Latest news with #HB265
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Hard things lead to adaptation': Utah's colleges on what they'll cut, add following state pressure
Friday's Utah Board of Higher Education meeting offered telling glimpses into the academic future of the state's public colleges and universities. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed House Bill 265 — the so-called 'strategic reinvestment' initiative requiring Utah's eight public colleges and universities to reallocate millions of dollars to programs determined to be of highest value to both students and Utah's economy. On Friday, representatives from the state's eight degree-granting public schools presented their strategic reinvestment plans to the board. There's much on the line. If the schools' respective plans are approved by the Board of Higher Education and, in the coming months, by the Legislature, they can reclaim the 10% of their annual budget that was cut during the recent legislative session. Each of Utah's schools are, of course, unique in size, funding and mission. Their respective reinvestment plans reflect those differences. But there were shared similarities Friday. First, the institutional changes demanded by HB265 certainly exact some pain. Jobs, academic programs and colleges are being cut to reinvest in other areas. But higher education leaders also said the legislation presents opportunities to decide how to best serve the state's students — professionally and personally — in an ever-evolving world. A statement Friday from University of Utah President Taylor Randall speaks to a 'moment of reinvention' in higher education: 'My support for these moves is not only about legislative compliance and fiscal responsibility — it is also a reflection of my commitment to the vision of where the University of Utah needs to go to be an impact university," Randall said. The state-imposed reallocation/reinvestment plans will occur over a three-year period. At least 30% of the reallocated dollars must be deployed by each school in fiscal year 2026. At least 70% in 2027. And 100% in 2028. Here are highlights of each school's Strategic Reinvestment Plan presentations: Celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, the University of Utah has a student body of almost 37,000. The state's flagship institution of higher learning has the largest HB265 reallocation burden: More than $19.5 million. The University of Utah's strategic reinvestment plan remains a work in progress. The school is still finalizing its reallocation targets for fiscal years 2027 and 2028 — 'Phase 2' and 'Phase 3.' The board on Friday approved the school's reinvestment plan, conditional on the institution returning by September with sufficient details. Randall said the time extension is needed because of the volatility facing 'Research 1' universities due to changes implemented by the Trump administration. On a daily basis, 'there are tens of millions of dollars of grants moving back and forth,' he said. 'Those actually affect staffing decisions and faculty decisions. So we are grateful that you've allowed us some time to let some of those things settle down.' The University of Utah's 'Phase 1' reinvestment plan includes reallocation investments in engineering; advancing responsible AI and biotechnology; boosting programs that address the critical nursing shortage; and strengthening General Education by focusing on civic responsibility and building durable skills such as critical thinking and conflict resolution. The University's 'Phase 1' disinvestments will come largely by implementing improved efficiencies in administration and administrative support areas. Meanwhile, scores of courses and programs at the University of Utah are being sunset across a variety of colleges — including graduate programs in educational psychology, bioengineering, modern dance, Middle East Studies, sociology/criminology and neurobiology. Looking forward, Randall said the school's finalized reinvestment plan will look at maximizing shared services opportunities while also examining program and college redesigns and early retirement opportunities for employees. The state's sole land-grant university with a statewide enrollment of almost 29,000, USU is required by HB265 to reallocate approximately $12.6 million. School leaders are concentrating their changes on three broad categories: Technologies and Careers for the Future (i.e., addressing critical needs in engineering, artificial intelligence, computing, and analytics); Health and Wellbeing Workforce; and improving Student Access, Success & Outcomes. Proposed reallocations include new faculty positions in AI and data science, a new school of computing, a new chemical engineering program and the expansion of the school's aviation program. In health care, USU proposes to expand mental health and well-being programs and its nursing program — while creating a new College of Health and Human Sciences and a new Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Investments are also planned in Student Success Support programming and USU's Online Enterprise. USU's proposed plan does include significant personnel costs. Approximately 120 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions are slated for elimination — including positions in school administration, staff and faculty. (Note: FTEs do not represent, number-to-number, full-time employees.) Several USU programs, degrees and certificates are expected to be discontinued — including bachelor's degrees in American Studies, agriculture communication, deaf education; master's degrees in financial economics, fitness promotion; and an associate's degree in theatre offered at the school's Price, Utah, campus. USU's Interim President Alan Smith aptly noted the mix of challenges and opportunities offered by HB265. 'Hard things,' he said, 'lead to adaptation.' The state's largest community college with an enrollment of almost 25,000 students, SLCC is required by HB265 to reallocate approximately $5.2 million. SLCC is focusing on three 'major outcomes' in support of the bill's goals to align funding to evolving student and workforce needs: 1 - Reinvesting in workforce and high-demand transfer programs — including over $2 million reinvested in technical programs, almost $1 million in the Gail Miller Business School and $586,000 in the School of Health Sciences. 2 - Reducing administrative overhead costs to reinvest in instruction programs by, in part, eliminating five administrator positions and through consolidation. 3 – And centering student outcomes in the decision-making process — prompting almost $600,000 in additional reductions that went beyond HB265's budget reduction requirements. SLCC's proposal would result in decreasing the number of instructional offerings from 195 to 147 total certificate and degree programs, while also consolidating the School of Arts, Communication & Media. The changes are expected to impact 50 full-time and part-time employees. Fifteen are vacant positions — 35 are slated for layoffs. Many employees impacted by layoffs will have opportunities to transfer to another position at the school — or pursue a retirement option, according to the school. Five new SLCC faculty positions will be added, through reinvestment. Almost 5,000 students are pursuing higher education opportunities at Snow College. The Ephraim-based community college is required by HB265 to reallocate $1.7 million over the next three years. Plan highlights include expanding the school's prison education program, the elementary education program, the respiratory therapy program — and the creation of several new programs, including Pre-Architecture & Drafting, Strategic Communication and Public Relations, Commercial Driver's License and Rural Entrepreneurship. Additionally, there are plans for 12 'reinvested' positions in the works. Meanwhile, several academic programs are slated for disinvestment — including French, Italian and Media Studies. There will be 11 jobs eliminated — including positions in information technology and student affairs. However, there were no involuntary separations or forced layoffs. One vice president position was eliminated at Snow. Located in St. George, Utah Tech University has enjoyed steady enrollment growth in recent years. Today's UT student body is over 11,000. HB265 requires UT to reallocate $2.5 million over the course of its implementation. UT's plan aims to meet workforce demands, while increasing enrollment — including adding 19 faculty and instructional staff positions in high-demand areas such as business, engineering, psychology, health sciences and digital media programs. The school also plans to add an Associate Dean for Arts. Reductions are being made, in part, by eliminating several staff, faculty and administrative positions — including the school's Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships, one Spanish Education and one Theater Directing faculty member; and one school dean and five administrative support positions. The direction of HB265, said newly installed president Shane Smeed, helps UT 'strengthen and accelerate UT's pursuit of polytechnic mission and value.' Home to almost 14,000 students, SUU is required to reallocate $3.1 million. The school's plan focuses primarily on Utah's workforce needs and identifying emerging student opportunities. Multiple faculty positions, for example, are being added to the school's business, STEM, health care, and innovative tech programs. Several new positions are also being created to enhance student support as they prepare for careers. Meanwhile, 25 positions are being eliminated in several fields — including chemistry, biology, history and math. Twenty-four academic programs are being eliminated. Majors slated for elimination include Philosophy, French, French Education and Art History. The Arts Administration (face-to-face) and Athletic Training master's programs are also being cut. Several associate degree programs — including many which were already slated for eventual elimination — are also being dropped. Also, SUU's College of Engineering & Computational Sciences will be combined with the College of Natural Sciences. 'This has been a good thing to get us looking to the future,' said SUU President Mindy Benson. Weber State University, which has experienced record growth in recent years, enrolls approximately 27,000 students. The Ogden institution is required by HB265 to reallocate approximately $6.7 million. Forty-nine positions are being cut: 11 administrative positions, 10 staff positions and 28 salaried faculty — with most of the faculty cuts coming from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities. Several administrative slots are also being reduced — including the school's Assistant Vice President for Regional Partnerships and the executive director for Academic Support Centers & Programs. Meanwhile, dozens of majors, certificates and minors are being eliminated — including majors in Applied Physics, Dance Education, Geography, German and Computer Science Teaching. Reallocation highlights at WSU include more than $800,000 going towards academic advising support; $685,000 for high need health profession areas; more than $2.6 million to support, in part, the development of sub-120 hour degree programs; initiatives to enhance students' academic experiences; and development of new credentials aligning with Talent Ready Utah Occupational Priority List. WSU also plans to establish a new associate dean position within the Dumke College of Health Professions, specifically focused on nursing. The state's largest university with an enrollment of almost 47,000 students, UVU is required by the state to reallocate approximately $8.9 million. During their presentation Friday, UVU leaders say they have been implementing efficiency-focused decisions long before HB265 — reducing, in recent years, a number of academic schools/colleges and discontinuing the English Language Learning Program. And last October, the school implemented a campus-wide hiring freeze to manage budgets. Still, this year's Legislative actions are taking a toll at the Orem institution. Forty-five employee positions are being eliminated. Thirteen of those jobs were already vacant. Meanwhile, several specific academic programs are slated for cuts — including a specialized associate's degree in business; certificates in woodworking/cabinetry and administrative information support; and a nursing education Master's degree. Expenditures are also being reduced in UVU's Academic Affairs departments — including the Innovation Academy and Program Assessment budgets. Other highlighted areas of UVU's reinvestment plan include: Expanding resources for emerging occupations such as AI. Increasing engineering-related initiatives in mechanical engineering, computer science and IT. Expanding health and wellness opportunities in occupational therapy and behavioral health. And further investing in General Education to develop critical thinking, communication and durable skills.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meet President Shane Smeed: Utah Tech's new leader anxious to optimize school's evolving opportunities
Newly appointed Utah Tech University President Shane Smeed's first day on the job — May 1 — happened on the same day as the school's annual graduation ceremony. 'So my very first day was a commencement — and on my second day, we had three additional commencement ceremonies,' Smeed recently told the Deseret News editorial board. 'So within the first 48 hours of me serving as president, we had the fortunate opportunity to be able to celebrate some of the most exciting days in the lives of our students and their families.' Smeed's enthusiasm to be sharing his personal achievements with those of the UTU student body, simultaneously, seems apropos at a moment of historic change — both within the UTU community and across Utah's higher education system. Perhaps none of the state's degree-granting public institutions has experienced the level of growth in recent years as UTU. During the 2000s, the school originally known as the St. George Stake Academy went from being Dixie State College to Dixie State University and now, since 2022, Utah Tech University. Even the school mascot has evolved: Rebels to Red Storm to Trailblazers. Meanwhile, UTU's enrollment has grown every year since 2013, increasing by almost 60% to over 13,000 students today. Of the school's 304 academic programs, 60% have been developed within the past seven years. One reason why UTU has become a popular higher ed destination for many Utahns — 82% are in-state students — is obvious: It's the most affordable university in the state. But the school's 19th president believes UTU's opportunities extend beyond affordability and program growth. While some in Utah's public higher education system view recent legislation demanding budget reallocations as a hostile act against traditional learning, Smeed sees opportunities. HB265, he counters, 'allows us to reinvest money in the places where we think can be impactful — not only in (students') educational experience, but also in the workforce and preparing them to meet workforce needs and its requirements." Additionally, Smeed is anxious to reconnect with members of the UTU community who may have separated themselves from the school. UTU, he said, is their asset. 'It's an asset for the state. It's an asset for the community and (Washington County). I see my role as president as every bit 'externally facing' as internal — so it's a great opportunity.' Prior to Smeed's hiring, UTU was without a president for over a year after President Richard 'Biff' Williams stepped down from the position. Williams, who now serves as president of Missouri State University, was included as a defendant in an ongoing lawsuit alleging Title IX violations in the wake of a vulgar prank. When asked if those divisive investigations have harmed UTU's reputation, Smeed said his new job offers him the opportunity to be 'a spokesperson for the university' going forward. 'Reputationally, our community will see that our students are probably the best representation of who we are as a university.' A Utah native, Smeed served for almost four years as the president of Missouri's Park University, where he championed education/workforce readiness and expanding the Park campus for military-affiliated students. He and his wife, Angela, are the parents of three children. Smeed presided over Park University while also serving as the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Platte City Missouri Stake. While going through the UTU job application process and meeting with Utah's higher education leaders and members of the Washington County community, 'I realized that this was a special place,' he said. 'I was born in Provo, Utah — so this was a great opportunity for me to come back to my home state.' As an academic, Smeed said he was drawn to UTU's polytechnic mission. 'I believe that it most readily prepares our graduates to meet the workforce needs.' The Beehive State offers a variety of colleges and universities, both public and private, that are relatively affordable and boast a wide range of academic programs. Smeed is confident that UTU — an open-enrollment institution — is a campus where Utahns can thrive academically, while saving a few bucks at the state's most affordable university. 'There's been a big question about whether or not the value of higher education is still there today — but the facts show that a person with a college degree will earn $1.2 million (over one's lifetime) more than one with just a high school diploma,' he said. 'So if you're from Washington County, you can expect to make $20,000 more annually than someone who only has a high school diploma.' Smeed also highlights UTU's campus growth over the past decade that has transformed the campus. He's committed to building relationships with the philanthropic community to raise funds and secure scholarships. Such efforts, said Smeed, will allow UTU students 'to graduate with less debt, or no debt, by the time they're finishing their education — especially for those that are looking for opportunities with internships. 'And then they're ready to hit the job force and really help with workforce development.' Smeed noted that UTU is evolving in real-time even as Washington County's population booms. A new performing arts center and a general classroom building are under construction on campus — and a new residence hall was recently completed. Expect such growth markers and physical footprints to increase in the coming years, he said. 'The growth that's happening in St. George in Washington County is a tremendous opportunity for us to attract more students from Washington County and within the state,' Smeed said, noting that more than half of the school's students come from inside the county. While some have been alarmed by the budget reallocation demands placed on Utah's public colleges and universities by HB265, Smeed sees the new legislation as an opportunity to better educate and prepare students. The state-mandated reallocations happening at Utah campuses should not be viewed as cuts — but, rather, reinvestments that will serve graduates well in the coming decades. 'Through our reinvestment plan, we're looking to add approximately a dozen additional faculty lines to our university.' UTU's new president says he is already focused on building relationships with his new faculty. 'My commitment to them is to listen to their concerns and opportunities,' he said. 'They'll see me as a strategic partner — one that can understand the needs of the faculty but can also understand the broader needs of the university. 'My actions will speak louder than my words.' Smeed is also reassuring UTU students that liberal arts studies and the humanities 'aren't going anywhere.' Still, there might be opportunities to examine traditional programs and decide if there are ways to incorporate, say, new technologies to make them more applicable for today's job market. Smeed's guiding administrative question: 'How can we more strategically place some of those programs in a position where students can graduate, find gainful employment and be able to meet workforce needs, now and then throughout the 21st century?' Varsity sports at UTU made a historic leap last year to NCAA Division I competition. Most of the Trailblazer teams are competing in the Western Athletic Conference, while the gridiron program is part of the Football Championship Subdivision. College sports, of course, have undergone historic disruptions in recent years with the emergence of NIL and the transfer portal for athletes. Given those recent changes, it will take 'a bit of time' to build up the school's athletic program to where it wants to be, said Smeed. But UTU students and fans can still expect to support competitive teams. Everybody loves a winner. 'So we're only going to continue to put investment into our athletic programs,' said Smeed. 'We can't rely on student-athletes to come here without some level of incentive, and so fundraising is a big part of my role as president of the university to find ways to connect with the community, connect with corporate partners and the business community alike, and find ways where they're interested in supporting athletics.' UTU's goal, he added, is to 'fill the stadium and fill the arena.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meet President Shane Smeed: Utah Tech's new leader anxious to optimize school's evolving opportunities
Newly appointed Utah Tech University President Shane Smeed's first day on the job — May 1 — happened on the same day as the school's annual graduation ceremony. 'So my very first day was a commencement — and on my second day, we had three additional commencement ceremonies,' Smeed recently told the Deseret News editorial board. 'So within the first 48 hours of me serving as president, we had the fortunate opportunity to be able to celebrate some of the most exciting days in the lives of our students and their families.' Smeed's enthusiasm to be sharing his personal achievements with those of the UTU student body, simultaneously, seems apropos at a moment of historic change — both within the UTU community and across Utah's higher education system. Perhaps none of the state's degree-granting public institutions has experienced the level of growth in recent years as UTU. During the 2000s, the school originally known as the St. George Stake Academy went from being Dixie State College to Dixie State University and now, since 2022, Utah Tech University. Even the school mascot has evolved: Rebels to Red Storm to Trailblazers. Meanwhile, UTU's enrollment has grown every year since 2013, increasing by almost 60% to over 13,000 students today. Of the school's 304 academic programs, 60% have been developed within the past seven years. One reason why UTU has become a popular higher ed destination for many Utahns — 82% are in-state students — is obvious: It's the most affordable university in the state. But the school's 19th president believes UTU's opportunities extend beyond affordability and program growth. While some in Utah's public higher education system view recent legislation demanding budget reallocations as a hostile act against traditional learning, Smeed sees opportunities. HB265, he counters, 'allows us to reinvest money in the places where we think can be impactful — not only in (students') educational experience, but also in the workforce and preparing them to meet workforce needs and its requirements." Additionally, Smeed is anxious to reconnect with members of the UTU community who may have separated themselves from the school. UTU, he said, is their asset. 'It's an asset for the state. It's an asset for the community and (Washington County). I see my role as president as every bit 'externally facing' as internal — so it's a great opportunity.' Prior to Smeed's hiring, UTU was without a president for over a year after President Richard 'Biff' Williams stepped down from the position. Williams, who now serves as president of Missouri State University, was included as a defendant in an ongoing lawsuit alleging Title IX violations in the wake of a vulgar prank. When asked if those divisive investigations have harmed UTU's reputation, Smeed said his new job offers him the opportunity to be 'a spokesperson for the university' going forward. 'Reputationally, our community will see that our students are probably the best representation of who we are as a university.' A Utah native, Smeed served for almost four years as the president of Missouri's Park University, where he championed education/workforce readiness and expanding the Park campus for military-affiliated students. He and his wife, Angela, are the parents of three children. Smeed presided over Park University while also serving as the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Platte City Missouri Stake. While going through the UTU job application process and meeting with Utah's higher education leaders and members of the Washington County community, 'I realized that this was a special place,' he said. 'I was born in Provo, Utah — so this was a great opportunity for me to come back to my home state.' As an academic, Smeed said he was drawn to UTU's polytechnic mission. 'I believe that it most readily prepares our graduates to meet the workforce needs.' The Beehive State offers a variety of colleges and universities, both public and private, that are relatively affordable and boast a wide range of academic programs. Smeed is confident that UTU — an open-enrollment institution — is a campus where Utahns can thrive academically, while saving a few bucks at the state's most affordable university. 'There's been a big question about whether or not the value of higher education is still there today — but the facts show that a person with a college degree will earn $1.2 million (over one's lifetime) more than one with just a high school diploma,' he said. 'So if you're from Washington County, you can expect to make $20,000 more annually than someone who only has a high school diploma.' Smeed also highlights UTU's campus growth over the past decade that has transformed the campus. He's committed to building relationships with the philanthropic community to raise funds and secure scholarships. Such efforts, said Smeed, will allow UTU students 'to graduate with less debt, or no debt, by the time they're finishing their education — especially for those that are looking for opportunities with internships. 'And then they're ready to hit the job force and really help with workforce development.' Smeed noted that UTU is evolving in real-time even as Washington County's population booms. A new performing arts center and a general classroom building are under construction on campus — and a new residence hall was recently completed. Expect such growth markers and physical footprints to increase in the coming years, he said. 'The growth that's happening in St. George in Washington County is a tremendous opportunity for us to attract more students from Washington County and within the state,' Smeed said, noting that more than half of the school's students come from inside the county. While some have been alarmed by the budget reallocation demands placed on Utah's public colleges and universities by HB265, Smeed sees the new legislation as an opportunity to better educate and prepare students. The state-mandated reallocations happening at Utah campuses should not be viewed as cuts — but, rather, reinvestments that will serve graduates well in the coming decades. 'Through our reinvestment plan, we're looking to add approximately a dozen additional faculty lines to our university.' UTU's new president says he is already focused on building relationships with his new faculty. 'My commitment to them is to listen to their concerns and opportunities,' he said. 'They'll see me as a strategic partner — one that can understand the needs of the faculty but can also understand the broader needs of the university. 'My actions will speak louder than my words.' Smeed is also reassuring UTU students that liberal arts studies and the humanities 'aren't going anywhere.' Still, there might be opportunities to examine traditional programs and decide if there are ways to incorporate, say, new technologies to make them more applicable for today's job market. Smeed's guiding administrative question: 'How can we more strategically place some of those programs in a position where students can graduate, find gainful employment and be able to meet workforce needs, now and then throughout the 21st century?' Varsity sports at UTU made a historic leap last year to NCAA Division I competition. Most of the Trailblazer teams are competing in the Western Athletic Conference, while the gridiron program is part of the Football Championship Subdivision. College sports, of course, have undergone historic disruptions in recent years with the emergence of NIL and the transfer portal for athletes. Given those recent changes, it will take 'a bit of time' to build up the school's athletic program to where it wants to be, said Smeed. But UTU students and fans can still expect to support competitive teams. Everybody loves a winner. 'So we're only going to continue to put investment into our athletic programs,' said Smeed. 'We can't rely on student-athletes to come here without some level of incentive, and so fundraising is a big part of my role as president of the university to find ways to connect with the community, connect with corporate partners and the business community alike, and find ways where they're interested in supporting athletics.' UTU's goal, he added, is to 'fill the stadium and fill the arena.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘In government we never want to be frantic,' Democratic lawmakers say about university cuts
Rice-Eccles Stadium on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City is pictured on Monday, January 15, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) As the Utah Board of Higher Education begins to review public universities' first drafts on their plans to cut 10% of their budgets for courses, Democratic lawmakers worry about the unintended consequences the state-imposed tight deadline to achieve such a feat may carry. After HB265 passed this year, schools started scrambling to make the most efficient plan to reallocate their resources, with many exploring program consolidations, cutting courses and layoffs. The process seems abrupt, Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, told the Executive Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, especially since many faculty members have inundated her inbox, worried about the potential elimination of curriculums and jobs. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'There's a lot of frantic behavior and in government we never want to be frantic,' Riebe said. 'We want to be methodical. We want to be research driven and data driven. And I understand where this bill is going, but it's been a very hard, abrupt turn, and there's a lot of pain points in our universities.' That, she added, may scar the reputation of Utah universities, frightening off staff and prospective professors wanting to apply for jobs in the state. HB265 passed comfortably in Utah's Republican supermajority Legislature while being opposed by most of the Democratic Caucus. The bill's goal, its supporters said, is to cut 'underperforming programs' and direct those funds to highly-sought degrees. With tight deadline, Utah universities scramble to cut 10% of budget for courses That's a premise that House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, defended during the Tuesday discussion, arguing that some of the cuts were overdue, and may even keep tuition costs low. 'Liberal arts, for some reason, keeps being the topic of discussion,' Schultz said. 'Yes, maybe every one of those programs might not be available at four or five universities across the state. You may not be able to take a program at the University of Utah, you might have to go to Weber State to take the program, or vice versa, but I think that's a wise use of the way that our dollars are spent.' The cost of attending college 'is a huge concern,' putting higher education increasingly out of reach for many, Minority Whip Jennifer Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, said. As many Republican lawmakers emphasized the intent of making college more efficient, affordable and accessible, she asked whether tuition will decrease as a result of HB265. No more ethnic, women and gender studies at WSU as state-mandated budget cuts start Those numbers were not available during the committee discussion. But Schultz, who recently spoke with Weber State University leaders about their reallocation plans, highlighted that the school's overall tuition increase this year was 2% for bachelor's degrees and it kept the same costs for its associate degree programs. 'They were very proud that they found ways to take the savings and find savings and not increase for their associate's degrees,' Schultz said. 'So if the universities are not doing that, then I think that they are being a little bit derelict in their duties.' While he understands faculty and staff members' concerns, Schultz said he hopes that schools find the right balance in their process, and that the Legislature continues these types of initiatives more often. 'We do it on a regular basis with our state agencies,' he said. 'And with as much money as the state spends on higher education, and with the cost of higher education growing more and more out of control, I really think that this ought to become a little bit more of the norm.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No more ethnic, women and gender studies at WSU as state-mandated budget cuts start
Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. (Photo by) The legislative-mandated search for efficiency in Utah universities is already changing how campuses are conducting work and the faces in their staff and faculty rosters. The budget cuts have also led one institution to part ways with programs that have lately been controversial in academia, including ethnic studies, women and gender studies, and queer studies. Gearing up for a May deadline to present 'strategic reinvestment' plans, Weber State University shared in a town hall on Monday with faculty and staff a preliminary path to cut the necessary $6.6 million to comply with HB265, a recent law requiring Utah universities to cut 10% of their instructional budget to later invest in other high-demand areas. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Weber State plans are still unofficial, but are contemplating terminating 11 administrative positions, 10 staff roles, and 28 faculty in addition to closing its West Center, which offered testing services, tutoring and computer labs. The plans also entail eliminating 89 courses to save about $285,000. With tight deadline, Utah universities scramble to cut 10% of budget for courses Early on, when HB265 was just a proposal, Weber State University president Brad Mortensen formed a committee to develop quantitative and qualitative criteria to assess programs, Bryan Magaña, a spokesperson for the institution, said on Tuesday. 'Data sets looked at a variety of factors: number of majors, number of graduates, retention outcomes, faculty-to-student ratio, median income of graduates in each field, projected job growth in each field, and much more,' Magaña wrote in an email. Majors to be eliminated include different language programs, like French, German, and a professional and technical emphasis of the school's bachelor in English. Also some science programs will be cut, according to the plans, including applied environmental geosciences, applied physics and mathematics. There are also seven certificates that may be discontinued, including biotechnician, ethics, facilities management, jazz studies and music entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, eight minors are set to be eliminated — ethnic studies, French for the professions, German for the professions, linguistics, public administration, queer studies, Spanish for the professions, and women and gender studies. The ultimate decision is up to the university president, Magaña said. 'However, he sought insight and worked closely with the deans of each college, who looked at their own efficiencies and assessed programs based on the detailed models provided by the HB 265 Committee.' Some other majors and departments are to be consolidated — the school is planning on having six economics majors instead of four, combining the elementary education and special education programs. Utah is planning on cutting inefficient college programs — some Republicans are not fully on board Weber State is also creating three secondary teaching majors to consolidate what were previously 31 separate programs — the new secondary science education major would encompass physics, chemistry, physical science, biology composite and Earth science teaching programs; a new social science composite education major would consolidate political science, sociology, geography, psychology and history teaching; and the new world languages education major would include French, German and Spanish teaching. According to the presentation, the funds cut in this effort may later be used to partner with technical colleges, collaborate in academic programs 'that respond to workforce and societal needs,' develop new credential programs, and create additional systems to increase online course offerings. Also, to hire new faculty for 'high-yield' programs and other student success initiatives. Utah State University has to make a reallocation plan for $12.6 million of its budget for courses, a task the institution has been aggressively pursuing. The university declined to speak about the cuts until the plans are final. However, on a strategic reinvestment website, the institution made a list of the first 14 programs that may be affected in the reallocation process. Most of the programs on the list are part of the university's EEJ College of Education and Human Services, including programs on ASL interpretation or teaching programs, as well as community and public health, family life studies, rehabilitation transition, and psychology data science and research methodology. Other programs include environmental engineering, theater, national environmental policy act and agriculture communication. 'Decisions to discontinue educational activities have been based on an iterative, data-informed process with specific focus on the criteria in HB 265, contextual information offered through the deans and USU community feedback, and USU's anticipated strategic direction for reinvestment,' the website reads. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
