It was a good marketing idea, but not necessarily a wise one.

The Do You Agree With Jack? Campaign, led by Jack Brittain, the business dean, commenced this week. The campaign asks students to empty their pockets in the name of college ratings and more funding for the school.

Organizers of the endeavor claim that this is an opportunity for students to begin donating to their alma mater early in their business careers. However, considering both the tight economic situation and the tuition increase, now is not a good time to be soliciting donations from those who do not have much money to begin with.

However, this is the least of the money-making campaign’s problems.

The motivations behind collecting students’ funds is particularly shady. For every individual who donates to the business school, the U’s chances of climbing in the national rankings significantly increase. Whether a student donates $5 or $500, the business school wants students’ money.

To amass funds in such a manner manipulates not only students who choose to donate, but also the ranking system itself. The rankings as a measure of quality are obviously flawed, and the business school should not take an obsequious role to build its image in the eyes of the nation.

Jana Pohlman, the co chairwoman of the campaign, hopes to use the donations to pay for a copy machine in the Christensen Center lobby. If Pohlman really wants her copy machine aspirations to come to fruition, the business school can create a Do You Want A Copy Machine? campaign.

Students would then choose to donate to a cause that would ensure their money goes to something that will benefit them, not benefit the school’s image in the eyes of out-of staters.

Though some may argue that the business school’s campaign kills two birds with one stone, this myopic business practice may kill something else: the image of the school in the eyes of those it really must impress?its students.