By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Snow College is developing programs that will be of benefit to residents in Juab County.
Doug Johnson, Snow College Continuing and Community Education director, attended Juab County Commission meeting and said that the college had several programs under development or consideration for Snow College.
During the 2013 legislature, a bill was passed that modified the college's advisory committee. It became a Six County Economic Development group.
"There is one representative from each of the Snow College service areas which exactly match the Six County AOG areas," said Johnson.
Brent Boswell, the Juab County Economic Development Director, was the representative from Juab County on the group.
"This last year, we developed a four-year bachelor's program in commercial music," said Johnson. "We were already strong there."
The Juilliard School has a connection with Snow College that allows excellence in the program.
"Snow College was unique," said Johnson.
There will be a new technology management degree with a transfer track to Utah Valley University which is projected for the regent's agenda in March of 2015.
"We are in the initial planning stages, said Johnson.
Gunsmithing will also be offered as a certificate program.
"All of the technology and instructors needed for this program are in place," said Johnson. "We are working with a national organization to determine what is necessary for certification."
Rick Carlton, commissioner, suggested that the college begin to look at ways to develop a virtual classroom in Juab schools similar to what high school students have but open to a larger number of people.
It would involve interactive video conference technology.
There would be no reason why it could not work, said Johnson. The equipment is already in place at the high school and, if classes were held there, in the evening, it could work.
"We would need to assess the demand," said Johnson.
Chad Winn, commission chairman, said that professors had been brought to the area on a weekly basis to teach some classes in the past.
Carlton said that, when the area is considered by developers, they want to know how many engineers live in the community, how many people who can sew live there.
He thought the college should evaluate what the county would need to raise the educational level of the residents of the area.
"When I was working with economic development," said Byron Woodland, commissioner, "we were looking at a separate building for the college to locate to here in Juab County."
It would be a Snow College building located in Nephi.
"Bachelor's degree classes are usually held during the day and Master's Degree classes are mostly held at night," said Carlton.
He said the Snow College building in Nephi needed to be a "brick-and-mortar" edifice.
Carlton said a lot of employees would allow a worker to slip away to take a class as long as it only lasted an hour. However, currently, a student would need to travel at least one hour each way to take a daytime class.
He said that it would not be that difficult for that same student to go to a center and participate in a virtual video conference class.
It would be inexpensive for a college professor who was teaching the particular class to flip a switch and allow a distance learner to participate.
"We need to find a facility here," he said. "The community will continue to grow in the next 10 to 20 years."
He requested that Johnson return to the college with that message and then research to get an idea of how many county residents would like that opportunity and would then seek a college degree.
Johnson said that a few other degrees were being considered. One is a Business and Rural Entrepreneurship Bachelors Degree.
"This is one of four degrees that were suggested that we develop from the six county economic development group and members of the state legislature from our region," said Johnson. "We are studying the proposal and have sought help from the director of The Foundry at the University of Utah for consultation on a number of matters in regards to this particular program."
"We do not yet have a timetable or even know if it is feasible," said Johnson. "We can envision how this program may be set up, but we do not yet know if it is good for the college."
Computer Science and Information Technology is a second degree suggested by the economic development group and members of the state legislature for the Snow College Region. The proposal is also to be studied.
Johnson said there were several working ideas of how the program could be created and function but the college was not yet certain if that was what they wanted to do as yet.
A third degree suggested by the economic development group and members of the state legislature from the region was a bachelor's degree in engineering.
"We are exploring this request," he said.
However, he was unaware if it could be done yet.
"The suggestion was for a general engineering program," said Johnson. "We are looking into a general engineering program, but we are only in the exploration stage."
The fourth degree suggested by the group is a bachelor's degree in Light Manufacturing.
"There are various programs like this outside of Utah, but we are studying the viability of such a program and looking at industry needs," said Johnson.
