Show ywrr j r v v STANDARD-EXAMINE- R SUNDAY DEC: 31 1989 NEWS EtnTOFS2S-42- 1 j j A EDITORIALS : rpnr1 hill The proposed designation earns an ’A’ in Ogden area By PAT BEAN OGDEN — Opposition exists to the proposed designation of Weber State College as a university but it's almost impossible to find it in the Ogden metropolitan area Faculty members at Weber State say the college has earned the designation The students think it's a great idea A chamber of commerce spokesman thinks it's an absolute necessity Mission 2000 supports the name change as do the Ogden City Council and the Weber County Commission And a Davis County legislator is going to sponsora bill to make the change official cial said those who oppose the change make the case that the school's role would be altered “1 don't see that The Board of Regents has to approve any mission change and every new graduate program So what's the fuss?” Doug Peterson a WSC student and convocations chairman said he is definitely in favor of the name change although he was skeptical at first “I felt there would be a mission change but I'm convinced now it would just be a change in name that would be good PR (public rela- university The name change would be a good image for the community the college and its graduates” Former WSC President Rodney Brady although emphasizing that the decision should be left up to the state Board of Regents said h thinks “the time has come for Weber to become a university” Peggy Pierce president of the WSC chapter of the Utah Public Employees Association said the college has earned the right to become a university Standard Examiner tions) for recruitment of students and professors” said Peterson Student officer Doug Clawson said he supports Weber State becoming a university because it would mean “a lot of prestige for the school” “It’s just a good idea” added student Jamie Marberger “A lot pf universities have a lot less enrollment than Weber I’m all for it” Nicki Brant another WSC student is not as enthusiastic “I go back a long way with Weber I was here as a student when it was just a two-yecollege We put out the product the professionalism that a university calls for I think we’ve earned the right to be called that” she said ‘ " I think' the' infighting (among institutions) for funding that goes on in this state is the only ar ' “The only place you find opposition is among the academia at the U (University of Utah) and Utah State” said Dee Livingood Ogden Area Chamber cf Commerce-boar- d president "And I don't think they are in the position to deprive Weber State of that right” Livingood said the name change is "an absolute necessity because in fact it already is a reasqn sorue people object to the name 7 7i change’” Sen Haven Barlow plans to sponsor a bill to make the name change offi “My only thought is how a name change is going to affect the educational process I'm ery neutral as long as I'm getting my education I don't care what they call it” Dix W Cloward director of WSC's Center for Logistics who came to Weber the first year the school was a four-yea- r institution said he thinks the name change would be prestigious “I frankly don't feel Weber will or should become a research university however” he said “We're better off doing what we can do excellently than being a stepsister to the institutions to the north and south of us We’re not second rate in what we do now and I certainly support us becoming a university” Ogden Mayor Scott Sneddon said the name change would mean “a vital boost to the community The council supports the name change and we wrote a long letter to be given to the regents that states our position” “Weber’s certainly creative enough to be a See NAME on 6D Regents must WSC already a university except name maintain itheir mission EDITOR’S NOTE: Here are excerpts from letter written by ‘Utah State University President Stanford Cazier an opponent of ythe proposal to rename H’ebcr State College a university The letter dated Oct 27 was sent to "tthe llah higher education If Rolfe Kerr w: EDITOR 'S NOTE: Here is the text of a letter written by former Weber Slate College President Rodney Brady a supporter of the proposal to rename Weber State a university The letter dated Nov 29 was sent to the Utah -- higher education commissioner ’ IF Rolfe Kerr - At the Board oT in meetihg Price 1-- Nov 15 concerning the use of the term “university’' in the names of Weber State and College Southern Utah State College the following comments may on1 19 Oc- - tober a decision was made to study the request of Weber I State College "L'A " In response to your letter of Jegepts Hand Southern Utah StateCol-Ieg- e to have thejp designations as colleges b&'changed to universities was surprised that the regents decided to study the issue I would have thought the master plan of higher education would have suggested a rejection ofit of hand I refer to page 2 of the executive summary of that document which under the heading of the “Preservation of Quality’) the following js written: "A moratorium is declared on ’" any question of institutional-- missions construed as academic drift —'ie community colleges” offering baccalaureate 'degrees undergraduate' colleges offering new graduateo(:k universities offering new graduate programs outside existing roles until sufih as Competideficits quality tive salaries" libraries computer and laboratory equipment and are many community colleges in academic jtfppiort have been the United States which enroll corrected end iheJssuesTjf ac- - between 10000-4000- 0 students (Mrami-Dad- e Community Col-- -' i-- be helpful: 1 of Weber State College aiut Southern Utah State College that ' they are of sufficient size t'6 ) justify this change in designation ‘ront college to university Size is a specious argument There - ! teaching insti- tution in America I would like to see that emphasis continue at Weber Graduate programs and research programs should be part of WSC's role only to the extent that they provide strength to the undergraduate program which is clearly the case in both the education and accounting master's degree programs 2) Though I did not find during my tenure the term “college” to be a major handicap in delivering quality undergraduate education observed that some excellent undergraduate students and superb faculty members I Calvin GrondahlStandard-Examine- r than 10000 which have been quality undergraduate institutions for decades and they intend to remain such well into have to my knowledge no aspiinstration to become four-year and certainly not yhivefsities: By the same token Sari’ 7lhere are many prestigious uni1e)’aV40705‘-:M6tittAntonio Qommenity 'College versities' in this country with a of less than C'ajir 20900 Orange Coast C oi lege Ca)iff230p0San-Di- e 10000 — ' among them go Mesa College Calif 24000v7 Princeton and Yale ' Also there are Mesa Community College’ Ariz many presti' 9000' etc) r gious undergraduate colleges Even the largest among them with enrollments also much less itutions ' the next century There substantial scholarship going on in universities and colleges which is not funded but is fundamentally the product of the energy imagination intellectual rigor and discipline of the individual scholar Vstudent-populatio- ’ 1 ' ) est undergraduate ' 7VThe p rj h c i pal ' a rg u tri£ n t Brady During my seven years as president of Weber State College my primary objective was to cause WSC to become the fin- I - is responsible for the product But universities worthy of the name 'should have the capacity to compete in the market place for funded research — funded either by corporations private foundations or the federal government As I have indicated to the Board of Regents Utah State University for the first time in its history now has See CON on 6D chose to leave Weber in order to become associated with institutions of lesser quality but which carried in their name the more prestigious term “university” Thus I believe that Weber might be an even better undergraduate institution if it carried the name of “university” 3) Educators and non-cduc- a- See PRO on Professor: Status not worth moratorium on graduate programs ' 7 '&PAy$EAN Standard Examiner V VdeN i-- v-a p i W'C' : f a Weber State College econom- four-yeasays gaining university designa-- 7 professor is not worth a proposed lion for “ ! ’inMitirtion’s name- moratorium m grad uate' 'program! "In many respects I feel the faculty at Weber "Mt seems to me that is an unreasonable re- Stale has earned the right to have the school quest just to have a name that makes sense” become a university” said Richard Alston said Alston "But Fni not sure it’s worth the latest requireWeber State already is a research institution ment — a moratorium on graduate programs said Alston in exchange for the name university” 1' ic? the-scho- 5 'It has been recommended by several higher education spokesmen and legislators that Strong wording emphasizing the school’s mis-r sion will remain that of a teaching college be attached to any action changing the - ' “Put the vitas of the econ department and zoology department and several other departments actively engaged in research and publication up against those of USU and the U of U and see if what we’re not doing is not research” said Alston “Weber State has some very special programs unique to Weber programs not offered anywhere else It seems illogical as a payoff to be denied to continue serving the state the best way we can "And it's nonsense for them to say they don't want another research university They already have one just without the big expensive research costs at the other two schools "Our faculty Is doing research and publishing textbooks and software They're doing what PhD professors do It's not the kind of research the state legislators should fear it’s the kind they should recognize" said Alston noting that such activities are required for tenure and promotion 6D |