2025 Legislative Update — Week 7
March 3-7, 2025 The 2025 legislative session ended on Friday, March 7, at midnight. Governor Cox held an end-of-session press conference that night, and here’s the recap of the full session from FOX 13 News. At the time of this update, Gov. Cox has signed 29 pieces of legislation from the 2025 General Legislative Session. Information […]
GOEO, Legislative Leaders, and Utah Universities Collaborate with NVIDIA to Advance Tech Talent Development
SALT LAKE CITY (March 10, 2025) — The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, legislative leadership, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the president of the Senate, the Utah Department of Commerce, the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, the Utah System of Higher Education, and colleges and universities across Utah signed a memorandum of understanding […]
2025 Legislative Update — Week 6
Feb. 24 – 28, 2025 On Friday, Feb. 28, the Executive Appropriations Committee (EAC) took action to adopt proposed funding items and intent language for the 2025 General Session budget. From the Utah Board of Higher Education’s list of operating budget priorities, EAC recommendations included $20 million in new ongoing performance funding, $4.7 million in ongoing technical college growth funding, and $4 million in […]
Utah’s higher education system: A catalyst for individual and societal success
Utah’s investment in higher education pays significant dividends, according to a new policy brief from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. The report highlights the state’s exceptionally well-trained workforce, robust economic performance and strong social fabric, all directly linked to a long-standing educational commitment. This emphasis on higher education extends far beyond the economic impacts, contributing […]
Utah Board of Higher Education Names Shane B. Smeed President of Utah Tech University
The Utah Board of Higher Education has unanimously selected Shane B. Smeed as the next president of Utah Tech University on Feb. 26, 2025. With 25 years of experience in higher education, Smeed brings a wealth of leadership and expertise to the role. While transition details are still being finalized, the Board looks forward to […]
2025 Legislative Update — Week 5
Feb. 18 – 21, 2025 Executive Appropriations Committee On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the Executive Appropriations Committee (EAC) heard presentations from the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee (HEAS) and Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee (TIAS). HEAS recommendations to EAC included: In sum, roughly $54 million in new one-time funding and nearly $35 million of new ongoing funding was recommended by HEAS for USHE priority funding items. […]
Data Narrative: Student Transfers — Strategy or Frustration
Eighty percent of community college students intend to earn a bachelor’s degree (Crisp and Nunez 2014; Jabbar et al. 2021; Handel and Strempel 2018), but only 37% of these students transfer from their original higher education institution (Kintzer and Wattenbarger 1985; McCormick and Carroll 2003; Shapiro et al. 2018). Only 42% of these students do […]
2025 Legislative Update — Week 4
Feb. 10 – 14, 2025 Appropriations Subcommittees In the final week of Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee meetings, HEAS heard institutional presentations from Utah Valley University and Weber State University, a demographic and enrollment report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, and legislator-sponsored requests for appropriations for Vineyard Cancer Screening Resources (Rep. V. Peterson) and the Herbert Institute (Rep. Abbott).Subcommittee prioritization and voting took place in […]
Three finalists named in Utah Tech presidential search
Public meetings with finalists Feb. 24; presidential appointment expected Feb. 26 After a comprehensive search, the Utah Tech Presidential Search Committee has recommended three finalists to the Utah Board of Higher Education for the position of Utah Tech University president: Philip A. Cavalier, Steven J. Hafen and Shane B. Smeed. “After an extensive and thorough […]
Higher Ed Day on the Hill
It was great to see so many students, educators, and lawmakers come together for Higher Ed Day on the Hill! Thank you to all the institutions and individuals who joined us in supporting the future of higher education in Utah.
