Don't make UVSC a university
Diluting higher education resources by approving Utah Valley State College to acquire university status is irresponsible. Lawmakers are all but ready to approve the move that would take away up to $25 million annually from the other state universities.
SUU President Michael Benson has pledged to raise $115 million in the next five years and it will most certainly be needed to compensate for nearly half of that, which would’ve come from the state, but would be diverted to the new Utah County university.
I’m appalled that — once again — the Legislature acts as if the state ends at the Utah County line. Washington and Iron Counties are the fastest growing areas of the entire nation and yet the educational needs of these and the surrounding areas are being blatantly neglected.
Does the state really need a fifth university? Is this burden really fair to pass onto the taxpayers?
Approximately 110 years ago, two of my ancestors — James and Robert Bulloch — mortgaged their homes to help finance the building of Old Main for the Branch Normal School, which today is SUU. If Utah County desires to become a university then the residents should do the same and raise the money.
There are hundreds of millionaires in Utah County. Why don’t a few of them open up their checkbooks for the $10 million it will take to make UVSC a university and save Utah taxpayers the expense. Southern Utahns had to do it a century ago and today are still fighting for every tax dollar received.
Add to that the competition for students, which will become even more challenging. It simply doesn’t make sense, is not a good move on behalf of students and the state as a whole.
A better solution — and a much cheaper one I might add — would be to create partnerships with successful graduate programs already in existence. This worked well between SUU and WSU’s nursing program for years.
Keep UVSC a state college and have the other state universities provide graduate programs through an extension program or online course or a combination of both. That is more feasible and fair, not only for higher education and students but for the Utah taxpayer.
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Comments
The thought that came to me as I read this was, how many people said the same thing about SUSC? Although your idea about the millionaires is probably a good one.
I'd like to see it, frankly. For purely selfish reasons.
Posted by: Arlene Ball | February 6, 2007 08:00 PM
I'd like to see it but not this year or even next year. I think maybe 3 to 5 years from now it would be more advantageous after UVSC has a university level library and the area residents have put up at least half the money to show their commitment like SUSC did in the 90's. I think that is fair.
Posted by: Jennifer Weaver | February 7, 2007 09:24 AM
I'm looking at the dates this was written and noticing that you didn't even bother to get all the facts. There were massive fundrasing efforts taking place before you even wrote your little rant. Ira Fulton had already announced plans match the money allocated by the state which had been published in several newspapers which you would have known had you bothered to research the matter even just a little. Mr. Fulton even said if the state wanted to give more he would match every penny. He has done an amazing job of rallying the local community behind the school.
Why do you think UVSC hasn't had to work for what it has rightfully achieved? The fact is that UVSC students are getting a University education and now it will be known by everyone. One of my instructors who was at SUU when it became a university said, "UVSC is way more prepared for this change than we were at SUU." SUU has continued to grow into a great institution and so will we. As for your comment about the library, again you show your lack of preparation to write such things. The "university level library" of which you speak is already being built and will be completed in the summer of 2008. Amazingly enough UVSC will officialy become a university on July 1, 2008. Do you notice anything?
So area residents have put up half the money to "show their commitment like SUSC did in the 90's" and UVU will have "a university level library" from the start. These are your very own requirements that would make University status "fair" in your mind. Is it really fair to you now or were you just trying to make an unreasonable argument sound reasonable?
Posted by: Don Hatchell | March 1, 2007 05:05 AM