For years, cognates, or specialties, have given students the opportunity to explore topics outside of their college.
English majors have the chance to explore some seemingly unrelated classes in of crop and soil sciences. Engineering students can indulge in history.
Specialties don't, however, appear on the diplomas students receive after paying thousands of dollars. MSU also doesn't give students first priority scheduling, which forces them to fight other students for it.
For these reasons, ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, supports implementing academic minors.
It all sounds great, but only if creating "minors" — essentially a name change with fringe benefits — actually results in more than just new terminology.
Like specialties or cognates, minors require students to take classes in a subject outside their major. Creating minors would also make it easier for students to get into the required classes they need.
Minors also would appear on diplomas. It would be nice to see a minor — something that takes a lot of time, money, ambition and effort to achieve — officially recognized. Employers might give more attention to a minor than they would a specialty, too.
When it comes down to it, the knowledge gained through studying minors is what's really important. Working to make it easier and more rewarding is a worthy goal for our student government to undertake.
But if ASMSU feels strongly about it, it needs to work hard to ensure minors will be easily accessible to all students who are interested. And ASMSU members said they are talking with administrators about what it will take to implement a system for minors.
Right now, a lot of students need to rely on enrollment overrides to get into the classes they need to complete their specialties.
Some colleges are consolidated, and implementing a program like this could add to the shuffling of majors and programs, which does make things much less simple to follow.
For students who want to make the most out of their education, MSU officials aren't making it easier.
It might just be a name change, but to those who want to be able to tout their minor after they leave MSU, it will be a welcome and beneficial one.
