CollegeCon 2017
CollegeCon 2017 is a free one-day conference that allows parents and students the opportunity to explore college possibilities through booths, keynote speeches, and small-group breakout sessions. This year’s event, held at Davis High School on March 18, drew over 1,400 attendees. Representatives from the Utah System of Higher Education attended the event. Hundreds of students… Continue Reading CollegeCon 2017
Distance-delivered courses are mainstream: 40% of USHE students enroll in at least one distance-delivered course

40% of the 175,509 students enrolled at USHE institutions during the 2016-17 academic year take at least one distance-delivered course (courses in which 80% or more of the course is taught at a distance), significantly higher than the national average of 28%. Online courses are by far the most popular distance-delivered courses, and are the… Continue Reading Distance-delivered courses are mainstream: 40% of USHE students enroll in at least one distance-delivered course
Utah ranked #2 Best State for Higher Ed, but completion rate leaves room for improvement
Utah was named the #2 Best State for Higher Education by US News and World Report in their new rankings last month. This was determined by looking at a variety of factors, such as debt load, graduation rate, and cost. Utah also ranked as the 9th Best State for Education overall, which included both higher ed… Continue Reading Utah ranked #2 Best State for Higher Ed, but completion rate leaves room for improvement
2017 Legislature approves top 3 Regents’ building priorities
The 2017 Legislature approved funding for the top three priorities of the state-funded capital facilities requests of the Utah State Board of Regents. Each year, the Regents re-evaluate the capital facilities needs of USHE institutions. This prioritization is conducted after an extensive evaluation process including project site visits by the Capital Facilities Committee, space inventories, and… Continue Reading 2017 Legislature approves top 3 Regents’ building priorities
In 2015-16, USHE awarded the most degrees ever in its history
The Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) has tabulated the total degrees and certificates awarded annually by Utah’s public institutions. In 2015-16, the most recent complete academic year, USHE institutions awarded the most degrees ever in its history. The details of the certificate and degrees awarded data are available in the USHE Data Book, published… Continue Reading In 2015-16, USHE awarded the most degrees ever in its history
Governor Herbert announces $2.1M in available Talent Ready Utah grants
At the Capitol Rotunda on March 21, 2017, Governor Gary Herbert unveiled the Talent Ready Utah initiative, including the accompanying grant program. Talent Ready Utah grants, formerly known as the Utah Cluster Acceleration Partnership (UCAP), has more than $2.1 million in grant funding available for the purpose of developing and enhancing programs to meet industry needs,… Continue Reading Governor Herbert announces $2.1M in available Talent Ready Utah grants
New pilot program to raise awareness of student debt
The Utah System of Higher Education worked with the 2017 Utah Legislature to adopt a new statewide program aimed at increasing awareness of student debt. Even though Utah students comparatively accrue the least amount of debt in the country, more awareness of student debt is needed. Some background on student debt in Utah: Utah has… Continue Reading New pilot program to raise awareness of student debt
Summary of the 2017 Legislative Session
The 2017 Legislative Session concluded on March 9, 2017. There were over 100 bills impacting public higher education during the 2017 Legislative Session on a variety of issues including mental health, student debt and student privacy. Commissioner Buhler will provide a more exhaustive report on the 2017 Session, including budgetary impacts, at the meeting of the… Continue Reading Summary of the 2017 Legislative Session
SLCC hosts third-annual Title IX Symposium
Last Friday, March 3, Salt Lake Community College hosted the third annual Title IX Symposium at its Jordan campus. This year’s event, Not Alone: Best Practices and Building Bridges Towards Inclusivity, featured a keynote by Liz Seccuro, who is an author, activist, and rape survivor. She spoke about the current crisis of gender-based violence, what we’ve… Continue Reading SLCC hosts third-annual Title IX Symposium
2017 Legislative Update – Week 6
2017-2018 Budget The Executive Appropriations Committee approved its first round of funding items on Friday. For higher education, initial items include: Compensation: 2% labor market adjustment increase (plus funding for health insurance rate increases), with the ratio of funding at 75% from state funds and 25% of tuition funds. Student Enrollment Growth: $3.5 million ongoing for… Continue Reading 2017 Legislative Update – Week 6