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Show = &. ieee us aa x ete, Bess holla revi > ment eber State has suffered what one faculty member called “a mid-life crisis” as it nears its 100 birthday, a crisis resulting in a changing of the college’s mission to meet the challenges of its second century. A new mission statement recently drafted allows for admission standards for the first time at the college. The statement also implies the college will not offer some academic programs and allows for devel- a opment of a limited number of graduate programs with approval by the State Board of Regents. It also gives priority to the college’s active involvement in economic development in the area surrounding the college and emphasizes a focus on how students learn. “This document should carry us well into our second hundred years,” said WSC President Stephen D. Nadauld. The college’s recent mid-life crisis came not from a sense that something was wrong, but out of a feeling that to excel Weber State had to more narrowly define what it would do well, Pres. Nadauld said. “We can’t continue to be all things to all people,” he said. ¥ ay Weber State looks to future role aabaisas “liustisilhsiélatill 2 Money, and the lack of it in Utah for higher education prompted the initial internal look. The last few years state resources have continually dwindled in the face of rising education costs. That fact has forced the college to consolidate some programs and eliminate others all together in an attempt to preserve quality among remaining programs. But administrators felt uncomfortable making academic and staff cuts without any kind of general direction. They felt that even though program cuts were not desirable, a proper understanding of the college’s direction could actually make those cuts beneficial to the college in the long run. “One of the challenges of the institution is to decide where it ought to goand where, with the resources available, it can go,” he told a group of Ogden citizens. “We need to take the available resources and use them to move the college ahead. That means we will do some things well and others not at all,” he added. The idea of a newly defined direction sprang into official format with a ’Think Break” sponsored by the honors program WSC recently looked the window to the future of the college and designeda mission statement to prepare Weber State for the next 100 years. in late 1987. From that initial discussion 30 college professors and administrators were selected to attend a two-day retreat during the Christmas holidays. From that meeting a number of new mission state- ments were formed. One extreme called for radical changes — renaming the college the Utah Polytechnic Institute — and others called for no change at all. Ideas were also solicited from all staff see College COLLEGE on page 4 adds master's of ed degree The Utah State Board of Regents recently gave sole ownership of the combined masters of education program to the college, and while the final decision for such a move seemed inevitable from the first gavel, key issues as to Weber State’s role saw spirited discussion. A recommendation by Wm. Rolfe Kerr, commissioner of higher education, encouraged the higher education board to transfer the program from joint WSC/Utah State University ownership to Weber State and that recommendation appeared to weigh heavily with Regents. “This has not been an easy program to grapple with,” said Associate Commissioner of Higher Education Cecilia Foxley. “Clearly both institutions are able to offer the program, and Weber, in the past 10 years it has had it, has grown in ability to offer it alone.” Problems with dual administration prompted the call to end the joint sponsorship, said acting Dean of Education Dr. S. Craig Campbell. The dual ownership made positive change a slow process as both institutions had to come to some sort of agreement. But such agreements were difficult. “Each administration looked at the program differently, and they made their decisions differently,” he said. Utah State University President Stanford Cazier said, “I suppose the proper posture in the face of the inevitable is to take a posture of graciousness. I will in no way challenge the recommendation of the issue. I readily assert that Weber State is offering a good program, and I like to think that partly it’s that way because Utah State worked with Weber State to provide a quality program.” But the USU president and a number of regents were concerned that the college might use the masters of education and the masters of accountancy programs as precedents to ask for further graduate programs. The phrase, “A camel in the tent” was heard more than once. “We have to be very careful about the proliferation of graduate programs at an undergraduate institution,” said Steven E. Snow, vice chairman of the regents. In response to that sentiment an addition to the commissioner’s recommendation was approved which read, “Consistent with Regent’s policy, graduate programs at Weber State must be considered on a case-by-case basis in the future.” Regent Donald B. Holbrook of Salt Lake City, however, tempered that statement. “There is no maxim that Weber State will never becomea university. Over time, with the demographics that may be, Weber State might be a very fine university and we ought not to limit our thinking to exclude that metamorphosis. The state could benefit greatly from sucha change.” Dr. James Clayton, provost at the University of Utah, questioned Weber State’s ability to provide a quality program. Faculty would have to research more, be paid more, travel more and generally rise toa higher level of teaching, he said. “I don’t think we should feel comfortable that we’re establishing a quality program,” he said. But Dr. Campbell noted that the master’s program was not a new one to Weber State. “A quality master’s program has been in existence for 10 years. Dr. Clayton doesn’t know our program. Many of our faculty got their degrees there “As a result of haying the program here both local school tricts and teacher dissat- isfaction will improve. But ultimately children’s education will increase and that enhances the overall community.” (U of Uand USU). They shoot themselves in the foot when they say our program lacks quality.” Much of the discussion of the day centered around $59,000 WSC officials said the transfer would save. Regent Ian Cumming of Salt Lake City said, “I have a suspicion that there really is no savings, and if indeed we have a savings we ought to reallocate it to some. other school.” Pres. Nadauld gave a pointed reply, “Though you regard us as junkyard dogs, as you referred to us before, let me assure you that those savings are not fictitious. Those are honest savings.” In committee meetings Cumming continued to question the truthfulness of the reported savings. “I think this $59,000 is illusionary, and I think in the future the savings will be ephemeral,” he said. Pres. Nadauld countered, “The program can run as it has run in the past. We can take that $59,000 and apply it whereever regents direct. We can run the program as it is now without that money.” In the final tally the proposal to move the program, along with the $59,000 savings, to Weber State was approved by the regents with Cumming the loan dissenting vote. “I think I’ve been had,” Cumming said to the full board. ‘That program will not work without this $59,000.” e, Dr. Campbell noted that the money was indeed a savings, but said he hoped some portion of those funds would filter into the graduate program to strengthen future programs. The “M. Ed. is a very service-oriented degree. It’s really a logical extension of an undergraduate degree in teaching. We think that as a result of having the program here local school districts improve, teacher satisfaction will improve, and a masters degree will increase their pay. But ultimately children’s education will increase and that enhances the overall community,” Dr. Campbell said. |