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.

Former UVSC student making movie about movies

Former UVSC student Josh Ligairi and his co-director Andrew James are putting the finishing touches on a documentary that explores the distinctly Utah phenomenon of edited movie clubs. For years local video store proprietors have played a game of cat and mouse with Hollywood as they try to work around the legal issue of editing videos for content. The story got a lot more interesting when one of the biggest champions of edited movies, Daniel Dean Thompson, was arrested earlier this year for allegedly paying two under-aged girls for oral sex.


Court case extends documentary film project (Daily Herald, April 29 2008)

Suspect in Coach's murder will stand trial

The man accused in the shooting death UVSC Hockey Coach Ken Dolezar late last fall will stand trial. A judge ruled last week that there was sufficient evidence against Eugene Christopher Wright to hold him over for trial. Wright will be back in front of the judge later this week for a pretrial hearing.


Shooting suspect to stand trial (Daily Herald, April 26 2008)

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?

Big Bill named CEO of the year

Folks who fear the continuing corporatization of public education have more fuel for the fire now that UVSC president Bill Sederburg has been named one of eight recipients of Utah Business Magazine's CEO of the year.

Business magazine honors UVSC chief (Deseret Morning News, March 21 2008)

Has anyone else noticed an increased corporate presence on campus, like the billboard for Brent Brown or the cars from Kent Garff?

Utah's 2008 Election: The candidates

The Daily Herald has provided a comprehensive list of the candidates vying for positions in the upcoming election in Utah.

Candidates who filed for Office (Daily Herald, March 18 2008)

In the coming months The Pipeline will be taking a look at some of these folks and how this election might affect UVU.

UVSC prof announces bid for state legislature

Boyd Peterson has been an important figure around UVSC campus for several years now. His introspective scholarship in Mormon Cultural Studies has inspired many students and faculty to examine faith in a greater context.

Nowadays Peterson splits his time teaching at UVSC and BYU and is still very active in the Mormon Studies scene, most recently taking the reins of UVSC's annual Mormon Studies conference.

But on top of all that he is now running as a socially conservative Democrat for the District 64 seat in state legislature. He will be facing incumbent Becky Lockhart in a no doubt up-hill climb in perennially Republican Utah County.


Candidate promises to restore sanity (Deseret Morning News, February 7 2008)

SLCC-SLTATC merger gets committee approval

The proposed merger between Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and Salt Lake Tooele Applied Technology Center (SLATC) has gotten one step closer to reality as the House Education Committee has unanimously approved a bill that would combine the two schools.
No word yet if the super-school will be named SLCCSLATC...but for all you abbreviation junkies out there...well, here's hoping.

House panel backs schools' merger plan (Slat Lake Tribune, February 20 2008)

One of the amendments to the original HB284 approved of by the committee spells out that Mountainlands Applied Technology Center (MATC), along with 7 other Applied Technology schools, cannot conduct feasibility studies about future mergers. In other words...MATC, you are on your own.

Scholarships for all

The legislature recently signed a bill that will set aside scholarship money for every 8th grader in the state. If the students get good grades, take college prep classes, and attend an accredited college in Utah (public or private), then they are eligible for $1000 scholarship.

Good grades in high school? Fund would help with college (Salt Lake Tribune, February 20 2008)

Is anyone surprised that the only Senator who didn't vote for the bill was Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper? It seems there has never been a higher ed bill he didn't hate...and that includes the bill that changed UVSC to UVU.

A speaker you can't afford to miss: Julian Cardona

For many in the UVSC community last semester's "Leave To Enter" lecture featuring professors Aled Caldiero, Scott Carrier, and writer Charles Bowden was one of the best speaking engagements the school has seen. Bowden has been one of the most important voices on the issues surrounding the US/Mexico border.

Now UVSC will get a chance to hear from Bowden's collaborator Julian Cardona. Born in 1960 in Zacatecas, Mexico, Julián Cardona migrated to the border city of Juárez with his family as a small child. He attended school in Juárez, received vocational training, and worked as a technician in the maquiladora industry. In 1991, Cardona returned to Zacatecas to teach basic photography at the Centro Cultural de Zacatecas; two years later, he started his photojournalism career at El Fronterizo and El Diario de Juárez. In 1995, Cardona organized the group exhibition, "Nada que ver—Nothing to See,” in Juárez, featured in Harper's Magazine (Charles Bowden, “While You Were Sleeping: in Juárez, Mexico, photographers expose the violent realities of free trade) in December 1996. Photographs from this exhibition inspired the award-winning book, Juárez: The Laboratory of Our Future (Aperture 1998). His photographs taken inside foreign-owned factories in Juárez were also featured in "Camera of Dirt" (Aperture 159, 2000).

Cardona will be showing some of his photos used in Exodus, the new book he compiled with Bowden. The lecture will be held on February 26 at 1 PM in the Ragan Theater. It is free and open to the public.

More College Consolidation? Will USU absorb CEU?

While the particulars between the possible University of Utah/Dixie College merger are still being ironed out, two other Utah colleges are talking about taking the plunge.

Price school a part of Utah State?
Area legislator: There are many questions to be resolved first
(Salt Lake Tribune, February 8 2008)

USU President's Response to Draft Bill Calling for Merger of CEU with USU
(USU website)

Sen. Mike Dmitrich of Carbon County has drafted a bill that would make the College of Eastern Utah in Price part of Utah State University in Logan. And while the bill has not been formally introduced, USU president Stan Albrecht is already entertaining the idea.

This merger also comes about as the legislature considers the merger of the Salt Lake Tooele Applied Technology Center (SLTATC) with Salt Lake Community College (SLCC).

Both moves would potentially shake up Utah's Board of Higher Education and may very well affect UVSC. These transitions would cost money...which means the pie gets a little smaller when UVSC comes asking the legislature for a slice.

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.

Bill would offer college scholarships to every high school student in Utah

Richard Kendell may have stepped down from his position as Utah's commissioner of higher education, but that hasn't stopped him from spearheading a campaign to get more high school students into college.

Good grades, the right college prep classes may net $1,350
(Salt Lake Tribune, January 9 2008)

Kendell is helping Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, navigate the bill through the legislature. The annual session begins later this month. The bill calls for each 8th grader to receive a letter from the Board of Regents saying that a $1000 scholarship is already in their name and gaining interest. All students need to do is graduate with a B average and take a set college prep courses while in high school. It is expected that of the 35,000 8th graders currently in the state about 7,000 would qualify.

Sure, $1350 would hardly pay for a single semester at UVSC (especially in 5 years!) but at least it is something.

End of an Era: Rich Kendell steps down from Higher Education post

After more than fours years at the helm Rich Kendell is stepping down from his post as commissioner of Higher Education.

Kendell retires as higher education chief
(Deseret Morning News, January 1 2008)

UCAS expansion provides more elbow room

The Utah County Academy of Sciences has been operating on the UVSC campus since August of 2005, providing area students the opportunity to take classes that both count for high school and college credit. So far the 300 or so students have been relegated to portable classrooms left over from the Vineyard Elementary expansion.

But now a new $1.6 million building will be added to the school and will provide a gym and cafeteria. Enrollment will stay the same. Administrators at the school, which is one of six such institutions in the state, hope the new building will be completed and in use by August of this year.

Early college high school in Utah County to expand
Academy of Sciences on the campus of UVSC breaks ground for a new building to accommodate its 330 students
(Salt Lake Tribune, January 2 2008)

SUU has some balls...wants to see student's

When Southern Utah University isn't "allegedly "pilfering dance costumes, they sometimes like to play a fun game of Show Us Your Genitals.

SUU: Student must prove gender
Kourt Osborn, who is in transgender treatment, is denied a dorm room
(Salt Lake Tribune, December 19 2007)

You can be sure that UVSC administrators are counting their lucky stars that they aren't dealing with this mess. No dorms, no headaches.

Taxes on Texts

Student government leaders from across Utah presented a plan to end the sales tax charged for text books to legislators yesterday.

Students seek a textbook tax break
(Deseret Morning News, November 15 2007)

Students lobby for tax-free textbooks
(Daily Herald, November 15 2007)

State Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, will sponsor the bill that would end sales tax on textbooks during the upcoming session.

Building a High-speed data link between Utah collleges

Utah State University and the University of Utah are discussing the possibility of building a high-speed data link between the two schools. The link would allow for greater collaboration and data sharing and would be a step closer to connecting all of Utah's public colleges and universities forming a "Utah Grid".

Data link proposed for Utah State, University of Utah
(Daily Herald, November 13 2007)

The Utah Education Network will be asking the state legislature for funding to start the program, but as of yet hasn't released any more details.

Does mandatory health insurance make sense for college students?

Utah State University's student government will ask the Board of Regents to make health insurance mandatory for students enrolled in any of the state's public colleges and universities.

Salt Lake Tribune - USU student group to approach Regents over insurance

For years BYU has required all of its students to either be enrolled under their parent's policy or pay for campus health insurance.

But how could UVSC possibly afford to offer low-cost health insurance to its nearly 24000 students? How about dumping athletics?

Dixie plays the all-too-familiar Name Game

Last year when UVSC was bucking for a promotion there were a few discussions about what to call the damn thing if it indeed became a univeristy. But Sederburg and the legislature settled on Utah Valley University pretty early on, and that was that. And since that time nobody has really made too much noise about it.

But now the Name Game is beginning down south as Dixie State College looks to hook up with the University of Utah. The situation in St. George is a little more convoluted when you consider that the region has been called Dixie since the time of Brigham Young, and that some object to it's Confederate connotations.

If St. George school hooks up with U of U, it may not be whistling Dixie
(Salt Lake Tribune, September 27 2007)