From rivets to robotics, from typewriter repair to information management, you've come a long way, baby.
Utah Valley Community College adopted a new name Thursday, Utah Valley State College, and announced its three four-year programs have received informal accreditation status. Utah Valley State College earns a spot in Utah's history for being the first hybrid institution in the state to offer a limited number of high-demand baccalaureate degree programs.For Utah County residents, the news means they no longer have to choose between attending Brigham Young University, commuting to the University of Utah or moving to another area of the state to get a four-year degree.
"We are an innovative institution and are recognized as such," UVSC President Kerry Romes-burg said during a news conference Thursday. "We are still a community college, but we are a different type of institution.
"UVSC is going to be a great college, meeting the needs of the people in this community."
Beginning this fall, the college will offer baccalaureate degrees in business management, computer science/information systems, and technology management. The four-year degree programs will follow an inverted structure that provides students with core, technical classes first.
Students may then end their studies and receive a technical two-year degree or complete general classes to obtain a four-year degree.
The college also will continue to offer two-year degrees in a variety of programs.
"We won't abandoned the two-year mission," Romesburg said.
The four-year degree in business management will require students to complete 128 semester hours of credit. Students may choose from five areas of emphasis: general business, accounting, hospitality, international business or marketing. Currently, there are 200 people on a waiting list who want to enter the program.
The computer science/information systems degree also requires completion of 128 semester credit hours. Students can pursue an emphasis in programming, information systems management or networking. Here also the college has 200 people on a waiting list for the program.
The bachelor of science degree in technology management will prepare students for supervisory management positions in business and industry, said George Waldheim, dean of technology, trades and industry. Demand for this type of degree is illustrated by the fact that the college currently has 85 to 100 students on a waiting list for the program, he said.
The technology management degree requires 49 credit hours of technical speciality courses, 45 credit hours of general education and 34 credit hours of business management.
The Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges notified Romesburg last week that its baccalaureate programs have been given informal candidate status. The college will receive full accreditation in 1997 if the new programs successfully pass a review that scrutinizes the quality of instruction and job placement of the first class of graduates.
The Utah State Board of Regents approved a new name for the college, a mission change and the proposed baccalaureate programs in May. But the changes were postponed until the college received informal candidate status from the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.
The regents added a new category of higher education institutions to accommodate Utah Valley State College. The system is now comprised of teaching and research universities, metro-pol-i-tan/
regional universities, community colleges and state colleges.
The school will still compete athletically as a two-year college.