U President Bernie Machen explained the role of research institutions at the state Board of Regents meeting Friday.
Machen’s comments came only minutes before state budget representatives reported the state’s economic situation. Their statement: State monies are low.
A tax revenue shortfall of more than $200 million worries all state agencies.
Come spring, the Legislature will have few dollars to appropriate.
After higher education receives funds from the Legislature, the Regents have the responsibility of appropriating the funds to individual universities and colleges.
“We have a lot of new Regents, and depending on where they went to college, they may not understand the role of research institutions in higher education,” said Paul Brinkman, associate vice president for budget and planning.
Gov. Mike Leavitt appointed eight new Regents to the board in July, making it one of the youngest Board of Regents in years.
Machen wanted to clearly show the Regents the difference between a research institution and a college. He explained the importance of research to the state of Utah, Brinkman said.
Five large posters behind him explained visually what Machen said.
One poster expressed the U’s commitment to graduate and professional degrees without forgetting it’s emphasis on undergraduate education.
Machen talked-up Utah’s broad system of higher education, and then listed the funding hazards that such a system creates.
“The idea that one size fits all can be very dangerous and destructive,” Machen said. “With this system, one must recognize that each [institution] has separate needs and issues that must be considered.”
The U, along with Utah State University graduate 72 percent of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Utah. The U also graduates 86 percent of doctorate and first professional degrees.
Another poster illustrated the leverage effect of state funding at the U.
The poster showed that for every dollar the state gives to the U, six more are produced through donors, research grants, tuition and other sources.
Another poster compared U revenues to local companies’ sales revenues. The U brought in more money than Iomega, Questar, Novell, NuSkin and Franklin Covey.
Machen used the information on this poster to visually tie a link between the state’s economy and the U.
The U employs 17,000 people, which makes it the second largest employer in the state behind the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Machen said.
“It is essential that the U is recognized as a research institution. Please, understand what research means at the U,” Machen concluded.