Higher education bills advance

A measure that puts funding where concurrent enrollment courses are taught sailed through the House Thursday, while a bill that further clarifies career and technical education in Utah sailed through the Senate.

HB207, which hails concurrent enrollment as a money-saving option for taxpayers and redistributes funding between public education and higher education, was passed unanimously in the House and will move on to the Senate for additional consideration.

In addition, HB15 continued through the Legislature untouched after the Utah State Senate gave it a approval. Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, the Senate sponsor of the bill, said it both helps and hurts all entities involved in the compromise.

"This is not a consensus bill, but it is agreed to by all parties," she said.

HB15 makes the Salt Lake-Tooele Applied Technology Center a stand-alone facility, with its former responsibilities in the Salt Lake Valley adopted by Salt Lake Community College. The Utah College of Applied Technology gains more autonomy with the current bill, being released from supervision of the Board of Regents, and instead governed by its own Board of Trustees. That board will have the charge to appoint new presidents for UCAT's eight regional campuses throughout the state.

Another provision of HB15 puts a "speed bump" in the way of future mergers of vocational training outlets in Utah, said Sen. Curtis Bramble, R-Provo, who chaired a task force that convened throughout last year to discuss various higher education issues. UCAT's relationship with the Utah System of Higher Education and how such vocational courses are offered in Utah, resulted in HB15 and took the lion's share of the group's time. Bramble pleaded for the bill to move forward unamended, saying it required "careful structuring" for higher education and the Utah Collge of Applied Technology to reach the current, agreed-upon compromise.

"It not only helps UCAT, but it strengthens higher education in Utah," Dayton said. The bill landed on the Senate's third reading calendar for final consideration by the body. The issue, having already been heard and approved by committees of both bodies, was set to be one of the largest for higher education in this year's session, aside from budget complications.

"We support both of these bills," said Higher Education Commissioner William A. Sederburg. "HB15 is the result of a yearlong effort in working with several stakeholders and legislators. While it is not ideal for the Utah System of Higher Education, we are satisfied that all parties have reached a consensus on this current compromise."

HB207, along with another bill, SB81, sponsored by Dayton, improves the state's concurrent enrollment program, which Sederburg said is "a valuable education program that can help students earn college credit while still in high school."

E-MAIL: wleonard@desnews.com