But don't expect a flood of new programs - at least in the short run.

The regents approved the moratorium in 2002 as a cost-saving measure.

"I don't know if [the regents] will adopt it or not, but I am recommending they lift the moratorium and move on," Higher Education Commissioner Richard Kendell said Wednesday.

That recommendation will be considered today, when the 16-member board meets at Weber State University in Ogden. If regents sign off, the highly symbolic moratorium will end Wednesday.

Higher education officials are not able to quantify how much money - if any - the moratorium actually saved. There is no way to know because institutions voluntarily held back introducing some new programs if costs were associated with them.

For example, Utah State University did not have any of its requests for new programs denied, according to spokesman John Devilbiss. Because of the moratorium, USU officials only pushed for those programs deemed critical to the role and mission of the state's second-largest research university, he said.

"USU does have a backlog of about 12 new programs, two of which - a doctoral degree in communications and a bachelor of science degree in financial planning - will be coming up for regents' approval," Devilbiss said.

Although some university and college presidents have suggested that the moratorium was more a political move than a money-saving measure, Kendell sees it differently.

"The rationale for the moratorium was partially philosophical," he said. "It was meant to send a signal to all of higher education that it seems incongruent to develop new programs at the same time that we are cutting budgets. It was never intended to be permanent."

The moratorium emerged during the tenure of Kendell's predecessor, Cecelia Foxley.

Rep. Bradley Johnson, R-Aurora, who heads the joint Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, said Wednesday that he does not oppose the regents lifting the moratorium.

"It was a wise decision at the time," he said. "I have lots of confidence that they will keep a close watch and not let the number [of new degrees] get out of hand."

But even with Johnson's support, Kendell is careful about the message lifting the moratorium may send to some legislators.

"Higher education is not in a great budget situation and we don't anticipate further cuts at this point," Kendell said. "[College presidents] say they need to be responsive to their communities. There's quite a sentiment to free them up and let them do that."

sykes@sltrib.com