santa Clara. While Santa Clara may not be the only school to enforce these stringent measures, it should still be reconsidered.

The decision to limit credits from other universities says to me that Santa Clara doesn't truly have the student's best interest at heart. Students trying to get internships in their hometown, working the "network" the Career Center preaches, won't be able to get ahead in their education at the same time. Why? Because Santa Clara said so.

Now I have a suspicion of the main motive behind this, and I am sure no one will expect it. It's about money. Despite having revenues of $255,196,000, according to the 2005-2006 budget; an endowment of $510 million; and reaching the $400 million fundraising mark, it's just not enough.

Santa Clara still feels the need to bring in more money from students who aren't allowed to take classes for non-elective credit at other institutions. The absolute worst part of this is that our faculty is still considered underpaid.

Santa Clara's administration has made a poor decision when going about this one. In many cases, students are probably just trying to complete requirements during the summer so they can further develop their field of study or maybe pick up another major. These students will then become more sought after by employers, receive larger salaries and, thus, have more money to give back to the university.

And this is why half the bureaucracy exists anyway -- so at the end of it all, we'll donate. After all, 22 percent of the school's donors are alumni. That doesn't even include their foundations or companies.

I don't think these students are taking summer school to try and leave sooner, because if you looked around last Wednesday night, it definitely looked like people were enjoying their time here.

I think they are just trying to get ahead while doing quality work in their hometown over the summer, or they might be chasing opportunities not offered in the Bay Area that would bring pride back to Santa Clara.

Last time I checked, Santa Clara was a non-profit organization -- it's about time it started acting like one.

Preet Anand is an undeclared freshman.