Jill never did like high school. She dropped out and worked at several menial jobs, mostly making minimum wage. Her self-esteem and confidence almost disappeared.
After several years of the routine, Jill realized she was going nowhere fast. She finally received her high school equivalency and enrolled in Stevens-Henager College of Business, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The college has campuses at 2168 Washington Blvd. in Ogden and 25 E. 1700 South in Provo.Although Jill is fictitious, the story is typical of the people who attend Stevens-Henager, according to Robert J. Fox, president of the college for Bradford Schools Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., which owns the college and similar schools in other parts of the country.
Most of the college's students range in age from 18 to 32. The oldest was a 58-year-old man. Most are "adult learners," said Fox, meaning they aren't directly out of high school, similar to Jill's situation.
Fox believes the college fills a niche in the community by providing diplomas and associate degrees in executive secretarial, legal secretarial, information processing, accounting, hospitality and tourism and medical assisting fields.
Diplomas can be earned in as little as 10 months and associate degrees can be awarded in 14 months, depending, of course, on the workload.
The name of the college doesn't mirror the name of the founder, J.A. Smith, a Midwest professor who came to Ogden and established the school in 1891, teaching accounting and secretarial skills. Fox said the school was fairly successful because the Ogden area was attracting new businesses that needed trained employees.
Originally located in a building behind 2351 Grant Ave., the school became known as the Smithsonian, but in 1907 J.C. Henager bought the college and established a location in Salt Lake City. In 1932 it became known as the Henager College of Business, and in 1941 Irvin W. Stevens purchased it and became president.
That same year the name was changed to the Stevens-Henager College of Business. When the Bradford Group purchased it from University of Utah professor Frank Johnson in 1985, the name remained the same.
The Bradford Group closed the Salt Lake location and expanded the curriculum, Fox said. "We offer only those classes necessary for a degree," Fox said, explaining how Stevens-Henager differs from a regular liberal arts college. "We hand the students a schedule of what classes they need for their certificate or diploma and they start working," Fox said.
Vicky L. Dewsnup directs the Ogden campus, which has about 300 students. There are 14 instructors during the day and 14 at night. Darrell Rhoten guides the Provo campus, which has 12 instructors during the day and 10 at night. About 200 students attend the Provo campus.
Fox praised Dewsnup and Rhoten for their close association with the students to make certain they succeed in their education.
Fox said Stevens-Henager instructors have worked in various industries. For example, one instructor is a certified public accountant.
The Ogden campus is located in a bank building that was vacant for many years. Fox said it isn't any larger than the previous location but is more efficient and lends itself more to a business environment because it was a bank.
Fox said the college has a dress code and an attendance policy. "We want people to get used to dressing as though they were working and also want them to maintain good attendance so they get used to being on the job regularly," he said.Stevens-Henager officials feel they are keeping up with the times. They have the latest IBM computers and equipment for the medical-assisting classes, and although the library is small, it has the latest publications.
"We can't guarantee that each graduate will get a job," Fox said, "but we work hard to see if they can get something where they feel comfortable." The goal of the college's placement service is to place graduates within 30 days of graduation.
Tuition at Stevens-Henager depends upon the number of credit hours but averages $7,500 for a 10-month course and $10,000 for the 14-month course. Scholarships and state and federal grants are available. Some rehabilitation agencies can help where appropriate, and the Job Training Partnership Act also has programs to help students.
The college is accredited as a junior college of business by the Accrediting Commission of the Association of Independent Colleges and Schools. It is approved by the Utah Office of Education and the rehabilitation divisions of the offices of education in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Nevada for vocational rehabilitation.
A native of Lehi, Fox graduated from the U. in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in computer science, worked for a computer company for a time and then worked for Motorola Corp. for eight years. He started with the Bradford Group in 1986 as a regional director of admissions and in 1987 became president of the Ogden and Provo campuses.
Fox feels there always will be a need for schools like Stevens-Henager. "There is a need for a place for adult learners who need a little more direction, mainly because they have been away from school for a period of time," he said.