UCAT seeks real degrees, will this sink UVSC trades?

Once again top administrators at the Utah College of Applied Technology (UCAT) are asking the state legislature's higher ed committee to consider giveing them the ability to grant credit-bearing trades degrees, and thus be able to offer more applied associate degrees.

UCAT campuses seek degrees with credit
Higher-ed official says that would create overlap with what is already being offered (Slat Lake Tribune, May 20 2008)

Last summer the state's Board of Regents rejected a UCAT proposal to grant such degrees citing the fact that the system's eight campuses don't offer transferable credits. Now UCAT is asking the Higher Education and Applied Technology Governance Committee to circumvent the Regents decision.

This of course does not sit well with interim Regent chief David Buhler, who fears that a credit-bearing UCAT would compete with the state's traditional schools. Of course UVSC would be at the top of that list. For the past several years UVSC has lost market share as more and more Utah County trades students have chosen to get training at Mountainlands Applied Technology Center (MATC) located just across the street. If MATC started offering the same degree programs it would not be long before trades at UVSC would go the way of the Dodo.

UVSC finishing up Habitat for Humanity project

Students from UVSC are putting the finishing touches as they build a home for Habitat for Humanity. In addition to providing an affordable home to a needy family the nine-month project has also serves as a working lab for UVSC construction students.

UVSC students work on community home
(Daily Herald, March 19 2008)

MATC grabs more trades students

As UVSC transitions to a university the founding (and floundering) trades program continues to lose market share to Mountainlands Applied Technology Center. And now UVSC is ceding a significant portion of its apprenticeship program to the much cheaper MATC.


Apprentice programs rewired
MATC partnering with UVSC to train students
(Deseret Morning News, November 25 2007)

According to the article, UVSC has surveyed local trades employers and found that most could care less about whether their employees have associates degrees or not. Why would students pay more money and take superfluous classes to get a degree that won't matter to their employers?

Dreams of a green campus

The Pipeline is not much for sentimentality so when we decided to participate in this year's Blog Action Day it was because we had something very specific in mind.

This year's theme is the environment and it just so happens that The Pipeline has been researching some ideas that would make UVSC a leader in Green Technologies, and at the same time revitalize the school's diminishing Trades program.

Imagine a construction program that featured the latest resources in Green technology, LEED certification, and hands-on experience in environmental projects. Imagine an automotive department that valued MPG over MPH.

For the past five years the administration has been pushing the trades program to look more like a college and less like a trade school. All the while UVSC's traditional trades programs, such as welding, have diminished; losing market share to cheaper alternatives like the Mountainlands Applied Technology Center.

It is is time to cut off programs that refuse to innovate, and replace them with programs that feature green technologies. UVSC's trades graduates would be in high demand in an expanding industry that is in desperate need of qualified LEED craftsmen. Why not prepare students for this opportunity?

And what better place for students to practice using these new materials and techniques than right here on campus. Many colleges across the country have completed retrofitting projects that have brought their facilities up to LEED's gold standard. Why not UVSC? Students from our programs could work side by side with contractors, learning these techniques and gaining valuable hands-on experience.

Big bucks on the way

Clyde Companies Inc has given $1 million to UVSC and uber-donor Ira Fulton has matched that gift dollar for dollar.

Orem construction company donates $1M to UVSC
(Daily Herald, October 4 2007)

UVSC to get $1 million donation from Clyde Companies
(Deseret Morning News, October 4 2007)

Part of that dough will go toward creating a four-year bachelor's program in construction management that focuses on highway and heavy railroad construction. The newly upgraded soccer field will get $300,000.

Something stinks across the I15: MATC scandal blows up

For the past week or so there has been some quiet articles bouncing around the local papes concerning possible fiscal wrongdoing at the Mountainlands Applied Technology Center. But now it seems that where there was smoke a fire has been found, and that means Utah College of Applied Technology president Rob Brems, and MATC president Clay Christensen have some 'splaining to do.


UPDATE: Audit shows MATC officials broke laws (Daily Herald, August 22 2007)
Audit alleges illegal use of funds, cover-up by college presidents (Salt Lake Tribune, August 22 2007)


Other than the proximity of the two campuses, there isn't much of a UVSC connection here. The State Auditor found that some of the money Brem had received as part of a compensation package when he left MATC to run UCAT had been put into an endowment that his dependents used at UVSC.

But it should serve as a reminder to administrators need to operate above reproach. And favors to powerful folks like the Utah Republican Party will not go unnoticed.

Sederburg talks about transition, hands out sandwiches

UVSC President Bill Sederburg, master of the PowerPoint, invited the campus community to break bread and have a good ol' rap session about the school's impending move to university status. For the past few years Big Bill has used "Sandwiches with Sederburg" as a way of presenting his expectations for the following year.

And it seems next year's theme will be hiring. Sederburg laid out his plan for the new influx of cash that came with SB 70, and it looks like the biggest chunk will go to hiring 90 new employees, about 40 of which will be new full-time faculty.

Sederburg said one of the school's weaknesses when it comes to assessment has always been its dependence on adjunct faculty. He anticipates that these new hires will help those full-time to adjunct ratios and possibly reduce teaching loads across the board.

Sederburg also committed to keeping enrollment open and promised that the school "will not move away from its roots" as the transition to university is made. One must assume he was talking about the often maligned trades program that the school was original built on. The official talking points from the school have always been that trades will be around and that UVU would "continue to work with Mountainlands Apllied Technology Center" to make sure the program runs efficient.

In other words, the trades program will probably move piece by piece to MATC as UVSC matures into UVU. Particularly as Sederburg tries to reduce the dependence on adjunct faculty and tries to increase the number of faculty members with terminal degrees.

The administration may say they are committed to trades, but The Pipeline thinks that in 5 years trades will be reduced to only the most technical degrees. There is a reason some staff call it "Baloney with Bill" instead of "Sandwiches with Sederburg".

UVSC graduates to university status

It isn't quite official just yet but Utah Valley State College has been given the greenlight to become a university. Utah governor John Huntsman will be on the campus Monday March 19 to sign the bill that will make UVSC a level II institution effective July 1, 2008.

Along with the name change comes a commitment of $8 million more in ongoing funding, money that will be used to hire more full-time faculty (about 60) and to develop the school's first graduate programs.

UVSC president Bill Sederburg said he hopes the hires will decrease the school's dependence on adjunct faculty, increase the number of professors with terminal degrees, and reduce the average teaching load of existing profs on campus.

College administrators have made it quite clear that the first master's degree programs will be in nursing, education, and business administration. Sederburg said recently that he does not want to be flooded with degree proposals. He seems more interested in shoring up existing programs and rounding out the catalog to include a more comprehensive list of undergraduate offerings.

That $8 million is a bit short of the $10 million that the school was hoping for, and Sederburg has already told the local press that he'll be back on the hill next year to lobby for the remaining $2 million. In the meantime he will put new Vice President of Academic Affairs Liz Hitch to work when she gets to town just one year before the school switches over.

Along with overseeing all the new faculty hires (which is usually handled at the dean and department level), Hitch will need to hire a new Dean of Technology and Trades, a school that will probably feel the growing pains more than any other. Tom McFarland's replacement will have to deal with the problems associated with integrating an entrenched, and often stubburn trades program into a new university setting. And with Sederburg wanting new grad degrees that meet market needs don't be surprised if Technology isn't first in line with a new master's program (after a few years of course).

Don't be surprised either if in a few years the all-powerful school of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences doesn't come begging at the postgrad door. HASS is the biggest school on campus, and they will soon be itching to prove themselves.

Of course it is easy to get lost in all of this university hoopla and forget that there are many other things happening at UVSC. Ira Fulton has raised $10 million in the last two months (kicking in $5 million of his own). The new library is inching out of the ground and steel work will begin this month.

And while ther are many good things it also worth noting that UVSC has its share of problems. The faculty is underfunded when compared to professors at other colleges. Athletics is running out of time on their provisional NCAA Division I status, and seems no closer to finding a conference. Utah's warm economy is keeping many students in the workforce. Infrastructure woes like registration and advising still cause a lot of student frustration.

Sederburg still has a lot of work to do before UVSC can become UVU.

Dean Tom McFarland leaves UVSC

School of Technology and Computing dean Tom McFarland has announced that he will be leaving UVSC at the end of February. Here is acting VPAA Karl Worthington's awkwardly worded e-mail, that was forwarded to all school employees school by president Bill Sederburg:


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "President Sederburg"
To:
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:32:02 -0700
Subject: T&C Dean Announcement

This is the official "Thank You!" and "Best Wishes!" to Dean Tom McFarland who has resigned the position of Dean of the School or Technology and Computing. Dean McFarland's last day will be February 28, 2007. Tom is moving to New Mexico for family reasons and we wish him the very best as we also express appreciation for his unique and valuable service to UVSC. A reception will be held to honor Tom's service and to meet with him on Monday, February 26, 2007 in Center Stage.

Dr. Ernest Carey has accepted our request that he serve as the interim dean of the school. We are grateful to Ernie for his willingness to serve where he is needed for as long as he is needed-up to a point! Ernie's long service as a faculty member, including service as President of the Faculty Senate, as a department chair, and as an associate dean is a fine record and Dean McFarland has included Ernie in a lot of his activities the last while to prepare him to assume this role well. I urge all of us, and particularly the faculty and staff of the School of Technology and Computing, to give a little extra in support of Dr. Carey as he directs and moves forward the initiatives underway and planned for in the school.

A search and screening committee will be put together soon to begin the process of searching for a new dean. It certainly is conceivable that this dean selection may be one of the first new personnel decisions of the new VPAA.

J. Karl Worthington
Interim VPAA

The move seems quite sudden, as it is midway through semester. Worthington's e-mail says the move was prompted by "family reasons". The Pipeline has heard that McFarland has family that lives in the area, and also that the move was in conjunction of a potential job there. The Pipepline will keep you updated if more reasons are given by the involved parties.

In the meantime Dr. Ernest Carey will be standing in as interim dean until a search committee can come up with some candidates for new VPAA Liz Hitch to look over.

A reality check for Trades at UVSC

The Deseret Morning News has milked yet another story out of the fact that UVSC pioneer Wilson Sorensen is displeased with the school's desires to become a university. This issue of the college's original mission and the realities of today cuts to the core of many of the internal rumblings on campus.

Old timers like Sorensen and others complain that the administration, "will eventually eliminate the trade and technical programs," and that "We'll completely lose our identity" as "Liberal Arts takes over."

But anyone who has spent time at UVSC in the past 15 years will tell you that it isn't Liberal Arts that is taking over Trades, it is Trades that has failed to adapt to the changing needs of students looking to stay competitive in an increasingly specialized work place. Some months ago The Pipeline spoke to an administrator at the Dean level who has practically grown up in the halls of UVSC. His father spent his entire working life in the school's Trades department. He said that the old guard has continually refused to update their programs to match the training indicative of a college campus. Efforts have been made by the administration to encourage those in the Trades to modernize curriculum, including offering NASCAR certification for the Auto Program.

It is the opinion of The Pipeline that the old guard of UVSC's Trade programs have refused modernization and as such have relegated themselves to increasing attrition. Sorensen is quite right...One day UVSC will no longer offer trade programs, but it is not Sederburg's fault, nor is it the influences of the Liberal Arts. The blame lays squarely at the feet of dinosaurs that refuse to evolve.

Take a look at a map of UVSC. The Sparks Automotive Building has the largest footprint of any building on campus (not the most square footage...but it does take up the most physical space). The Pipeline believes that all trades programs that don't offer curriculum that falls in line with a true university experience should move across I-15 to the MATC. Let's open up this valuable real estate to relevant programs with high student demand.

The college often romanticizes its Trade School past, pointing to it as evidence of their hard work ethic, a hands on approach to learning, and the nobility of blue collar sweat. They should be proud of the school's heritage. But that should not blind UVSC from its true mission...preparing today's young adults to be valuable workers, informed and involved citizens, and decent human beings. All of these skills can't be taught at the work bench. A comprehensive degree program is best suited to instill these values. Let the MATC fufill its mission of providing our community with trained trades people and technicians.

Sorensen slams UVSC's plans

Well, forget about Sorensen State University. In an article in Thursday's Des News UVSC pioneer Wilson Sorensen had some harsh critiques of Bill Sederburg's push for university status. It seems the 90-year-old Sorensen is none to pleased that his beloved trades programs are losing ground to more traditional college fare.

"They cut the welding program. Eventually, the liberal arts will take over," said Sorensen in the article.

Sederburg is quick to point out the flaws in Sorensen's logic, citing the declining numbers of students in trades as the reasons programs have been cut. Big Bill also points out that that many students interested in trades choose to attend the MATC across the street from UVSC, where classes can cost as little as $50, and they don't make you do all that fancy book learning.

While Big Bill is right on the money about the decline of trades, it was a poor move on his part not to get the Patron Saint of UVSC to sign on to the whole university thing from the get go. Instead of having this respected (yet senile) education pioneer singing your praises, Bill has to play defense and the school gets another front page story about being too big for its britches.