A new name...that is all I am commiting to right now

Yeah...so I switched the name of the UVSC Pipeline to the UVU Pipeline. That is not to say that I am jumping back into the blogging game. Recently I have noticed that the college marketing department has done such a fine job telling everyone that UVSC is now UVU that folks just don't even search the old name anymore. And it would be a damn shame if folks interested in UVU news, no matter how outdated it was, missed out on finding the Pipeline.

So for now at least I'll keep the old banner up and everything will pretty much just stay the same. But with all the crazy stuff happening around campus right now it might be hard for me to stay quiet for long.

On a personal note I have recently changed positions, moving from The Woodbury Art Museum to the brand new School of the Arts. I had been at the museum for nearly 2 and half years, and while I really enjoyed my time there, it was time for a change. I have been at SOA for less than a week and I can already tell that I made the right decision.

Also, the wife and I are the Resident leaders for the new Honors residential cohort at UVU.

So on the eve of a new semester, the first as a new university, I wish you all luck.

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.

Even as Regents pull the reins is UVSC headed to Eagle Mountain?

A few weeks ago a three-member committee made a recommendation to Utah's Board of Regents that would place a "moratorium on geographic expansion" for the system's public colleges and universities. The committee hopes that future growth can be handled through schedule juggling and a greater focus on distance education, at least until a statewide plan for expansion can be adopted. As you can imagine UVSC's Bill Sederburg, president of the state's fastest growing college, was none to pleased to hear that the kibosh is being put on his dreams of campus expansion.

UVSC chief pans plan that would limit growth (Deseret Morning News, April 19 2008)

Now on the heels of the Regents plans to manage growth, comes the news that UVSC and the up-and-coming berg of Eagle Mountain are looking into a possible UVSC satellite campus.

Satellite college campus may land in Eagle Mountain (Salt Lake Tribune, April 24 2008)

No mention of the proposed moratorium in the Trib article, but of course any plans for expansion would have to be approved by them, as well as the legislature. An interesting note on that committee that recommended the moratorium; one of the members is Jack Zenger, former Chair of UVSC's Board of Trustees. Fascinating that a man so familiar with UVSC's expansion needs would recommend such action. As Sederburg has pointed out satellite campuses will be absolutely necessary to accommodate the nearly 20,000 additional students the school projects will enroll in the next few decades. Sederburg believes that unless land is banked now there won't be any place to build down the road.

There is another interesting nugget in the Trib article; Val Peterson is quoted as saying that the main Orem Campus could only handle 28,000 students. Considering the recent uptick in growth (Sederburg predicted an additional 500 students this Fall) 28 K doesn't seem so far away.

But will students go to a satellite campus? If the Wasatch campus is any indication, probably not. The tone in the Trib article seems to indicate that they are marketing these satellites (another is planned for the south end of Utah County, most likely Spanish Fork) to working adults. That makes sense, but the question still remains if you build it will they come?

UVSC adjuncts in decline as school hires more full-time faculty

You may remember that The Pipeline reported last month that UVSC adjunct army was getting a slight bump in pay. Over the weekend an article in the Daily Herald looked closer at that pay raise and the declining percentage of adjuncts teaching classes.


UVSC adjunct professors face unsure future (Daily Herald, April 20 2008)

There were a few interesting nuggets in the article, the first being that the school's adjunct faculty organization was disbanded earlier this year over fears that it was acting as a union. God forbid (and so does state law) that these poor folks rally around a common cause like getting paid a living wage. With the pay raise, adjuncts will be making a whopping $1750 per three-credit class taught. If the average adjunct teaches between two and three classes per semester that figures to a bimonthly paycheck of just over $600. No adjunct can teach more than 4 classes a semester. Try scraping out a living on that while paying back grad school loans. Also remember that adjuncts receive no benefits. They would probably be better off managing a Burger King.

But The Pipeline's favorite quote came from adjunct accounting prof (and deposed leader of the now-defunct adjunct "union") Gary Petersen who said, "Most adjuncts won't even know that they've had a raise. Their six or seven paychecks through a semester may go up $10 each. It's a great gesture from the college and all the adjuncts appreciate it. It's just 5 percent of a very small amount -- it doesn't amount to very much."

In other words, even the guy who used to fight for adjunct rights is so used to being pushed around by the school that when a few extra crumbs fall from the table all he can say is "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

Adjuncts keep the academic gene pool fresh and diverse, usually bringing real-world experience and the latest trends in their disciplines. As the school diminishes their role there should exist a stringent hiring process that weeds out the slackers and rewards the productive. Adjuncts should make a wage that is competitive to what a professional of their caliber makes in their respective industries.

DLC to include "sanctuary where people can go to meditate or pray"

The Digital Learning Center will feature a very analog idea: A quiet room for students to meditate or pray in. UVSC's chaplain Linda Walton has been angling to get an interfaith chapel on campus for years. This isn't quite that, but probably as close as the campus will come.

Meditation room set for UVSC's new library (Deseret Morning News, April 15 2008)

There might be a little dust up over the fact that a group or individual could step up and put money towards naming rights of the room. The possibility exists that a particular religion could buy the naming rights to the room, setting off plenty of a church and state alarm bells. That seems remote and this is probably a non-issue.

Tuition costs for Graduate Program finally released

For those interested in the fledgling graduate program at UVU the website most be a disappointment. Details are few and far between, and most links send you right back to the UVSC site. It was there we found this:

Graduate Tuition PDF

Of course we still don't know things like how many credit hours are required, or the names of any of the courses.

Unattended candle may have caused apartment fire at College Terrace

Ask apartment managers in the greater Provo-Orem area what their greatest fear is and most will tell you it isn't keggers or panty raids--it is the dreaded scented candle. While college housing supers elsewhere are cleaning up puke and doobies, local apartment managers are cutting candle wax out of carpets. And every now and then they have an even bigger headache--fires.

Fire breaks out at College Terrace Apartments (Daily Herald, March 31 2008)

Next time, reach for the Febreeze.

Adjuncts to get slight pay raise

Hey UVSC adjuncts...what are you gonna do with your extra $98!

Adjunct instructors get a pay raise
(Salt Lake Tribune, March 25 2008)

In the past UVSC has relied heavily on adjunct instructors. The school now hopes to reduce the total number of classes taught by adjuncts to less than 50 percent.

Regents give final approval to UVU's first graduate degree program

Though there was never much doubt, it has finally been made official. Utah's Board of Regents have approved UVU's very first graduate program. Starting this fall students wanting a Master's in Education have a new choice.

UVSC moves by leaps and bounds toward university status (Salt Lake Tribune, March 23 2008

Regents OK master's for UVSC (Daily Herald, March 23 2008)

UVSC gets OK for first master's (Daily Herald, March 23 2008)

This first year the education master's program will only accept anywhere from 20-30 students.

UV-Uphoria just might be the lamest event ever conceived by man

Do you ever get the feeling that this whole move to university status has little to do with students and everything to do with sucking up to the community that surrounds us? Come July 1st the "university" experience for most students will be imperceptible from their good old college days. And yet all kinds of money and effort is being put into making Utah Valley residents aware of the transition.

Exhibit A in all of this is the two-day UV-Uphoria Celebration.

Country stars Raye, Nichols to headline UVSC celebration (Daily Herald, March 20 2008)


Country stars to help usher in UVU
Raye, Gracin, Nichols booked in celebration of university status
(Deseret Morning News, March 20 2008)

Go ahead...read all of the details of this event and ask yourself, "Would any student in their right mind want to go to this thing?" Country music? Face-painting? Johnny B? This sounds like Onion Days in Spanish Fork!

Of course VP of Advancement Val Hale acknowledges that he wanted "[A] good family show." He also mentions that there will be a "rock" concert for students in April, more than two months before the transition occurs. No word yet on what bands have been signed for the show--but if the country stars are any indication--expect mediocrity.

Will UV-Uphoria compete with Stadium of Fire

The Des News ran a story today about UV-Uphoria (the big event celebrating the official transition to Utah Valley University) and how it might conflict with BYU's perennial powerhouse Stadium of Fire.


Utah Valley's big enough for 2 shows
UVSC fireworks 4 days before Stadium of Fire
(Deseret Morning News, March 18 2008)

When I imagined the two-day festivities marking UVSC's right of passage into univeristyhood, I thought there was going to be a lot of chanting, incense burning, and blood sacrifice. Turns out it is going to be a bunch of Country music (provided by "recognizable names" says Val hale), and a fireworks display that can only be described as "(not) on the scale of Stadium of Fire" by Freedom Festival organizer Paul Warner. Sounds like a rockin' good time!

Pity...I really could have used a crazy orgy of bacchanal proportions this summer. Maybe we should hold our own. Start pouring the libations!

The 5 things UVSC should do to really become a university

While the big transition from UVSC to UVU is just a few months away, one wonders if the name change will really transform the school. Here are The Pipeline's top five things we think the school could (and should) do to really become a university:

1. Live up to Global Engagement promise: With such a high percentage of returned LDS missionaries, UVU has one of the most bilingual college populations in the country. UVU should capitalize on this advantage by making foreign languages part of the core curriculum. Every student graduating from UVU should be encouraged to be proficient in another language.

But how do you get students to enroll in these time intensive classes? At BYU students can use language credits to satisfy math requirements. Imagine how many students would take 12 credits of a language in order to avoid passing Math 1050.

2. Tell Trades to go green or go home: This is an idea that The Pipeline has suggested before, so for full details click here. But basically we need to exercise some tough love when it comes to our trades program. With the MATC across the street already providing nearly redundant trades offerings, UVU should focus on programs that are worthy of the university name. Other schools have adapted to the burgeoning Green economy and are training their students to lead the way when it comes to responsible and sustainable construction and green automobile technology. Let the trades schools take care of traditional trades programming, UVU should be doing the work of a university and be pushing the limits of green research and development.

3. Do something amazing with the Wasatch Campus: UVU's Wasatch Campus in Heber City has been serving the surrounding community for a few years now. But most people would agree that enrollments have been disappointing. UVU should take advantage of the campus's unique location and turn the Wasatch Campus into a world renowned destination. Minutes from some of the world's best outdoor areas the Wasatch Campus could provide outstanding programming that students from all over the world would pay top dollar for. Hospitality management, recreation management, or even a top notch film school (with Sundance just down the road) would thrive in the location. It would take vision, and a lot of money, but it could very well put UVU on the map. Otherwise that special location will continue to languish.

4. When it comes to academics, focus on what you do best: There has been a lot of speculation as to what kind of graduate programs the newly minted University should offer. As many of you know, a graduate program in education begins this fall with advanced degrees in nursing and business to follow. These three areas will certainly address current market demands and will most likely be successful and valuable programs.

But UVU should also study some of the school's more unique undergraduate programs and look for ways to develop new highly specialized master's programs that focus on practicality and shy way from heavy research. We think the aviation department's unique position as one of the best online flight programs in the country could be a springboard for a unique graduate program that takes advantage of that web positioning. UVU also has one of the largest deaf populations outside of Gallaudet. This unique position could be a selling point when attracting students interested in furthering deaf studies at UVU. UVU also has an extremely high percentage of LDS students for a state school. Having that resource along with good academic freedom policies would provide an excellent environment for Mormon Cultural Studies. Why should Claremont University lead the Mormon academic movement?

5. Respect the past, Restore The Bunnell Pioneer Home We couldn't help sneaking this one in, as it is a pet project of The Pipeline. To learn more about efforts to reclaim and restore one of the campus's hidden treasures click here. No university is complete without a little culture, and we think transforming this 115-year-old farmhouse into a working student cafe will help UVU establish an identity and foster creative work and discussion.


So there it is. Five suggestions that would really help UVU earn the title of university. Please tell us what you think of our ideas? What do you think UVU needs?

Big Surprise! Tuition and Fees to increase again

UVSC's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a 6.3 percent tuition increase for the upcoming 2008-2009 school year year, along with an $18 increase in student fees.

Students at UVU to pay $188 more per year (Deseret Morning News, March 14 2008)

In other words a 12 credit semester (with student fees) at UVU will run in-state students $1876. For non-residents a semester will set you back $5757.

Costs for UVU's new graduate program will have also been released. Those entering the school's masters of education program will be paying $179 per credit hour.

As other public colleges approve their increases (and there are always increases) The Pipeline will make a comprehensive comparison of what a college education goes for in the Beehive State.

Huntsman to speak at last UVSC graduation

Utah governor Jon Huntsman Jr. will speak at UVSC's graduation this April, which will be the college's last graduation under that name.

Governor to speak at UVSC's commencement (Deseret Morning News, March 14 2008)

The governor, along with United Way of Utah County president Bill Hulterstrom and president of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Lane Beattie, will receive honorary degrees from UVSC. And after July 1st they can turn in their crappy UVSC honorary degrees for swank UVU honorary degrees.

UVSC offers a diploma upgrade (Deseret Morning News, March 9 2008)

What do we call this crazy thing?

As you are no doubt aware, UVSC will be changing to UVU in less than four months and already folks around campus are feeling the growing pains. The big question on everyone's mind is what do we call the campus in the interim. Nothing is official until July 1st of course, but you may have noticed a number of on-campus entities are already using the new UVU logos on everything from posters to bus ads.

We can say with some certainty that for the next few years folks will still call the school UVSC. It took a while for UVSC to catch on when it switched from UVCC. What we hope happens is that people don't freak out about this. There is nothing worse than getting corrected by someone saying "Uh, actually it is called UVU now".

UVSC or UVU...does it really matter all that much? Slowly people will refer to it as Utah Valley University. Actually we kinda hope that "The V" catches on. Salt Lake has "The U" and Provo has The Y" so why can't Orem have "The V"?

In the meantime, to all you branding police (deputized by college marketing or otherwise), it is fine to be vigilant on the usage of new logos and colors and whatnot. But when it comes to casual conversation, let UVSC slip by unchecked. Let's be the laid back university that doesn't care what you call it...just keep the funding coming.

The Community of Engaged Learners...for Dummies

A year ago Jack Christianson was in charge of looking after the spiritual education of UVSC's sizable Mormon population. But last summer he left his post at the Orem LDS Institute and took the job as director of the newly created Center for Engaged Learning. He has been at his new position for just over six months and has already given out plenty of grants through the new initiative.

UVSC promotes engagement model (Daily Herald, February 10 2008)

And while most agree the program has been doing some good work, others worry that the Christianson group lacks the organization and oversight that will be able to show good results. A member of the CEL screening committe told The Pipeline recently that he fears that the grants have been given out frivilously, and that policies are weak. Without good oversight and accountability the CEL might have a tough time proving that they are getting real results.

President Bill Sederburg has given the CEL plenty of freedom and cash to throw around, and hopes a good program will come out of this experiment. On more than one occasion he has mentioned that the program is like learning to fly while building the plane. There have been complaints from proposal screeners that there aren't enough guidelines and as such money has gone to students and faculty members for projects that are weak.

New ramp meters may cause headaches for student commuters

For those students who live and/or work north of the UVSC campus and use I-15 as part of their commute UDOT has given them one more thing to worry about: ramp meters.

UDOT to install ramp meters in Utah County (Deseret Morning News, February 6 2008

That's right, a ramp meter will be installed at the northbound onramp of University Parkway. This will no doubt back things up on Utah County's busiest intersection as drivers will need to wait their turn to enter the freeway during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

UDOT hopes meters at the intersections between University Parkway and Lehi will allow for better flow as entering drivers will be more easily assimulated into traffic. That might be the case...but for the thousands of drivers you use the University Parkway onramp things just got more complicated.

New UVU Blogs

A lot more folks around campus are blogging about UVSC/UVU.

The folks over in Prospective Student Services have a new blog up and running which you can find at:
http://www.gouvu.blogspot.com


Curtis Jensen and the members of the UVU Interfaith Student Association are blogging at:
http://studentpresident-uvu-interfaith.blogspot.com


And if you like movie reviews from an in-the-know local, visit The College Times own Jason Pyles's at:
www.rhapsidiommoviereviewer.blogspot.com


We are sure there are more out there...so if you are at UVSC/UVU (student, faculty, or staff) and have a blog please post a response below and we will link to it (and of course we would love you to link with us). Your blog doesn't even have to be about UVSC!

UVU Transition Update

This morning's Daily Herald featured an article outlining the status of UVSC's transition to UVU.

UVSC edges closer to university debut
(Daily Herald, January 6 2007)

New Drawing of proposed Performing Arts Center

For the past year or so The Pipeline has been hearing rumors about the proposed Performing Arts Center (or Center for the Performing Arts...or Center for the Visual and Performing Arts...or The Arts Center for Performing Visuals...or whatever). But up until now it has been just talk...with not much to look at. But now Kinateder, "Utah's finest architectural illustration company" has released this:




Pretty cool looking. The question is will it ever get built. Chances are you won't see much in the way of state funding. This project isn't like the much-needed Digital Learning Center and we don't predict the legislature will be salivating over it.

But perhaps the school could scare up some serious donations from local deep pockets. The Arts center has been on the master plan for decades and many on campus see the building as their pet project.

At the top of that list is Kathie Debenham. Debenham ran UVSC's dance department for years and has been serving as an associate dean in the School of HASS. But with Dean Bill Cobb stepping down sooner than expected she has been named the interim dean (no doubt while the school conducts a national search for Cobb's replacement).

Debenham's promotion, no matter how temporary, comes at a critical junction as many on the campus consider the possibilities of splitting up the hulking school of HASS. Plans were on the table for creating a new school of the Arts with the departments of Dance, Theater, Art and Visual Communication, and Music on board. But at the recent HASS PBA (planning, budgeting, and accountability) meeting most in attendance got the impression that President Bill Sederburg wasn't sold on the idea of a split.

If a split did occur it might mean a greater push for a performing arts center. Like always, the college faces serious space issues. The DLC's nearly 200,000 square feet filled up quickly...and many administrators are licking their chops for more.

An arts center would pull Dance out of the Liberal Arts Building and rescue the other departments from Gunther Trades obscurity. There is even talk of bringing the Woodbury Art Museum from its current location at the University Mall and putting it in the new center.

The building is planned to be placed just north of the McKay Events Center. Yes, that means more parking spots will be sacrificed in the name of progress...but who didn't see that coming? If the performing arts center does end up there it might make the soon to be completed Lakeview Room at the DLC seem a little silly, as it will most likely block any view of the lake.

This drawing also most likely kills one rumor that circulated a few months ago. At a planning meeting over the summer local boy wonder Brandt Anderson suggested that it might be possible to get architecture legend Frank Gehry interested in the project. Gehry is currently producing Anderson's Traverse Mountain project at the Point of the Mountain. Of course that sent a million tongues a waggin' but we never heard another thing about it. The Kinateder site doesn't mention which architectural firm has drawn up this design...but considering Sederburg's relationship with Jacob Alspector (which stretches back to Big Bill's time at Ferris State in Michigan) we wouldn't be surprised if the New York based architect was involved.