UCAT board will fight

The Utah College of Applied Technology board of trustees won't be supporting legislation that could end its governance of one of its campuses, but the board of regents is prepared to push for the merger of two campuses.

UCAT trustees voted during a regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday to oppose legislation that would consolidate the efforts of Salt Lake Community College and the Salt Lake-Tooele Applied Technology College, which the regents said serve the same population with similar services.

Board members oppose the proposal because they believe it not only takes away their authority to deliver career and technical education in the Tooele region, pertaining to the UCAT mission, but basically hands over a student body they've worked hard to grow and serve to SLCC, which is already a flourishing institution.

"It's all about the money," said trustee Thomas Bingham. "The only thing Salt Lake Community College has done is keep their foot on the throat of Salt Lake-Tooele ATC so they could not grow." He said the merger "is a step in the wrong direction" as far as the position of manufacturers and other industry partners.

Other trustees are concerned that the Utah System of Higher Education and the regents are taking action without them, making their position on this, and other issues, obsolete.

"It seems to me that this merger is meant to absorb the bad decisions and fix them," said trustee William H. Prows. "It bodes not well for the ATC as a whole." He said the college and its board "does what it can" to take care of their mission and that the proposed legislation is a "clear signal" of where the UCAT sits among other colleges and public school districts.

"There is evidence of an unnecessary duplication," said Interim Commissioner of Higher Education Dave Buhler, defending the merger.

Both SLCC and SLTATC offer career and technical education as driven by the needs of the community as well as the needs of students, offering certificate and associate-degree education options. According to a report initiated by former commissioner Rich Kendell, SLTATC's enrollment is down from previous years and not as many secondary or high school students are being served in the area as was expected.

"It's not just about the money," said trustee and regent Katherine Garff, who was the board's only dissenting vote against opposing the upcoming legislation. "I truly believe it's about the students." The issue of what model of education to follow in the area has been a topic of heated discussion for years, and Garff said never before has there been a more feasible solution than what is on the table. She urged the board to reread the proposal and reconsider their opinion.