A survey conducted by the Collegian indicates that SDSU has a long way to go in convincing much of the student body of the viability of the upcoming move to Division I athletics.

The only thing that may help SDSU defuse some of this animosity is further education of the SDSU student body.

Many of the students who objected to the move to DI had legitimite concerns. Will SDSU’s move decrease the emphasis placed on the arts and other student activities? Will there be enough money to cover everything? Will there be a decreased focus on academics?

These concerns are legitimate and will only be sufficiently dealt with when the move to DI actually takes place in a few years. Until then, students can only wonder.

However, several students voiced concerns that have been thoroughly dealt with in the past. In particular, several students worried that their tuition would increase or that their student fees would increase. These issues have been discussed by SDSU officials many times, yet erroneous information about them continues to spread through the student body.

The only way to combat the spread of misinformation is through education. And education can cost money and take time.

SDSU officials have discussed the DI move at length in the “Argus Leader,” the “Brookings Register” and the Collegian. However, a significant portion of the student body receives its news only from television or the Internet.

It will take money and time but it may be in the best interests of the university to produce a flyer that will deal with the facts about DI and shoot down the myths that have sprung up around the idea since the school first started contemplating a move.

Mailing this flyer to all students would cost a significant chunk of change in postage and printing it would cost plenty too, but most would be more likely to read this flyer than thoroughly study the three newspapers that have covered the move. Not all students will read this flyer, but many would.

The school should continue working with the media to educate the public about the DI move as further issues arise in the search for a conference and the search for donations. Despite this, however, the school must continue to be proactive in educating its own students about how the DI move will and will not affect their education and their pocketbooks.

The move to DI is happening no matter what. It will go more smoothly if the students know what is coming.

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