USU and CEU will not become one
With a week left in the legislative session, a bill to merge USU and the College of Eastern Utah will not become reality this year.
The bill never got out of the draft stage and is now dead, said Amanda Covington, assistant commissioner for public affairs with the Board of Regents.
Members of the business community around CEU were interested in USU providing a four-year degree at CEU and went to Sen. Mike Dmitrich, said Michael Kennedy, special assistant to the president for federal and state relations. After Dmitrich proposed a working draft of the bill, Kennedy said controversy arose in the Carbon area. Kennedy said he thinks the senator was only trying to help the college and that he cares deeply about his community.
USU was not heavily involved with the initial process, Kennedy said, but they have been willing to work with CEU.
“We are willing to be supportive (of the bill) as it would also expand our programs,” Kennedy said.
While the bill will not become reality this year, Kennedy said there is a possibility it could be looked at again next year. USU President Stan Albrecht said he also didn’t think the merge would happen this legislative session, but there is a possibility something will happen next year. The draft bill proposed the new name of the school be the Utah State University College of Eastern Utah Campus.
Albrecht’s entire response to the draft bill can be found at the Utah State Today Web site
-alison.baugh@aggiemail.usu.edu