UCAT Board of Trustees to revisit presidential appointment

Board to meet on Monday, November 30 at 9:30 a.m. at Ft. Douglas
November 20, 2009

Tom Bingham, Chair of the Utah College of Applied Technology (UCAT) Board of Trustees, has called a special meeting to revisit the board’s appointment of the UCAT president.

Chair Bingham provided the following statement today:

“Following a review of the agenda, minutes and recordings of the October 15, 2009 meeting of the Utah College of Applied Technology Board of Trustees, we have been advised by our legal counsel that the proceedings were in substantial compliance with the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act (Utah Code 52-4) with the exception of some technical omissions. While the Board did not knowingly or intentionally violate any part of the code in these omissions, Board leadership has determined to schedule a special meeting of the Trustees for the purpose of revisiting the process of presidential appointment and to correct the technical omissions.”

In the special meeting, the board intends to interview the two finalists for UCAT president in closed session. Final selection and appointment of the president will be considered in open session immediately following. The finalists, Michael J. Bouwhuis and Robert O. Brems, were announced in the October 15 board meeting after a report of the board’s presidential selection committee considered four applicants within UCAT.

Michael J. Bouwhuis is the campus president and chief executive officer of the Davis Applied Technology College, one of UCAT’s eight regional campuses, with headquarters in Kaysville, having served as such since 1994. He was previously associate superintendent for the Ogden/Weber Applied Technology Center. He has also served as a member of the Kaysville City Council. Bouwhuis earned a bachelor’s degree from Weber State University and a master’s degree in education from Brigham Young University.

Robert O. Brems currently serves as a program director for the Dixie Applied Technology College, another UCAT campus. He has also worked recently as a private consultant implementing manufacturing training and education programs in southern Utah. He has more than 30 years experience as an administrator and instructor in career and technical education. Brems earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial education from Utah State University.

Bingham indicated that members of the public may comment or provide input on the finalists to the board by emailing them to trustees@ucat.edu by Friday, November 27, 3:00 p.m.