Utah colleges provide 'degrees to nowhere,' state senator says

SALT LAKE CITY — A state senator took a swipe at Utah's colleges and universities Tuesday, saying they often provide "degrees to nowhere."

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, voted against a higher education budget bill before the Senate because it includes cuts to the Utah College of Applied Technology, which he says is more effective than universities in placing graduates in jobs.

Students enter college "with blinders on" and leave with thousands of dollars in student loans but no employment prospects, he said, specifically mentioning graduates in psychology, sociology and philosophy.

"They wake up to the stark reality that there is no job. The return on investment is stark," Stephenson said. "The taxpayers are subsidizing degrees to nowhere in many cases."

The return on investment for applied technology graduates is almost always positive, he said. "With UCAT, we're basically funding job training in real jobs."

Recent U.S. Department of Labor figures paint a somewhat different picture.

Unemployment rates for those with a bachelor's degree or higher is 4.8 percent, while the rate for those with some college or an associates degree, where most applied technology graduates would be included, is 8.1 percent, according to a December 2010 Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

Utah's colleges and universities are facing a 7 percent cut, as is most of state government. Applied technology schools are slated for 5.9 percent decrease percent. Stephenson said they shouldn't be cut at all.

His criticism of higher education raised the hackles of Sen. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake.

"I think I need to stand and defend our universities," he said.

College graduates, he said, generally earn higher starting salaries than do UCAT graduates. "That has a significant impact to our state budget as they earn those degrees and become part of our workforce," he said.

Sen. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George, told Stephenson he was overstating the lack of value in a college degree. The problem, he said, is students not finishing school.

"It's not a degree to nowhere," he said. "It's a frittered away resource to nowhere because most of our students are not getting their degrees."

Utah's average retention rates are 54 percent for two-year colleges and 63 percent for four-year public colleges, according to a 2010 Utah System of Higher of Education report.

Urquhart, who co-chairs the Higher Education Appropriation Subcommittee, agrees that programs that plug people into jobs should not be cut. But the current budget proposal is a "responsible way to start."

The bill passed the Senate 21-7, with Stephenson joining six Democrats in opposition.

Lawmakers this week intend to approve several bills to establish a preliminary state budget that will be tweaked throughout the legislative session. New state revenue estimates are expected in about two weeks.

"This is the base budget," Urquhart said. "I suspect we won't end up at this point."

E-mail: romboy@desnews.com