Higher ed is key to Utah's economy

Over the past 67 years, Utah Trades and Technology has gone through several metamorphoses leading to Utah Valley University, as we all know it today. Since its inception in 1941, UVU's faculty and staff have been dedicated to meeting the educational and economic development needs of the region — offering quality education at an affordable price. The community has responded, and thousands have come streaming through our open doors seeking opportunity.

This fall, 26,696 students are enrolled at UVU. That translates into an increase of more than 2,800 students this year alone. Overall, student enrollment is up 12 percent from a year ago, making UVU the fastest-growing school in the Utah System of Higher Education. In addition to new and transfer students, UVU experienced nearly an 8 percent increase in continuing students this fall — evidence that more and more students are staying at UVU all four years. Transfer student enrollment is up 30 percent. Furthermore, consistent with the changing population of our regional service area, UVU's student body continues to grow more diverse, with 25 percent and 33 percent jumps in enrollment in Hispanic and black students respectively. With our first master's program now in place, UVU also welcomed its very first group of graduate students in the field of education.

While these milestones are significant and have caught the attention of many, we feel strongly that much of our popularity is and will continue to be the direct result of the brand of education students receive at UVU. The ways in which our faculty and staff engage both students and community in the learning process are part of a phenomenally successful model, but one that, like all education, requires funding. Despite having the lowest square footage per student in the state, the university is providing world-class education to Utah students, sending graduates out into the world armed with both a diploma and a r?um?

But in a time of sharp enrollment increases and even sharper budget cuts, this quality of education is threatened.