By Kristen Radford
The rumors spreading throughout Utah Valley may become a reality in the next two years, as more and more sources affirm that UVSC will soon become a university.
Since its establishment in 1936, UVSC has become a vital part of Utah Valley, adapting to the changing population and the changing educational needs of Utah citizens. Initially a vocational education institution, the college changed its status markedly in 1993 when it became a baccalaureate-granting college.
Now boasting 51 bachelor degree programs and more than 270 career-related programs, UVSC is working to accomplish the requirements necessary for receiving university accreditation, although thus far the college has no specific date in mind.
'I don''t think there''s set in stone, in the sense that it will really depend on the university accomplishing milestones,' said Amanda Covington, director of communication for the Utah Board of Regents. 'The Commissioner says a two-year timeline seems doable.'
Covington said one of the milestones required of UVSC is the completion of a new, comprehensive library. UVSC is currently building this library but will be required to provide a wide-ranged inventory for it.
Along with the library, the Utah System of Higher Education will also require UVSC to decrease the ratio of adjunct faculty to full-time faculty on campus. Currently, there are too many temporary faculty members employed at the college. UVSC will also need to develop graduate programs, since the school currently offers none.
Funding is also a question and a requirement for achieving university status. UVSC officials have said that an estimated $10 million will help the college move forward. The question now is how much the Utah Legislature is willing to appropriate, and when.
'It''ll depend on the budget and the Legislature and their appetite for how much money they can put out there,' Covington said.
Funding will not be entirely a question of the finances allotted by the Legislature, either. In the past few years, UVSC has become proactive in raising private donations and fundraising. Individual colleges within UVSC set goals this year for fundraising and have so far been highly successful in accomplishing these goals.
'We''ve already had several of the colleges surpass their goals,' said Val Hale, assistant vice president of external affairs at UVSC. 'Private funding is an important part to becoming a university.'
But funding isn''t everything, and leaders at UVSC have been working for months with the USHE to develop a collaborative blueprint for the college''s growth.
After a visit to UVSC in October of last year, a team of outside consultants prepared a suggestive plan of action for the college. In order to decipher what UVSC leaders will need to accomplish to gain university status, the consultants first presented the differences between colleges and universities in the United States.
According to the report, a college is 'an institution devoted predominantly to undergraduate education with programs only at the associate or baccalaureate levels. In contrast, a university''s mission includes or focuses chiefly on discovering and refining knowledge - conducting basic or applied research.'
Universities are also typically renowned for being larger, more complex, and encompassing an attitude of academic freedom.
Consultants said in their report that if UVSC wishes to become a university, 'academic freedom will be tested and defended with increased vigor, faculty and students will expect and gain a more central role in institutional decision-making, the value-system of the institution will shift gradually but inevitably in the direction of research, and costs will increase.'
The report gave hope to leaders at UVSC, who say that it marks the college as a soon-to-be university.
'We are delighted with the report,' said William A Sederberg, UVSC president, in a news release. 'The consultants were clear that there should be no accreditation issues related to university status, although additional resources are needed to make the move appropriately.'
These 'resources' include the means necessary to accomplish a list of suggestions provided in the blueprint. In order to receive university status, the consultants urged that UVSC officials complete five basic steps:
-Reach an agreement about the timing and resources needed to accomplish the change.
-Inform and consult with the accrediting commission about the proposal.
-Commit the necessary resources and energy to the change.
-Develop and implement an approach to add faculty, reduce reliance on part-time faculty, and selected undergraduate programs, and revise teaching loads.
-Assess the preparedness of library, space and other resources to handle graduate programs.
When accomplished, university accreditation will provide greater opportunity and increased status for graduates of UVSC and may aid in further growth to Utah Valley. So far, the college has already proven its ability for growth. Since 1993, student enrollment has risen from 10,500 to more than 24,000.
Richard Kendell, Utah commissioner of higher education, said he is pleased with the growing prospects that UVSC''s university status will bring to Utah Valley.
'By following this blueprint over the next few years and securing needed financial resources, we can respond to the emerging needs of the community,' Kendell said.