Because I have a background in GIS, I tend to look at things as systems. How then is a GIS program a system, and what makes it vigorous and exciting? So much of a program’s esprit de corps rests upon the synergies of students, faculty, support staff and administrators. When these people can work together towards a common goal, the the result can be magical.
However, establishing a program takes a lot of effort. The initial excitement of everybody involved eventually wears down, and without periodic infusions of technology, ideas, and opportunities, the program can eventually lose focus. That vital energy can be self-sustaining, however, and even profitable, provided that what is taken out is less than the sum of what goes in and what is spontaneously generated by the program. If you look at money as being just an expression of energy, then it’s possible to see how it all fuels a self-sustaining system. If students see an exciting, valuable program that teaches them a lot, then they trade their tuition for some of that energy that is produced in the program. Excitement and value equals money.