Utah Board of Higher Education

Virtual Meeting

Friday, August 30, 2024

Committee of the whole

Minutes

 

Board Members Present                                                   Board Members Absent

Amanda Covington, Chair                                                          Jon Cox

Steve Neeleman, Vice Chair

Javier Chávez Jr.

Sharon Eubank

Danny Ipson

Tina Marriott

Cydni Tetro

Aaron Skonnard

Muskan Walia

 

Office of the Commissioner

Geoffrey Landward, Commissioner

Rachelle Ackley, Program Director, Talent Ready Utah

Alison Adams, General Counsel and Board Secretary

Taylor Adams, Associate Commissioner of Student Affairs

Sam Aird, Talent Ready Utah Specialist

Amy Andre, Program Manager of WBL & State Apprenticeship Intermediary

Trisha Dugovic, Director of Communication

Brynn Fronk, Executive Assistant to the Utah Board of Higher Education

Julie Hartley, Associate Commissioner of Academic Education

Vic Hockett, Associate Commissioner of Talent Ready Utah

Carrie Mayne, Chief Economist

Katie Mazzie, Assistant Commissioner of Strategic and Government Affairs

Jimmy McDonough, Program Manager of Higher Education Initiatives

Natalie Reidhead, Administrative Assistant

Nate Talley, Deputy Commissioner and CFO

Xitlalli Villanueva, Program Specialist, Talent Ready Utah

Kim Ziebarth, Associate Commissioner of Technical Education

 

Institutional Presidents Present

Mindy Benson, Southern Utah University                            Greg Peterson, Salt Lake Community College

Darin Brush, Davis Technical College                                   Taylor Randall, University of Utah

Elizabeth Cantwell, Utah State University                            Jordan Rushton, Dixie Technical College

Chad Campbell, Bridgerland Technical College                   Jim Taggart, Ogden-Weber Technical College

Clay Christensen, Mountainland Technical College            Astrid Tuminez, Utah Valley University

Paul Hacking, Tooele Technical College                               Courtney White, Utah Tech University (interim)

Stacee McIff, Snow College                                                     Brennan Wood, Southwest Technical College

Brad Mortensen, Weber State University

 

Other Guests

Kyla Allred, Vice President of Executive Relations, Uintah Basin Technical College

Lucy Andre, Chief of Staff and General Counsel, Stadler Rail

Kathy Bennett, Practice Director, Tanner Clinic

Laura Deshazo, CTE Director, Salt Lake City School District

Berton Earnshaw, Machine Learning Fellow, Recursion

Elizabeth Grant, Superintendent of Schools, Salt Lake City School District

Kelsee Grow, Medical Assistant, Ogden-Weber Technical College

Jordan Hill, Boeing

Jorge Martinez, Stadler Apprenticeship

Brad Robeson, Owner and President, Clean Machine

Jennifer Saunders, Dean, Salt Lake Technical College

 

Chair Amanda Covington called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.

Committee of the Whole

In Memoriam of Former Commissioner Dave Buhler

Chair Covington and Commissioner Landward acknowledged Commissioner Buhler’s passing and memorialized his life and career at the Utah System of Higher Education. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

New Student Board Member Oath of Office

Chair Covington introduced the new student Board member, Muskan Walia. Brynn Fronk administered the oath of office to Board member Walia. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Strategic Plan

Katie Mazzie shared the feedback and changes made to the vision and mission since the previous Board meeting. She also reviewed the updated draft of the strategic plan. In response to a question from Board member Walia, a phrase will be added to the strategy, “Advance research that supports economic development,” to include the quality of life element. At the request of Chair Covington, the mission and vision statement will be added to the beginning of the Board meeting agendas. Vice Chair Neeleman moved that the Board approve and adopt the strategic plan and authorize the Commissioner’s office to publish the finalized version on the USHE website. Board member Marriott seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

Land Acknowledgments

Commissioner Landward shared that a thoughtful statewide approach to policy around land acknowledgments is needed. He recommended that the Free Expression Advisory Committee review land acknowledgments across the system to develop an approach. Board member Ipson asked if the state has one, which the Commissioner was unaware of but noted that it will be looked into. Board member Ipson also asked if there are institutions that have a statement in place that would be affected. The Commissioner shared that most institutions have one and would be impacted by the policy. Board member Marriott asked for more information about the Free Expression Committee, which Commissioner Landward provided. Some presidents expressed support for a consistent statewide approach. The institutions will continue using their existing land acknowledgments until the new policy is implemented. Chair Covington moved to direct the Free Expression Committee to review land acknowledgments across the system to ensure uniformity in application and share its recommendations with the Board at the November meeting. Board member Ipson seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

Board Priority Dashboard

Chief Economist Carrie Mayne presented the Board Priority Dashboard. The dashboard will be on the USHE website and updated in real-time. It will be added to the website and ready for the Board’s review by the end of the following week. The Board members expressed support and appreciation for the transparency. Vice Chair Neeleman asked how long a completed task will stay on the dashboard. Commissioner Landward suggested highlighting the completed tasks from the year in the yearly report so that the completed tasks can come off the dashboard every year. Board member Ipson asked if KPIs and data associated with current numbers could be added, which Carrie said could be included. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Program Review Dashboard Update

Carrie Mayne updated the Board on the Program Review Dashboard. The dashboard will have different views to allow for appropriate comparisons so robust decisions can be made. Carrie walked the Board through the different views on the dashboard. She showed a mockup to illustrate the type of data in the built data set. President Randall applauded the approach. He pointed out that limiting the data to students who become employed in Utah does not create an accurate picture of what’s happening at the institutions, since some students take jobs out of state. A mechanism is needed to show the whole picture, which would be self-reported data. Carrie agreed and shared that the idea is to use the dashboard as guidance but move into deeper conversations where those accurate highlights could be included. Commissioner Landward asked that the graduate placement be broken down, to which Carrie replied she will look into the census and ask for alignment. Commissioner Landward reminded the group that the dashboard would be used internally to help inform conversations between the Board, legislators, and institutions. Chair Covington asked how the Commissioner’s conversations went with legislative leadership. The Commissioner shared that he and Carrie met with them, took their feedback on the dashboard, and made changes. He also noted that legislative leadership likes what they see regarding the dashboard and the timeline. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Consent Calendar

Vice Chair Neeleman pointed out that in the July 12, 2024, Board meeting minutes, he is listed as making the motion and seconding the motion for Innovation/Commercialization as a Shared Service agenda item. Board member Marriot moved to amend the minutes to accurately reflect who made the motion and the second on that agenda item. Board member Tetro seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

Board member Ipson inquired about the review process in Board Policy R131. The institutions will submit plans for centers, and the Board will then review the plans and align them to what the HB 261 guidance says. The Board will ensure that they are in compliance with the guidance and policy and then take a vote. USHE’s compliance office will engage in an ongoing review of campus activities concerning HB 261 and system policies. Board member Walia asked about student enrollment outcome reporting in Board Policy R205. Alison Adams answered that it was addressed in recent Board policy updates including R401 due to transitioning the technical college policies to the main Board policies.

Vice Chair Neeleman moved to approve the Consent Calendar with amendments already approved. Board member Ipson seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

Work-Based Learning Initiatives

Talent Ready Utah Work-Based Learning Initiatives

Vic Hockett presented the Talent Ready Utah Work-Based Learning Initiatives agenda item. He spotlighted the importance of work-based learning and Talent Ready Utah’s efforts in this area. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Work-Based Learning Industry Panel

Vic Hockett introduced the following panelists, who shared their work-based learning experiences at their companies.

• Brad Robeson, Clean Machine
• Kathy Bennett, Tanner Clinic
• Jordan Hill, Boeing
• Berton Earnshaw, Recursion

This was an information item only; no action was taken.

TRAC Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship at Stadler Rail

Rachelle Ackley presented the model of the Talent Ready Apprenticeship Connection (TRAC). Stadler Rail’s engagement in TRAC was shared by Stadler Rail’s Chief of Staff, Lucy Andre. Superintendent Elizabeth Grant and Laura Deshazo from the Salt Lake City School District highlighted how the TRAC program elevated their students’ experiences, improved their economic mobility, and highlighted what is next for the district. Jennifer Saunders presented what sets TRAC apart from traditional apprenticeship programs. Student Jorge Martinez shared his experience in the TRAC program. Board member Skonnard asked what the tech industry can do to provide more opportunities. Vic Hockett shared that TRU is in conversation with Silicon Slopes. Board member Ipson asked how students can be better engaged in the process and be aware of opportunities. Vic answered that their teams work with the school districts to understand the timeline and enter into the classrooms. Vice Chair Neeleman inquired about their metrics for success. Vic responded that when they open up a new program and expand with funding, they look at how many seats are opened. They set it up individually under an MOU to ensure they hit metrics. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Board member Ipson moved to go into closed session for the purpose of discussing the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an individual; impending litigation; or the sale of real property. Board member Marriott seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

Closed Session

Board member Skonnard moved to adjourn. Board member Marriott seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

The meeting adjourned at 11:11 a.m.

Date Approved: October 4, 2024