State legislators 'disappointed' by actions of college's trustees

Members of the Utah Legislature are "disappointed" by the recent actions of the Utah College of Applied Technology College board of trustees, which recently reappointed a former president who left the school in the wake of scandal.

Robert O. Brems was announced as the newest UCAT president last week, but his reappointment may have been against state law, legislators said Wednesday.

House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, R-Layton, said he is "personally disappointed" by the actions of the board, which made the announcement without disclosing the names of finalists for the position last week. State law requires public disclosure of the names of finalists before a decision is made by the full board, to allow for public input.

Brems, who has been working part time as program director for Dixie Applied Technology College for the past year, resigned as the third UCAT president in 2007, following a state audit of questionable accounting practices at the Mountainland Applied Technology College, where he worked before taking the head UCAT position the first time in 2006.

Brems was found by the state audit to have been involved in illegal transactions of school monies involving state legislators and approving a parade float that was designed and built by the college for the Utah County Republican Party. Brems, who has more than 30 years experience as an administrator and instructor in career and technical education, also influenced a lofty and "unreasonable" transition package, as stated in the audit, worth more than $157,000, that he received – in addition to his salary – when he left the MATC job to assume UCAT's presidential position. The audit also found that Brems' increase was underreported to the IRS.

UCAT board of trustees Chairman Thomas E. Bingham said the decision to select Brems came after an internal UCAT search.

"Mr. Brems is the right one to take UCAT forward," Bingham said in a statement released Friday. "His experience, understanding and passion for industry-driven career and technical education will serve Utah well."

New legislation passed this year, by a committee co-chaired by Garn, gave the UCAT trustees responsibility to appoint their own president, formerly a charge of the state's Board of Regents.

"Where we live in a world where perception is reality, even if they felt it was right or excusable, there are a lot of lurking questions that still exist," Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, said Wednesday. "If I were the board, I probably would have thought a little more."