CEU, USU merger talks going smoothly

Utah higher-education officials hope to present the 2010 Legislature with a memorandum of understanding that will outline the policies and procedures necessary to meld Utah State University with the College of Eastern Utah as partnering institutions.

"We're dealing with a large number of complicated issues," USU President Stan Albrecht said Friday, adding that the process has "gone as well as it possibly could have gone at this point."

Issues include questions and complaints from people close to USU's Logan campus and CEU's campuses in Blanding and Price. Transition director Cory L. Duckworth said he has traveled back and forth to address those complaints. He said one of the biggest challenges – that of trust – is being addressed by the regular meeting of officials from both schools.

"It's about creating new relationships," Duckworth said, adding that the cohesion is helping to iron out other details of the pending transition.

Earlier this year, the state Board of Regents voted to merge the two institutions, realizing that CEU and USU could benefit each other in many ways. Five working committees are meeting regularly to discuss issues such as what to call CEU when it finally becomes a comprehensive regional community college under USU jurisdiction.

Accreditation issues are being discussed, as well as how to merge differing ideas on faculty, rank, tenure and promotions at the two institutions. Benefits are another issue, and so is developing a new governance structure that includes a chancellor who reports to the USU president.

"Everyone is working well together," Duckworth said. "They are past the idea of wondering if it's going to happen but thinking now about how it is going to happen."

CEU Interim President Mike King said the discussions have been productive so far and have also helped take people's minds off impending budget cuts for a time.

"We look forward to a very positive outcome in this," he said. His only request to the Board of Regents on Friday was that the new name of the institution "fit across the front side of a T-shirt."

e-mail: wleonard@desnews.com