From Deseret News archives:

CEU, USU merger talks put on hold

Published: Monday, Feb. 25, 2008 12:10 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
A potential merger of Utah State University with the College of Eastern Utah has community members squirming while lawmakers have put a hold on drafting a bill to make it happen.

After community outbursts and an abundance of questions, Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, has put a hold on a bill that would give USU governance over the community college. He said the issue has snowballed into a controversy when the college might have been able to benefit from what a major university could offer.

Dmitrich has said no legislation will go forward that would potentially damage the college, which he sees as one of the community's greatest assets.

"I will not push it if it's not in the best interest for the students or the institution," Dmitrich said, "and I will not push it until Rep. Brad King is on my side." King, D-Price, who also works at the college, has said there are too many questions to be answered before talk of a merger can go forward.

USU President Stan L. Albrecht indicated in a statement that circulated recently on the Hill that he would support the legislation only if it benefited both institutions and their constituencies.

Story continues below
The idea is that a merger would better serve students in the greater Carbon community by giving them access to more upper-division and graduate-degree programs, as well as federal research dollars and an association with a major university. The bill will include a clause that would maintain CEU's open enrollment policy for the first two years, as well as tuition rates for lower-division courses.

CEU would retain its athletic programs, and the Board of Regents would have jurisdiction on when and how the merger is implemented.

USU, Albrecht stated, could benefit by opportunities to enhance programming to areas of the state that currently have more limited opportunities to participate in such programs as business, education, natural resources, geology and entrepreneurship. Albrecht said the university could also expand USU's programs in energy resource development and extend benefits to more rural areas of the state.

The proposed legislation provides for a transition plan that would address questions of governance and administration structure, faculty qualifications and compensation, career and technical education, student support services, program development, funding issues and other issues relating to the potential merger, he said.

Recent comments

USU has some branch campuses that are bigger than CEU. If you ever...

Me | Feb. 25, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.

We in Carbon County work hard. You see it by the loads and loads of...

steve | Feb. 25, 2008 at 5:41 p.m.

I don't think calling the motion a "merger" of the two institions....

NICKV | Feb. 25, 2008 at 1:36 p.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

Jared Quayle is a stud. He plays like a beast every time he touches the...

No Phx is not a majority LDS city Mesa is. As far as Tom's comment about...

BYU would like friendlier rivalry

Lest my Utah friends think I was just going to bang on my own, I think UteFan...

You can read the official declaration online via a photo of the original....

"McFeatters states that what Palin is doing, and doing brilliantly, is being...

BYU would like friendlier rivalry

don't mean to pick on you but fans from both sides make it easy to despise...

Boys basketball rankings

Nick Paulos is a great shooter, and Connor Brady's decent. But Provo and Kyle...

Explain this to me. He claims a utah fan ran on the field and threw a CUP of...

The International Center for Religion and Diplomacy mentioned in this article...

BYU doesn't have to make the U sound anti-Mormon, it's a fact; there is a...

Advertisements