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SALT LAKE CITY -- A state senator took a swipe at Utah's colleges and universities Tuesday, saying they often provide "degrees to nowhere."
Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, voted against a higher education budget bill before the Senate because it includes cuts to the Utah College of Applied Technology, which he says is more effective than universities in placing graduates in jobs.
(Graduates) wake up the to the stark reality that there is no job. The return on investment is stark.
–Sen. Howard Stephenson
Students enter college "with blinders on" and leave with thousands of dollars in student loans but no employment prospects, he said, specifically mentioning graduates in psychology, sociology and philosophy.
"They wake up the to the stark reality that there is no job. The return on investment is stark," Stephenson said. "The taxpayers are subsidizing degrees to nowhere in many cases."
The return on investment for applied technology graduates is almost always positive, he said. "With UCAT we're basically funding job training in real jobs."
Utah colleges and universities are facing a 7 percent cut, as is most of state government. The eight applied technology schools are slated to be cut 5.9 percent at this point. Stephenson said they shouldn't be cut at all.
His criticism of higher education raised the hackles of Sen. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake.
"I think I need to stand and defend our universities," he said.
It's not a degree to nowhere, it's a frittered away resource to nowhere because most of our students are not getting their degrees.
–Sen. Stephen Urquhart
College graduates, he said, generally earn higher starting salaries than do UCAT graduates. "That has a significant impact to our state budget as they earn those degrees and become part of our workforce," he said.
Sen. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George, told Stephenson he was overstating the lack of value in a college degree. The problem, he said, is students not finishing school.
"It's not a degree to nowhere," he said. "It's a frittered away resource to nowhere because most of our students are not getting their degrees."
Urquhart, who co-chairs the Higher Education Appropriation Subcommittee, agrees that programs that plug people into jobs should not be cut. But the current budget proposal is a "responsible way to start."
Lawmakers this week intend to approve several bills to establish a base state budget that will be tweaked throughout the legislative session. New state revenue estimates are expected in about two weeks.
"This is the base budget," Urquhart said. "I suspect we won't end up at this point."
E-mail: romboy@desnews.com
