Utahns lukewarm to unifying colleges

Overall, Utahns oppose consolidation of the state's colleges and universities, but given more information, some would consider supporting it in the best interest of students.

A recent Dan Jones & Associates Poll conducted for Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV, asked hundreds of Utahns whether they support consolidation of various institutions where mission statements overlap. Most respondents said they'd rather smaller institutions remain separate rather than becoming branches of large colleges and universities.

While the decision whether to put St. George's Dixie State College in the arms of the University of Utah is a ways off, lawmakers this year will be faced with the future of one of the Utah College of Applied Technology's campuses. Salt Lake-Tooele Applied Technology College has not had significant increases in enrollment but rather competes with other options in the area for postsecondary education, including Salt Lake Community College. Both schools offer career and technical education in the same region, leaving the state's Board of Regents thinking it's an "unnecessary duplication," said Dave Buhler, Utah's interim commissioner of higher education.

He said SLCC provides 10 times as much technical education as UCAT's component in the region.

Fifteen percent of the total 413 polled last week say they would strongly favor such consolidations, while 17 percent would consider it, according to Jones' results. On the contrary, 25 percent somewhat oppose and 30 percent strongly oppose merging smaller colleges with larger ones, making them branch campuses. Thirteen percent asked the question didn't have enough information to make a decision and didn't know what they thought about the subject.

"We try to leverage the state's assets through partnerships," Buhler said. Several of the state's colleges and universities already work together to offer students at different campuses a chance to earn degrees their school doesn't offer.

Buhler said such programming allows the schools to meet the multiple and various needs of the people of Utah without having to be the same everywhere.

"It's what makes sense for students," he said. "It's not about what name it is called or who is in charge. It's about what will serve the people best."

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E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com

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