LAYTON — Davis School District Superintendent Dan Linford never considered himself college-eligible for his high school graduation.
“I didn’t have a GPA, and I certainly didn’t have test scores,” he said.
But with a little family motivation, remedial classes, and the help of professors at Weber State University, he succeeded, and now leads Utah’s second-largest school district. “It was life-changing,” he said.
Now he and leaders at Weber State University, Davis Institute of Technology and Ogden Weber Institute of Technology are trying to send a message to people like Linford who think higher education is not for them. We are forming a team. No matter the resistance, college and technical school are possible, and the three schools announced Thursday an effort to offer automatic admission to high school graduates in Weber, Davis and Morgan counties.
Weber State President Brad Mortensen said only 60 percent of high school graduates pursue higher education within three years of graduation. Please enroll in school. ”
Officials say one barrier is the application process, and by allowing automatic admission they hope to remove that hurdle and encourage more students to try college. News of the partnership between the Northern Wasatch Collegiate Association, a trio of post-secondary institutions affiliated with the Weber, Ogden, Davis and Morgan County school districts, was announced Thursday at a press conference at Northridge High School in Layton.
“Even a small hurdle like the college application process can be daunting or overwhelming for some people,” said Weber State spokeswoman Rachel Badali. “The key is to make it easier to get started. That’s what we should do.” “With this initiative, students can simply fill out an interest form and receive detailed information about the school or all three schools they have been accepted to.”
Davis School District Superintendent Dan Linford spoke Thursday at the announcement of an initiative to automatically enroll high school seniors from Davis, Morgan and Weber counties into Weber State University, Ogden-Weber Institute of Technology and Davis Institute of Technology. (Photo: Benjamin Zak, Weber State University)
Darrin Brash, president of Kaysville-based Davis Tech, said the goal is to reach students who think college is not for them, regardless of their degree or career or technical certification. spoke. Approximately 10,000 students graduate from high school each year in Weber, Davis, and Morgan counties.
“We want these kids to understand that we want them in our facility and we are committed to their success.” he said.
James Taggart, president of Ogden-based OTECH, emphasized the school’s open admissions policy, meaning it admits all high school graduates even if they don’t finish at or near the top of their class. he said.
“Don’t worry about your GPA. We have programs and degrees that we know will make you successful,” he said.
Weber State University, Davis Polytechnic Institute and Ogden Weber Polytechnic Institute on Thursday announced a new initiative to automatically enroll high school seniors in Davis, Morgan and Weber counties. (Photo: Benjamin Zak, Weber State University)
Weber State University and the College of Engineering are already preparing for this program. Mortensen said this year’s fourth-year students in the three counties who are nearing graduation will be notified of their acceptance, likely within two weeks.
Ogden High School senior Grace Mullan attended Thursday’s announcement and ceremonially received her acceptance letter from Weber State University, where she plans to study abroad. “This new direct admissions process is more than just a procedural change. It represents a movement toward greater opportunity in our education. It eases our fears and helps us feel valued. “It gives us the strength to pursue the dreams we’ve had since we were little,” she said.
News of the Northern Utah plan comes a week after the Utah System of Higher Education announced the creation of Admit Utah. The initiative also aims to encourage postsecondary education among graduating high school seniors. As Mortensen explained, the new Northern Wasatch College Association is taking another step forward, removing barriers to the application process.
According to Brash, post-secondary education generally leads to higher income levels, greater financial security, and a better quality of life for those who receive it. Additionally, improving the level of education in a community generally reduces reliance on public assistance and benefits the local economy, he said.
“We want you to stay here and we want our community to thrive, and our employer partners want that to happen as well,” Taggart said. .
