By Cheryl Madsen
Beginning July 1, 2009, all alumni of UVSC will be able to request a diploma with the new name of Utah Valley University.
University status is expected to attract many students to UVU, including more international students.
According to UVSC's Web site, the enrollment rate is expected to increase with the college's transition to university status. In fact, the state projects UVU to have the highest enrollment in the state by 2020, according to the Web site.
The increase has already begun. Enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year is already almost 4 percent above last year's numbers.
Although 70 percent of students at UVSC are local, the university status is expected to increase the interest of both national and international students. ,
While admission rates are expected to increase, class sizes will remain small because of the projected increase in faculty, said Steve Namanny, UVSC admissions specialist.
UVSC's Web site expresses the school's worry that the title 'university' will deter some students who are more drawn to the community feel.
UVSC, which began as a technical college, has been a community college, a state college and will shortly become a university. UVSC has become a part of the community and 'UVU will make a concerted effort to reach these students to ensure them that UVU still fills this region's need for a community college educational experience,' according to the Web site.
'Catch the Fever,' the new UVU marketing campaign, has begun to spread throughout the region, as an effort to encourage the community to be a part of UVU, said Lyanna Lee, assistant director of integrated marketing.
'Green fever isn't your normal illness,' Lee said, in a press release. 'All of the symptoms are benefits.'
These symptoms include small class sizes, hallucinations of wolverines, pain-free tuition payments, hands-on experience, and comparatively higher starting salaries, Lee said.
'The purpose of this campaign is to get the community excited about UVU,' Lee said.
UVSC has undertaken the goal to 'promote school spirit and remind people of the presence we have here,' she said.
This fall's marketing campaign encompasses all traditional media, as well as video pod casts, email ads and interactive Internet ads.
Although UVSC already has community support for its Division I athletics, some students are asking if the school will be adding a football team.
'We're not saying 'no', but we are saying 'not now,'' said Cameron Martin, UVSC's assistant to the president. Martin said there are things that need to be taken care of before they invest in a football team.
'We first have to grow programs we already have,' he said. 'It would be unwise.'
Only two schools in Utah with a football team make any money from it - BYU and the University of Utah, Martin said.
However, UVSC has made several improvements in preparation for the transition.
Ninety full-time positions, including 40 new faculty positions, will also be filled as part of the university conversion process.
'As we fill these positions, we will recruit individuals who are supportive of building communities of engaged learners,' said UVSC President Samuel Sederburg. 'We must be cognizant that what Utah Valley University will be tomorrow will be largely dependent on who we hire today.'
Sederberg introduced the Communities of Engaged Learners Initiative in an effort to 'become more engaged in and connected with the local community and mold the institution to develop an educational model that is community-based,' according to UVSC's Web site.
The initiative is a plan to help students gain real world, hands-on experience throughout their education. The initiative will grant $400,000 annually to fund faculty and staff grants based upon student outreach in the community.
While the beginning phases of the transition are already apparent, the information technology departments of UVSC have to play the waiting game.
The process of changing everything from UVSC to UVU is a huge project, said Ray Walker, chief information officer. But right now, the school has to wait for the new logo and images to be completed before anything can be updated and changed.
The process isn't expected to be completely underway until December, Walker said.