M&P Ep. 178: Deneece Huftalin, President of SLCC
The following is a summary of a Meat & Potatoes Podcast with Deneece Huftalin, President of SLCC. To watch the full podcast, please follow the links below.
With rising student tuition rates and an increased number of long, four-year programs, it is no wonder why so many students are going to community colleges to receive degrees or skills in the trades. Community colleges provide short-term, high-demand training programs that can help students prepare for the workforce quickly and affordably. Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) has been one of Utah's most prominent community colleges—serving around 60,000 students—with 10 campuses in Salt Lake, West Valley, Murray, Sandy, South Jordan, and now Herriman.
In this episode of Meat and Potatoes, President of SLCC, Deneece Huftalin, sits down with Garrett Clark to talk about the future of SLCC. President Huftalin talks about SLCC's decision to rebrand its technical college, School of Applied Technologies, to Salt Lake Tech and the new Juniper Building in Herriman.
From School of Applied Technologies to Salt Lake Tech
One of the most significant changes SLCC is making is its rebranding decision for its applied technologies college, from School of Applied Technologies to Salt Lake Tech. The decision to rebrand comes from the increased demand of technical skills and an effort to help potential students find these programs. The technical programs Salt Lake Tech is now putting a focus on have always been in SLCC's curriculum; the programs were often, as President Huftalin puts it, buried under the community-college perception of SLCC's name. Like most technical schools, students can get skilled in a trade, find a job, and continue their education for a degree if they wish to do so later. Many of the technical programs are subsidized at a higher rate, they tend to be shorter programs, and many can be done at the pace of the student's need. Institutions like SLCC are helping individuals find access to education in many different ways.
Learn more about the name change in this article.
Juniper Building
One of the most exciting developments in SLCC's history is its partnership with the University of Utah to open a campus in Herriman, Utah. Herriman is a developing city in Utah that is the home for many businesses and tech startups. The new location will allow students in the area to attend classes closer to home. But with two degree-granting institutions in one building, how does this partnership work? Well, it's pretty easy. Students receive an associate's degree from SLCC, and if wanting to continue their education, students can then work on a bachelor's degree with the University of Utah.
Conclusion
SLCC, like many other higher education institutions, is adapting its curriculum and access to fit market demands and trends. Unlike other institutions, SLCC maintains its values of providing short-term training that allows students to prepare for the workforce while also staying debt free. To learn more from President Huftalin about SLCC's future, please follow the links below.