The teachers college recently received praise from the U.S. Department of Education in Todd May’s, senior director of the Office of Communications and Outreach, blog on the department’s website. May said that ESU competently prepares teachers to go out and work in the 21 Century classroom. He also said the teachers college is the “crown jewel” of the campus.            

 But the achievements of the teachers college aren’t the only accolades bestowed upon ESU recently.

The school of business was also recognized for being the most affordable business school in the nation for both in and out-of-state students. According to U.S. News and World Report, the business school costs a total $4,000 fewer than the combined average of the other nine schools representing the top ten for in-state students.

This recognition is long overdue. The Bulletin feels that ESU deserves the honors it receives, since larger state colleges like Kansas University and K-State often overshadow the university. The more well-known athletics departments draw more media coverage, but ESU’s own women’s basketball team won a national championship only two years ago.

ESU is a quality university that needs to be known and recognized as a superb institution that produces many professional workers, not just teachers and business tycoons. One of the things that sets ESU apart from other campuses is our glass blowing program, which, by the way, is the only such program in the state and one of the few in the region. The art department has also had recent success from students winning international awards.

The Bulletin feels that there is often a low morale on campus due to lack of recognition. Some students feel we are living in the shadow of the bigger regent’s school, but the reality is that ESU is finally stepping into the spotlight. The question is – are we being too humble?

At the General Assembly last Monday, interim President Flentje pointed out that ESU’s enrollment figures are down while many other Kansas schools’ figures on steadily increasing.

ESU needs to lay off the humble pie. If we are going to boost our enrollment rates, we need to boast about these achievements, and we need to stop looking at our campus as a second-rate institution. We’ve proven that ESU can hold its own against larger institution. Now we just need to believe it. 

STAFF EDITORIAL