Get used to a new acronym in Utah's educational vernacular — UCAT.
The Utah College of Applied Technology was officially created Wednesday by the Utah Legislature after hours of debate, which was simply a continuation of years of debate between higher- and public-education officials. HB1003 shifts governance of applied-technology education to higher education, but with a strong voice for public education.
Passage of the bill was a victory for Gov. Mike Leavitt, who sees UCAT as the route to better-paying jobs for Utahns. "It's going to be a big step forward," he said. "It's a problem we've wrestled with for 30 years. It will align Utah with the market place."
He wasn't concerned that more than two dozen attempts had been made during the special session to amend the legislation. "All is well that ends well," he said.
UCAT, which becomes the state's 10th college, consists of five applied-technology centers (now colleges) with campuses spread across the state and three service areas where no campuses as such exist.
And, ironically, many legislators don't want their new "colleges" to act like colleges as they are usually perceived.
The long-standing issues have revolved around what Utah's applied-technology education should be. The Legislature has tried to develop a one-size-fits-all system that will provide high school students earlier entry into the job market, quickly train workers workers to fit the changing needs of business and industry and give a foundation to other students who might want to go on to academic degrees. The emphasis has been on open-entry, open-exit programs in which students proceed at their own pace toward competency.
Allowing the new tech colleges to grant credit, which would be transferable to another institution of higher education, is a big step toward "academic creep," some legislators worry. "Everyone knows that every institution wants to be a university when it grows up," quipped one House member.
"We don't want to resolve all of the credit issues in this bill," Rep. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley, its House sponsor, reminded fellow legislators who tried in several ways to dictate how, when and where credit would be issued and otherwise "micromanage" the evolution of the UCAT's future. That will be a long and likely controversial process over the next few years, he said. Higher education officials ended the day elated, but with a plate full of challenges. Board of Regents' agendas for the upcoming months will be heavy with applied-technology matters. The legislation sets Sept. 1 as the date when UCAT will officially take its place in the education family. Between now and then, a president must be selected by the State Board of Regents, and a UCAT board will be assembled, its members named by the governor with Senate consent.
"We're going to make it work," said Cecelia Foxley, commissioner for higher education. "We'll do what's best for all the people of Utah, high school students and adults."
Representation has been assured for both public and higher education and for the business/industry community on both the UCAT board and regional boards that will direct affairs at the individual ATCs. Amendments in both the House and Senate to pare down the number of regional board members failed, even though some of the boards will have up to 16 members — too many to be efficient, said Sen. Lyle W. Hillyard, R-Logan. And as of Sept. 1, current ATC superintendents will take on the new title of "president." In one of the day's many quirks, while lawmakers were doing everything they could to preserve a strong voice in UCAT for business and industry, a flier was being circulated pleading with legislators to "avoid a repeat of theTrade Tech tragedy." The reference was to the evolution of Salt Lake and Provo trade schools into Salt Lake Community College and Utah Valley State College. It was signed by about a dozen of Utah's leading business associations, including manufacturing, mining, food distributors and the Utah Taxpayers Association. State School Superintendent Steven Laing, in the spirit of good sportsmanship, said public education officials who have fought a good fight to keep governance of applied technology in their fold, willl do everything they can to make UCAT work. But, "there are lots of unknowns that will require lots of attention." He suggested that the regents could go a long way to assuage concerns in his camp by choosing a UCAT president with a background in public education. If there is any indication that high school students — who absorbed 45 percent of the ATC student hours last year — are being squeezed out as UCAT evolves, public education will react, said Rob Brems, assistant superintendent for applied technology in the State Office of Education. Laing said one immediate effect of the legislation will be a reduction in his staff to meet the mandate for $197,000 from public education to help with transition costs. "We'll probably have to lose a few people," he said.
E-mail: tvanleer@desnews.com