Show Streamlining Begins On Utah Higher Education Streamlining institutional curricula curricula curricula cur cur- in in the Utah System of Higher Education has been one of the State Board of Higher Educations Education's primary means of inducing economy and efficiency efficiency efficiency effi effi- into Utah higher edu edu- cation THE Legislature laid this responsibility at the feet of the Board when it wrote the economy and efficiency instruction into the Utah Higher High High- er Education Act of the 1969 act which created the Board Since it first took the higher high high- er education reins in July of 1969 the Board has attempted to fulfill that responsibility by making exclusive role assignments assignments assignments assign assign- ments and combining or eliminating programs to prevent prevent prevent pre pre- vent further duplication within this System IN ITS last meeting for example example example ex ex- ample the Board authorized the elimination from institutional institutional institutional catalogs of 16 associate degree programs two baccalaureate baccalaureate baccalaureate bac bac- majors and seven master of arts two master of science and one master of philosophy degree programs These programs had produced produced produced pro pro- few degrees in the past two years Waning student credit hour production also indicated a decreasing future interest Before any of these programs may now be ret rei re- re i ti instated at a System institution institution institution tion they must be justified to the Board on the basis of suf- suf student interest and Consistency ons with the nt vrn v r norf r t 1 v-i v fI WITH THIS TInS approach the Board hopes eventually to eliminate all unnecessary duplication The Board is also looking into the institutional curricula from a student standpoint In Inthe Inthe the same March board meeting meeting meeting meet- meet ing for example the Board authorized the Educational Specialist Degree for the University University University Uni Uni- of Utah's Educational Administration Department FORMERLY a student in educational administration was forced to complete an extra year beyond his masters degree degree degree de de- de- de gree in order to qualify for administrative certification in Utah public schools By authorizing the Educational Educational Educational Specialist Degree which requires two years beyond initial teacher certification the Board was able to allow for forthe forthe forthe the phasing out of the now impractical Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees in Educational Administration UTAH STATE University was touched by the same action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion as its MA M.A. and MS degrees in education also were included Each one of the actions taken by the Board is backed up by hours of work and a minor research thesis prepared by the Boards Board's Office of Academic Academic Academic Aca Aca- demic Affairs DR LEON R R. R McCarrey associate commissioner for academic affairs who heads the office interprets curriculum and role matters as the foundation foundation foundation foun foun- dation for inducing quality and economy into the System When you consider that about two-thirds two of all the costs incurred in the operation operation operation opera opera- tion of higher education institutions institutions institutions can be charged di directly directly directly di- di to instructional budgets ff r its it's iry clear le tha tia the eco eco- must occur here McCarrey McCarrey McCarrey Mc Mc- Carrey said IT TAKES time to do this effectively McCarrey further explained since it would be unfair to eliminate programs abruptly and leave students unable to complete their chosen fields of study or be unable to satisfy the needs of the state and nation for trained manpower We have been fairly successful successful successful suc suc- I feel McCarrey went on Although the Board is yet to complete its second year together we have taken some great steps toward improving improving improving im im- im- im proving its caliber of programming programming programming pro pro- gramming and realizing some of the economy and efficiency goal established by the Legis Legis- lature HE SAID the Board had made 19 exclusive role assignments assignments assignments assign assign- ments discontinued 75 programs programs programs pro pro- grams and denied 12 requests for new programs But I think one of the Boards Board's crowning achievements was the adoption of the Uniform Uniform Uniform Uni Uni- form Course Numbering System System System tem with its open transferability transferability transferability transfer- transfer ability of credit provisions McCARREY explained that general education credits are arenow arenow arenow now fully transferable between all of the states state's nine public higher education institutions Before the Board was created created created cre cre- I often heard educators legislators and parents say that this would never happen he said with a smile r I |