Will we lead or manage education?

Utah's legislative leaders and governor are appropriately proud of Utah being recognized as the "best-managed state in the Union" (Pew Trust). Utah has a good bond rating, produces balanced budgets and watches every dollar very closely. Well done, managers!

While praise for good management is deserved, it is more important that decision-makers are also leaders. As Hugh Nibley, former BYU scholar, opined, too much emphasis on management instead of leadership can be a "fatal flaw" in civilizations.

The Utah legislative process is particularly difficult to watch this year because too often, it seems, the desire to manage outweighs the desire to lead. The next two weeks will determine if the Legislature and governor will "lead" or just manage the state.

Leading may require making difficult decisions to invest in the future.

Leadership calls for a maximum effort to protect education from cuts that weaken the quality and access to education services. Utah universities and colleges are attempting to deal with 24,528 more students than two years ago. At the same time, legislative leaders started the session by calling for a 22 percent reduction in the state budget for universities from 2008. The governor, recognizing the importance of education to the state's future, is recommending no further cuts to education budgets beyond those already implemented (about 9 percent).

New revenue estimates may mean the Legislature will not cut as deeply as originally planned, but so far, leaders are tight-lipped and no new plan has been announced. I am hopeful legislators will take into account this first good economic news.

However, if their original plan is enacted, the difference with the governor's budget for higher education is an additional 13 percent cut, or $93 million. This will deny education to thousands of Utah citizens. At Salt Lake Community College, it means a reduction of 1,880 sections and the denial of educational opportunities to approximately 4,700 students. At Utah Valley University, 372 class sections will be closed and 930 students turned away.

Throughout the state, we estimate that implementing the legislative plan will deny access to 9,410 Utah residents. This, when Utah citizens are enrolling in colleges and universities in record numbers.

Last week, we announced the largest one-year increase in enrollment in the history of Utah higher education. In addition, citizens are borrowing money in record amounts to attend college. My office annually serves 96,000 students who borrow a total of $500 million each school year.