Some state legislators seem determined to fix higher education by removing oversight by a board of 16 regents appointed by the governor. The fact is, though, that the system already works pretty well.
The Legislature passed a bill to give the governor and Senate authority to approve the appointment or dismissal of a commissioner of higher education. Currently the regents hire and fire the commissioner. The bill would require regents instead to submit their recommendation for any new commissioner to the governor and Senate for approval. It would allow the governor to fire a commissioner "after consultation" with the regents.
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This bill is an unnecessary dilution of the regents’ authority, and it unhappily inserts even more partisan politics into education. But it doesn’t even come close to HB284, sponsored by Rep. John Dougall, R-Highland. That proposal would eviscerate the Board of Regents and turn its authority over to the individual boards of trustees that now direct the affairs of each college and university.
The regents would no longer oversee the system of higher education as they do now, but would only "coordinate" educational programs and operations.
Trustees, who, unlike the Board of Regents, have little interest in the system as a whole but only in elevating and expanding their own institution, would be handed the responsibilities that now are handled by the regents. They would appoint presidents, establish and maintain a master plan, control, manage, and supervise the institution, establish and define its role, prescribe the general course of study, change the curriculum and set tuition and fees.
HB284 would also make the higher education commissioner a political appointee of the governor. It would entirely change the makeup of the Board of Regents, creating a chairman who is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. The other eight members would be the chairs of the trustees boards of the state’s colleges and universities.
That’s a dangerous course to take.
The current system, with regents appointed by the governor under guidelines that provide for statewide representation and expertise in education, is working well. Giving all power to trustees would eliminate the more objective oversight of the higher education system the regents provide.
Some legislators can’t tolerate a board independent of their rule. But to meet the higher education needs of Utah, regents can’t meet all demands of individual legislators. Nor should they.
Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
