(1) The Legislature finds that: (a) many Utah public education administrators are nearing the end of their careers and will retire early in the 21st Century; (b) Utah public schools have many mid-career faculty that could become the next wave of administrators if they were prepared with a doctorate in education degree that emphasized curriculum and instruction; (c) each of Utah's community colleges have several faculty that need a terminal degree and further knowledge in curriculum development and state-of-the-art instructional methodology, and these individuals, being mid-career, find it difficult to relocate to a college campus for a traditional program; and (d) the state and its students will be better served if faculty and administrators are more knowledgeable about the development of curriculum and the latest instructional methodology based on documented research.

(a) many Utah public education administrators are nearing the end of their careers and will retire early in the 21st Century;

(b) Utah public schools have many mid-career faculty that could become the next wave of administrators if they were prepared with a doctorate in education degree that emphasized curriculum and instruction;

(c) each of Utah's community colleges have several faculty that need a terminal degree and further knowledge in curriculum development and state-of-the-art instructional methodology, and these individuals, being mid-career, find it difficult to relocate to a college campus for a traditional program; and

(d) the state and its students will be better served if faculty and administrators are more knowledgeable about the development of curriculum and the latest instructional methodology based on documented research.

(2) Therefore, Utah State University shall establish a Distance Education Doctorate Program to accommodate public education administrators and community college faculty and administration.

(3) The program shall include the following components: (a) the offering of courses for a doctorate degree in education over the system established under Title 53B, Chapter 17, Part 1, Educational Telecommunications; (b) structuring of the program to make it identical to a regular campus program in rigor and course work; and (c) providing a support system from at least the following five departments at the university: (i) Elementary Education; (ii) Secondary Education; (iii) Business Information Systems and Education; (iv) Industrial Technology; and (v) Agricultural Systems Technology and Education.

(a) the offering of courses for a doctorate degree in education over the system established under Title 53B, Chapter 17, Part 1, Educational Telecommunications;

(b) structuring of the program to make it identical to a regular campus program in rigor and course work; and

(c) providing a support system from at least the following five departments at the university: (i) Elementary Education; (ii) Secondary Education; (iii) Business Information Systems and Education; (iv) Industrial Technology; and (v) Agricultural Systems Technology and Education.

(i) Elementary Education;

(ii) Secondary Education;

(iii) Business Information Systems and Education;

(iv) Industrial Technology; and

(v) Agricultural Systems Technology and Education.

(4) The university shall augment the program with off-campus summer courses, with those courses eventually being offered over the system established under Title 53B, Chapter 17, Part 1, Educational Telecommunications.

(5) The Legislature shall provide an annual appropriation to fund the program established under this part.