Regents looking at 'paradigm shift'

CEDAR CITY — The talk among higher education circles in Utah is now on abandoning traditional ways of funding and managing growth and moving toward policies that lift the state out of a "backwater" way of thinking toward changes already in place on a national level.

It's a paradigm shift that came into clearer focus Thursday during the first of two days of meetings for the State Board of Regents.

"The good options are gone," said regents chairman Nolan Karras. "We're now talking about tough options."

One option is to cap enrollment at four-year universities. The University of Utah is already trying a "freeze," which has resulted only in slowed growth.

Karras favors focusing on technology-based education, much like Western Governors University, which offers online courses. Schools could reduce costs by relying less on the traditional classroom approach.

Another idea that received serious consideration is implementing "differential" tuition levels at the undergraduate level. Some graduate programs currently cost more than others. The focus at the lower level would be to target the more popular, relevant programs for higher tuition.

U. senior vice president for academic affairs David Pershing predicted such a tuition shift might at least get consideration by next year. Business students would be likely to feel the hit, according to Pershing.

Utah Valley State College President William Sederburg put forward the possibility of a property tax increase or local funding for community colleges.

Other thoughts are to merge smaller schools, combine administrative functions, cut more programs, create more "access-oriented" institutions like Salt Lake Community College or financially reward schools for the economically disadvantaged students they enroll and graduate. It was even suggested to do away with the 12th grade in an effort to save the state money, shifting funds from public education to higher education.

It's all part a recognition that, unless the economy improves over the next five to 10 years, the state will continue with minimal funding in the face of limited resources.

At stake is a system that is expecting to add about 30,000 students to the 120,000 already attending nine public institutions. But even after finding $4.6 million for enrollment growth during the 2004 Legislature, lawmakers are still behind by well over 9,000 students, who are being funded solely by the schools they attend and the tuition they pay.