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Senate approves merger of College of Eastern Utah and Southeast Applied Technology College
Summary
The Utah Senate passed first substitute House Bill 371 to merge College of Eastern Utah and the Southeast Applied Technology College, citing duplicated administration and an estimated $152,000 annual subsidy from CEU; the bill passed 25–2 with two absent.
Senators on the Utah Senate floor voted to approve first substitute House Bill 371, a measure to merge the College of Eastern Utah (CEU) and the Southeast Applied Technology College into a single applied-technology institution. Sponsor Senator Kilpack said the change will reduce duplicated administration and improve services to students.
"There's a significant duplication of effort between CEU and the Southeast Applied Technology College," Kilpack said, adding that "CEU has been subsidizing the other by at least $152,000 a year." He argued the merger would not eliminate instructional offerings and would help students access Pell grants.
Lawmakers questioned the scope and fiscal impact. Senator Stoll asked whether other Utah campuses were under study; Kilpack said the bill is limited to the two institutions. Senator Wadhams noted the study recommending the merger had been completed for CEU and said a similar review might be appropriate for Salt Lake Community College.
Kilpack moved that the Senate consider the bill under suspension of the rules for third and fourth reading and final passage. The clerk announced a roll-call tally of 25 yes, 2 no, and 2 absent; the measure passed and was returned to the House for the speaker’s signature.
After passage, Senator Petersen read proposed intent language encouraging Regents and UCAT trustees to explore collaborative program models at Salt Lake/Tooele Applied Technology College and Salt Lake Community College; Petersen withdrew that language after Senators said the subject is already included in interim study work.
The bill’s supporters said the merger would streamline operations and align applied-technology training with state higher-education planning. Opponents focused on making sure campus-specific impacts and facilities issues were resolved in follow-up studies and implementation steps.
Action: First Substitute House Bill 371 passed the Senate and will be transmitted to the House for final enrollment and the speaker’s signature.
