UVSC blends 2 courses of study

OREM — A newly created school at Utah Valley State College may give students the chance to major in "niche engineering programs."

The UVSC Board of Trustees voted Thursday night to combine the School of Technology, Trades and Industry with the School of Computer Science and Engineering Technology.

The vote created the new School of Computing, Engineering and Technology.

Brad Cook, UVSC vice president for academic affairs, said the programs should be combined "given the development of the institution (UVSC), given the changes in technology."

UVSC administrators hope that within a few years, the new school will offer a software engineering degree. But they made it clear the new school will not offer traditional technical degrees such as mechanical, civil or electrical engineering.

A move to a traditional engineering school could make other Utah public colleges and universities nervous over competition for resources.

UVSC administrators believe the State Board of Regents, which oversees curriculum and operations at the state's 10 colleges and universities, will quiz them about their intentions in August, when they discuss the new school.

"The short answer is we are not" a traditional engineering school, said Cook. "Engineering is one of the most expensive of all the disciplines."

The new school is the result of a yearlong study by a task force that found many trades, computer and engineering courses at UVSC schools are very similar, said Derek Hall, a UVSC spokesman.

"Drafting's one that has really overlapped," Hall said, noting it has evolved from a hand process into a computer technology program.

But there are many programs — from culinary arts to collision repair — that would not benefit from the blending effort. Officials told trustees the bulk of school programs remain as different as vinegar and oil, noting the School of Business has disciplines ranging from accounting to criminal justice.

Initially, college administrators plan to include all courses in the evaluation process to determine which can be blended or enhanced, said Thomas McFarland, who will be the dean of the program. An example cited was two Internet development programs offered by different departments.