Higher Education Task Force

The task force for higher ed governance met yesterday and discussed the challenges related to career and technical education governance. A proposal dealing with career and technical education was presented to the committee. The proposal is an attempt to elevate the role of career and technical education in the state system of higher education for Utah. Increasing the relevance with the governing board for higher education, that being the Board of Regents.


In the proposal the Utah College of Applied Technology (UCAT) governance has been adjusted to include the career and technical education classes that are taught in our traditional higher education intuitions. This adjustment puts under one board, the Career and Technical Education Board, all subjects dealing with career and technical education. The board would be responsible for the promotion of classes taught within the current UCAT system along with the classes taught in our traditional higher education institutions. This will allow for improved efficiencies and a better product for citizens of the state. The role and mission of UCAT when it was created was to provide responsive and short term training for business, so that individuals could get the training necessary for employment and then move into the work force. This includes an open entry, open exit time table for training rather then the traditional semester schedule. This role and mission will not change for either UCAT or for other institutions. In fact I see the open entry, open exit class schedule being expanded. In addition the proposal puts in statute a greater degree of accountability with regard to the role and mission. It also increases the input from Workforce Sevices and the Governers Office of Economic Development.

It will be interesting to see the type of response the higher education community offers as we debate this proposal.