A UI flag will no longer be flying in the Windy City. Budget cuts have largely forced the university to close its Chicago Center in November.

As a top institution, the UI fights for each and every student on a yearly basis. We are in constant competition with our surrounding Midwest brethren to protect our place in the hierarchy of upper-level public universities. The budget cuts require us to find various areas to slash.

If the university wants to remain competitive, however, we must keep the UI Chicago Center open.

Beth Ingram, the associate provost for undergraduate education, told The Daily Iowan last week that although the physical space will close, the school will continue to use the center’s phone service and online applications.

The university deemed the office to be unnecessary because of a lack of foot traffic and a $36,000 yearly lease. Erin Bloomquist, the director of the Chicago Center, will continue her work at home, while staying in close contact with the Pomerantz Career Center.

“This is a very important market for the [UI],” she told the DI.

The UI continues to look at all possible scenarios in which to save money, and it’s understandable officials would consider shuttering the Chicago Center’s doors because of budgetary constraints. But closing the university’s office in Chicago will do more harm than good. For those individuals in Chicago looking to continue their education at a four-year university, this office exists as place of information and guidance.

Not all college-bound students or their families can afford numerous college visits. Phone calls and e-mails to answer questions on the UI will not do, especially when tuition for out-of-state students exceeds $21,000. Parents need to see faces and understand there is a difference when it comes to the education this university provides.

Officials have said they will continue to market the university to potential students and employers by other means, such as social networking and public relations.

Still, this recruitment method fails to allow a face-to-face relationship among the university, employers, and, more importantly, the students.

Recruiting a qualified and talented student population requires a contribution of effort and visibility. Students can hear the advantages and qualities of our institution secondhand, but nothing can make up for a one-on-one meeting between prospective students and UI officials. The Chicago Center provides that opportunity for those unable to make a trip to the Iowa City campus. We cannot ignore the economic hardships that potential students have to wade through to get to Iowa City.

Will closing the Chicago office help solve our budget woes in the short term? Yes. But what advantages does it provide in the long-run?

Students in the Chicago area will make less-informed decisions on their future because we have not provided them the resources to ask questions and meet real people who can address their prudent concerns.

Closing this office will likely save us money. But when reaching out to potentially great students, do we really need to be viewed as cutting corners? Visibility is a shared commodity that all universities covet. Without it, we lack a connection and fall short in our efforts to bring the best to this top institution.

Can we really put a price tag on that principle?