UVSC possibly on its way to becoming a university
Utah State University, University of Utah, Weber State University, Southern Utah University…
Utah Valley University?
With four state-funded universities already sharing Utah’s limited funds, a fifth university is potentially in the works as Utah Valley State College attempts to acquire full-fledged university status.
In the works for some time now, the four-year college in Orem, Utah, has been preparing to become a higher education institution that would offer graduate degrees. This status advancement request was submitted to the Utah State Board of Regents in September. The Board of Regents denied the initial request, telling UVSC it needed to improve certain key areas to achieve university status.
These key areas involved enhancing student services, increasing the number of full-time faculty members and establishing graduate programs that would be consistent with a teaching university.
While UVSC is required to improve these aspects to become a university, Utah taxpayers would also play a part in the bid by paying $10 million annually to fund the advancement. This makes UVSC’s move an issue that affects not only residents of Utah County but residents across the state, including those at Utah State University.
John DeVilbiss, executive director of USU Public Relations and Marketing, said, “Officially we stand behind the state Board of Regents in following this process that currently involves UVSC making its bid to become a university. There is a process in place. It is through the state Board of Regents. We support what the state Board of Regents is doing. Does that mean we support UVSC? If this is what it comes down to with the regents, with the Legislature, we will certainly be behind them. It does not mean that we are not concerned.”
Just how concerned should USU students be with the addition of a new state-funded university?
In the 2007-2008 budget request, the Utah State Board of Regents requested an increase of $47.2 million. For the year, USU requested $4,228,600 for operation and compensation expenses. USU alone requires nearly 10 percent of that budget increase.
Though substantially smaller in size and funding, UVSC requested $4,210,400 for operation and compensation expenses – just shy of what USU requested. With state funds already limited and many other schools requesting additional money, the available money to be pumped into USU diminishes.
ASUSU President Noah Riley said of UVSC’s motion, “Certainly UVSC has done their homework, and they’ve done a lot to prepare for this, but I wonder about the timing. The higher education system has a lot of concerns funding-wise, and I think it’s something that has to be looked at carefully as far as if the state Legislature can afford a change right now.”
Even though funds are limited, the money reserved for research would still go largely to USU and the University of Utah, as these are the two research universities in the state. When UVSC submitted its petition to become a university, it stated it wanted to be a teaching institution rather than a research institution. This relieves a threat to USU research dollars, which is valued with the onset of the Utah Science and Technology Research Economic Development Initiative (USTAR).
UVSC Vice-President for Administration and Legislative Affairs Val Peterson said, “Our focus is not in being a research university but a teaching university. We understand the restraints on funding in the state. As our institution has grown and matured, more and more people are looking for our institution to provide those services.”
The USTAR initiative is designed to provide better research facilities in higher education institutions across the state that will promote research benefiting businesses in the state. With USU being one of the two leading research universities in the state, it will receive substantial funding initially.
DeVilbiss said the university is not worried about research dollars being lost if UVSC becomes a university. However, money from the USTAR initiative will still find its way to UVSC, as an out-reach center will be built at the UVSC campus.
Money aside, there are still concerns for USU and other state-funded universities, including the issue of enrollment. USU has spent considerable amounts of money to promote enrollment across the state. USU was the only institution of higher education in Utah to increase enrollment this school year, with all the other schools maintaining or decreasing.
With enrollment already down statewide, the introduction of another university could play a factor in continuing enrollment issues.
When asked if the introduction of a new university would affect enrollment at USU, DeVilbiss said, “We certainly hope not. UVSC’s phenomenal growth represents a program stepping up and fulfilling a need in Utah Valley, and we respect that. We welcome with open arms those same students at Utah State. If our institution matches their areas of interest and discipline, we would hope they would be discerning and come to Utah State.
“If USU advocates anything at this point in time, it’s that we advocate a higher education institution. Each institution has its own strength, so that we’re overall keeping the big picture that we’re working together in behalf of students to provide them the best quality through cooperation and not competition.”
Though UVSC is not yet at university level, it is working on advancing to that level through fund-raising efforts and generous donations by philanthropist Ira Fulton, who has agreed to donate $10 million with the hopes of the Utah Legislature matching that amount.
The impact of UVSC’s petitions on USU has yet to be seen. For now, the future rests in the hands of the Board of Regents and the state Legislature. Students who want to get involved in voicing their opinion for or against the change are urged to contact their legislators, DeVilbiss said.
“Right now, as far as the university is concerned, we’re not going to take a stance on it,” Riley said. “Students are more than welcome to contact their legislators, or they can go down to the state Legislature. If they need information on that, Troy Smith or I would be happy to help them.”
-sethhawkins@cc.usu.edu