But high percentage growth at smaller schools like those two — combined, they have fewer than 8,000 students — is not the same as at schools like Salt Lake Community College, noted Kevin Walthers, Utah System of Higher Education assistant commissioner for finance and facilities.

SLCC has gone from 5,720 full-time students in 1985 to 18,694 last year. That's a 20-year increase at SLCC of 226 percent.

But as Bankhead pointed out, most of the money each year for capital projects has gone toward even bigger but slower-growing institutions like the University of Utah, Utah State University and WSU. And typically, he added, the decision to fund those projects, which have been additions or renovations to old buildings, has been based less on growth needs.

"There's just not a chance for a new building to get funded," Bankhead said.

Decisions on whether to fund any one project should not rely too much on uncertain growth projections, cautioned Richard Kendell, state commissioner of higher education.

"Our intent is to keep a level playing field," Kendell said of the current process. He concluded after Friday's discussion that the process should be revisited in the spring.

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com