Institution Submitting Proposal:
UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY
College:
Technology and Computing
Department or Area in Which Program
Will Be Located:
Apprentice Technology
Program Title:
AAS Apprentice Technology
Recommended Classification of Instructional
Programs (CIP) Code:
Proposed Beginning Date:
46.9999; 46.0201; 46.0503; 46.0302; 46.0303;
46.0399; 46.0411 (for the different emphases)
Fall, 2011
Institutional Signatures:
_____________________________________________
Matthew S. Holland, University President
Utah Valley University
______________________________________________
Ian Wilson
Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs
_______________________________________________
Ernest Carey
Dean
_______________________________________________
Larry Marsing
Associate Dean, School of Applied Technology and Construction
Date: 10/15/2010
Section I: Request
The department of Apprentice Technology at Utah Valley University requests the discontinuation of the
Apprentice Technology AAS degree, effective Spring, 2011.
Utah Valley University (UVU) and Mountainland Applied Technology College (MATC) have been
cooperating to teach the Apprentice degree courses since Fall, 2007. UVU has assumed responsibility for
the administration of the Apprentice programs, billing MATC for the costs associated with MATC students
enrolled in the program’s classes. Starting with Fall, 2008, UVU did not offer any first year Apprenticeship
classes and MATC assumed responsibility for those classes. At the end of three years (Fall 2011), MATC
will be teaching all of the Apprentice classes and UVU will remove the programs from their catalog.
Section II: Need
During the Fall 2006 semester, enrollments in many of the more traditional ‘trades’ programs at UVU had
fallen to a point where two of those programs (Welding and HVAC) were discontinued. An analysis of the
rest of those programs showed that others were reaching very low enrollments. The Apprentice AAS
programs were in that category. The problem of low enrollments was further complicated by the
decreasing number of students completing the AAS degree in the Apprentice programs.
Graduates from Apprentice AAS Programs – All Emphases Combined
Fall
2004
0
Spring
2005
6
Summer
2005
2
Fall
2005
0
Spring
2006
2
Summer
2006
1
Fall
2006
2
Spring
2007
0
Summer
2007
1
Fall
2007
0
Spring
2008
2
Summer
2008
1
Meetings were held with MATC to determine whether joint offerings of the Apprentice courses would result
in large enough enrollments to carry the classes. Advisory boards for the Apprentice programs were
consulted and it was determined that many of the students in the program were not interested in the college
credit associated with the courses, but were taking the courses primarily to obtain the journeyman licenses
associated with the professional courses. As a result of the discussions, UVU and MATC began
combining Apprentice classes since the fall 2007 semester. Curriculum for the Apprentice programs is
determined by the individual professional organizations and all instruction is performed by members of the
professions with journeyman licenses. Therefore, students from MATC and UVU were already receiving
the same instruction from the same group of instructors. Students enrolled as MATC students paid MATC
tuition and did not receive college credit while UVU students paid a higher tuition but did receive college
credit.
In 2008, an audit of the cooperative apprenticeship offerings was performed and meetings were held with
various units of The Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL). These meetings
revealed that there was a desire for the AAS opportunity, but none of the organizations required an AAS
degree for employment, which partly explains the low completion rates for the Apprentice degrees. One
key recommendation from the audit committee was to take advantage of the lower tuition cost opportunity
created by the funding of the Applied Technology College programs in the state and to place the programs
where their educational responsibility has been tasked, the responsibility for the apprenticeship programs
should be transferred to MATC. That transfer started with the courses in Fall, 2008.
Section III: Institutional Impact
The apprenticeship training programs will go forth uninterrupted, administered by MATC. UVU students
currently in the program will be allowed to finish the program by enrolling as UVU students in courses
administered by MATC. Students will be expected to finish the UVU AAS programs by May, 2011.
UVU administered the cooperative effort until May 1, 2009 at which time MATC assumed the administrative
responsibilities over the Apprentice programs. UVU had three individuals working full-time with the
apprenticeship programs. Those positions were eliminated on May 1, 2009, which were identified as
surplus to satisfy part of the budget reduction mandated by 2009 Legislative actions. MATC have
personnel in place to assume the apprenticeship responsibilities.
All other equipment associated with the Apprentice program will be transferred to MATC.
. Section IV: Finances
No new funds will be required by UVU to implement these changes. All savings have been designated as
part of the funds released in the base budget reduction.