By Scott Johnson
For more than 30 years Greg Ferderber enjoyed working in the mining industry and teaching students about mining at the College of Eastern Utah. However, Ferberder will likely be out of a job because the college announced it will drop the mining program.
'It was a politically motivated decision and we can''t find any logic in the decision,' said Ferderber, who serves as chairman of the mining department. 'No logic whatsoever.'
The CEU administration stated the declining enrollment in the program and legislature-inflicted budget restrictions as reasons for dropping the program this year, which had been offered for 30 years.
'It just isn''t a real necessary thing anymore,' said Brad King, CEU vice president of institutional advancement and student services, in a news release.
The administration noted the area has lost over 500 mining jobs in the past five years.
Ferderber said those numbers are very deceiving to the average person because of independent contractors in the mining industry.
'The reality of it is when you look at the contract miners, they are not counted on any one of the mining companies employment lists, because they are contractors,' Ferderber said. 'The state of Utah has actually picked up about 123 mining jobs.'
CEU, like most of Utah''s public colleges, have made cuts to counterbalance the rising costs. The university also dropped the cross-country and track programs along with speech and debate programs.
There are some who still don''t understand the administration''s decision. Karl Kraynce, former chairman of the mining program advisory committee at CEU, said he was disappointed with the closure of the program.
'I can tell you that from my perspective the industry was well pleased with the services provided and programming offered,' Kraynce said. 'Students were well-pleased with the quality of the programs and the teaching that was provided.'
Ferderber said when the administration decided to drop the mining program they only looked at enrollment in the associate degree program. He said the associate degree was only one level of the program. CEU''s mining program offered credential upgrade classes to miners in the industry.
'The department was personifying the role of a community college by serving the industries in the community,' Kraynce said. 'It was getting good reports and good response from the industry.'
The state Board of Regents decided to turn the remaining mining education courses over to the Utah College of Applied Technology.
'The administration doesn''t see the reputation we have built with the mining industry.' Ferderber said. 'CEU administration turned their backs on them.'
CEU President Ryan Thomas said in a news release that the school does not want to send the wrong message to the community that they are less supportive of the mining industry.
Ferderber still serves as the chairman of the mining department, although the department instructors were already released. He said he expects his fate will be similar to those of his colleagues.
'I''m not a young man, I''m 55 years old,' Ferderber said. 'I''m in a real precarious situation.'