The Utah Board of Higher Education approved strategic reinvestment plans from five degree-granting institutions (Southern Utah University, Utah Tech University, Utah Valley University, Snow College and Salt Lake Community College) within the Utah System of Higher Education, granting three other institutions (the University of Utah, Utah State University and Weber State University) conditional approval, subject to the review of additional details still to be submitted, at its meeting on June 6, 2025. This Board action achieves a major milestone in implementing HB 265, Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment, passed during the 2025 General Legislative Session.
These plans represent a systemwide, collaborative effort to shift resources from administrative inefficiencies, underutilized courses, and lower-priority areas. Institutions will instead invest those funds into critical research, high-impact instruction and workforce-aligned programs such as nursing, engineering and artificial intelligence, among many others. Institutions will reinvest approximately half of the $60 million reallocation target in the first year alone, significantly surpassing the 30% statutory requirement and directly supporting the statutory goal to strengthen educational quality and outcomes.
“We are in a stronger position now than when we started this process,” said Geoffrey Landward, commissioner of higher education. “The approval of these strategic reinvestment plans reflects strong institutional leadership and a shared commitment to advancing opportunity and value in public higher education. By focusing resources on areas of greatest impact, including workforce-aligned programs and student outcomes, Utah’s colleges and universities and our System are taking forward-looking steps to meet the evolving needs of our economy and communities.”
Systemwide, approximately 80% of all reinvestment dollars, about $49 million, support instruction and research, with a net increase of $22 million in those areas. Notable areas of investment include healthcare programs (nursing and behavioral health), STEM fields (engineering, applied AI, and computer science), expanded technical education capacity and various initiatives aimed at improving student outcomes, such as timely degree completion and career readiness.
Although some plans were conditionally approved, all institutions will continue to work with the Office of the Commissioner and the Board to validate plan components over the coming months, throughout the legislative review phase of the process. Once finalized, all reinvestment plans will be forwarded to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee and then to the Education Appropriations Subcommittee (EAC) for legislative approval, as required by statute.
While the reinvestment process has generated public dialogue, particularly around shifting academic focuses, the plans, as approved, reflect locally determined priorities and strategies that are tailored to each institution’s mission, service region and student body.
Upon final approval by the EAC, reinvestment funds will be appropriated to institutions to advance these strategies over the coming years.
For institutional summaries and reinvestment plans, visit ushe.edu.
