Board Role & Responsibilities
The Utah System of Higher Education comprises 16 institutions, all with unique missions, but who are also working towards common goals and a unified vision. To ensure the system is efficient, effective, and delivers world-class instruction and research, the Board of Higher Education and institutional boards of trustees must align responsibility and authority. The Utah Legislature and the Board of Higher Education have established the following responsibilities and authorities for the Board, the boards of trustees, presidents, and the commissioner.
Utah Board of Higher Education
Statutory Responsibilities
| Statutory Authority | Statutory Responsibility |
|---|---|
| 53B-1-402(1)(a) | The Board of Higher Education is the governing board for the institutions of higher education, which controls, oversees, and regulates the Utah System of Higher Education in a manner consistent with the purpose of this title and the specific powers and responsibilities granted to the board. |
| 53B-1-402(2)(a) | Establish and promote a state-level vision and goals for higher education that emphasize data-driven retrospective and prospective system priorities, including:
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| 53B-1-402(2)(b) | Establish system policies and practices that advance the vision and goals |
| 53B-1-402(2)(c) | Establish metrics to demonstrate and monitor:
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| 53B-1-402(2)(d) | Collect and analyze data, including economic data, demographic data, and data related to the metrics |
| 53B-1-402(2)(e) | Govern data quality and collection across institutions |
| 53B-1-402(2)(f) | Establish, approve, and oversee each institution’s mission and role in accordance with Section 53B-16-101 |
| 53B-16-101(3) | The board shall further clarify each institution of higher education’s primary role by clarifying:
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| 53B-1-402(2)(g) | Assess an institution’s performance in accomplishing the institution’s mission and role |
| 53B-1-402(2)(h) | Participate in the establishment and review of programs of instruction in accordance with Section 53B-16-102 |
| 53B-1-402(2)(i) | Perform duties related to an institution of higher education president, including:
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| 53B-1-402(2)(j) | Create and implement a strategic finance plan for higher education, including by:
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| 53B-1-402(2)(k) | Create a seamless articulated education system for Utah students that responds to changing demographics and workforce, including by:
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| 53B-1-402(2)(l) | Coordinate with the public education system:
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| 53B-1-402(2)(m) | Delegate to an institution’s board of trustees certain duties related to institution governance, including:
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| 53B-1-402(2)(n) | Delegate to an institution of higher education president management of the institution of higher education |
| 53B-1-402(2)(o) | Consult with an institution of higher education board of trustees or institution of higher education president before acting on matters pertaining to the institution of higher education |
| 53B-1-402(2)(p) | Maximize efficiency throughout the Utah System of Higher Education by identifying and establishing shared administrative services, beginning with:
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| 53B-1-402(2)(q) | Develop strategies for providing higher education, including career and technical education, in rural areas |
| 53B-1-402(2)(r) | Manage and facilitate a process for initiating, prioritizing, and implementing education reform initiatives beginning with common applications and direct admissions |
| 53B-1-402(2)(s) | Provide ongoing quality review of programs |
| 53B-1-402(6)(c) | The board shall conduct:
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| 53B-16-105(5)(a) | Identify technical education programs with common names, descriptions, lengths, and objectives, and within technical education programs, common course names, descriptions, length, and objectives allowing for customization of electives to meet regional industry demand.
The commissioner shall appoint committees of faculty members from technical education committees to recommend aligned programs and courses that will satisfy graduation requirements. |
| 53B-1-402(2)(t) | Before each annual legislative general session, provide the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee a prioritization of all projects and proposals for which the board or an institution of higher education seeks an appropriation |
Boards of Trustees & The Board of Higher Education
| Boards of Trustees & The Board of Higher Education | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Statutory Guidance | Responsibilities | Delegated Authorities | |
| Delegated to Institutional Board of Trustees | Board of Higher Education | ||
| Guidance and support for the institution president | Appointment of a President | Trustees may conduct the first phase of a search and submit finalists to the Board of Higher Education if authorized. | The Board appoints president from among the finalists who serves at the pleasure of the Board. Board sets and adjusts presidential salaries by policy. Board may remove a president. |
| Evaluation of Presidents | Trustees establish Key Performance Indicators for a president and annually evaluate a president’s performance based on those KPI except the year a president is subject to a comprehensive evaluation. | Board sets evaluation criteria and procedures for comprehensive evaluations. Board takes appropriate action based on presidential performance and recommendations, using identified benchmarks. Board conducts comprehensive evaluation every four years or if otherwise needed. |
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| The institution’s responsibility for contributing to progress toward achieving system-wide goals | Institutional Master Planning, Strategic Planning and Goals | Trustees approve a strategic plan for the institution that is aligned with: state attainment goals, workforce needs, and the institution of higher education’s role, mission, and distinctiveness. Trustees set performance metrics in consultation with the Board of Higher Education. Trustees monitor the institution’s progress toward achieving the strategic plan and report to the Board of Higher Education institutional progress. Trustees approve institutional master plan and associated changes. The trustees submit master plans and changes to the Commissioner’s office. |
Board sets and assesses system-wide performance on statewide goals and system performance metrics. Board requires institutions to provide a five-year capital plan, which the Board must approve. Institutions provide ongoing financial reporting. |
| Effective Administration — In general, the Board of Higher Education will establish general parameters and reporting requirements and delegate day-to-day oversight to trustees and presidents. | Institutional Missions & Roles | Trustees approve institutional missions that align with the institution’s role as established in statute and by the Board | Except as institutional roles are specifically assigned by the Legislature, the Board shall establish and define the roles of the institutions of higher education. The Board shall maintain institutional role integrity. Board adopts the institutional mission into policy. |
| Institutional Policies/System Policies | Trustees approve institutional policies needed for the effective administration of the institution, ensuring they maintain parameters set by the Board of Higher Education. | The Board establishes system policies and practices that advance the vision and goals | |
| Tuition and Fees | Institutions present tuition and fee needs to trustees; trustees are responsible to verify data supporting requests for increases in tuition or fees. Trustees, based on their assessment of the institution’s request and underlying data, recommend tuition and fees increases to the Board. |
Board establishes criteria trustees will use in evaluating tuition and fee requests. Board sets criteria and process trustees follow to conduct due diligence for tuition and fee requests. The Commissioner’s office assesses whether the trustees have properly assessed the institution’s request. Board reviews and may approve trustees’ recommendations. |
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| Budget and Finance Oversight | Trustees establish and oversee internal accounting and operating controls, monitor use of discretionary funds, establish institutional debt policy, and oversee all auxiliary enterprises. | Board sets system parameters in policy and requires necessary reporting on budget and finance. The Board may intervene if institutions exceed parameters or policy. | |
| Facilities | Trustees may approve construction projects for new facilities less than $500,000 and remodels or improvements of existing facilities less than $3,500,000. Trustees may approve non-state funded projects that do not exceed $5,000,000 Trustees may approve property acquisition that does not exceed $1,500,000. Disposal may not exceed $1,000,000 Trustees may approve capital leases of less than $250,000 a year ($500,000 a year for the U of U). U of U trustees may approve all U of U Hospital/Health Sciences capital projects. Trustees review and may approve requests to submit to the Board for all other capital facilities. |
Board sets system parameters in policy and requires necessary reporting on facilities. Board must approve capital projects that exceed threshold amounts. |
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| Audit | Trustees form the institution’s internal audit committee, sets internal audit priorities, review internal audits and report audit findings at least annually to the Board of Higher Education. | Board audit committee identifies areas of risk within the system and prioritizes system audits accordingly. | |
| Academic Programs | Trustees approve new programs that fit within the institution’s mission and role and meet Board of Higher Education criteria, subject to board review for pathway articulation. | The board shall establish criteria for whether an institution of higher education may approve a new program of instruction, including criteria related to whether:
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| Technical Education Programs | Trustees over technical colleges or institutions with a technical college role approve technical education programs that meet Board of Higher Education criteria. | Board of Higher Education establishes institutional missions and roles and criteria for new programming such as workforce demand. Institutions report all new programs to the Board. | |
| Program Review | The board shall conduct a periodic review of all new programs of instruction no later than two years after the first cohort to begin the program of instruction completes the program of instruction. The board may conduct a periodic review of any program of instruction at an institution of higher education. The board shall conduct at least once every seven years, at least one review of each program of instruction at each institution; and annually, a qualitative and quantitative review of academic disciplines across the system, including enrollment, graduation rates, and workforce placement, ensuring that the board conducts a review of all disciplines within the system at least once every seven years. |
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| Academic Degree Approval | Trustees review, consider and approve new institutional degree requests (certificates, associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral), minors and emphases added to approved programs that conform to the institution’s role and mission. | The Board of Higher Education may consider and approve new degree requests (certificates, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral) minors, and emphases added to approved programs that fall outside of the institution’s role and mission. | |
| Research and Training Grants | Trustees approve research and training grant funding on behalf of the Board of Higher Education. | Institutions report grants annually to the Board. Institutions report highlights of most impactful research. |
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| Community Relations/Advancement | Trustees facilitate communication between the institution and the community; assist in planning, implementing, and executing fund raising and development projects; and perpetuate and strengthen alumni and community identification with the institution’s tradition and goals. | ||
| Honorary Degrees | Trustees approve recipients for honorary degrees or recognitions. | ||
Institutional Presidents
| Role | Authority |
|---|---|
| Leadership | An institution of higher education president develops and implements the institution’s vision, mission and goals, and manages progress toward achieving institutional aims. The president of each institution of higher education may exercise grants of power and authority to ensure the effective and efficient administration and operation of the institution of higher education. The president also guides the contributions of their institution to the vision, mission and goals of the Utah system of higher education. The president is responsible to lead as part of a larger alliance of institutions whose presidents share a central mission to provide world-class, affordable higher education within the system of higher education. Presidents collaborate with and support each other, the commissioner and the Board for the benefit of all students and Utah. |
| External Relations | The president serves as the representative of their institution with key stakeholder communities, including but not limited to:
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| Faculty and Staff | The president may:
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| Strategic Planning/Master Planning | Presidents develop and execute strategic plans that lead to their institutions achieving institutional and system-wide goals and performance metrics. Presidents develop and maintain institutional master plans and five-year financial plans associated with the master plans. As part of the master planning process, presidents identify needed capital improvements or new facilities and submit requests and planning to the trustees for approval. |
| Finance and Budget | The president establishes priorities for fiscal resources in a manner that helps the institution achieve institutional goals and objectives and system-wide goals and performance measures. The president oversees the institution’s fiscal health, including setting budgetary priorities and requiring efficient and effective use of resources. |
| Student Success | The president establishes goals and initiatives that encourage student success and well-being, including areas of retention, graduation rates, affordability, safety and mental health, career and academic counseling, and workforce attachment. The president prioritizes, fosters and celebrates a vibrant, challenging and supportive learning environment. |
Commissioner of Higher Education
| Role | Authority |
|---|---|
| Leadership | The Commissioner develops and implements the system’s vision, mission and goals, and manages progress toward achieving system aims. The Commissioner shall:
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| Coordination and Support for Presidents | The Commissioner serves as chair of the Council of Presidents, the duties of which include coordinating meeting agendas and Council recommendations to the Board, and facilitating communication and collaboration among the presidents. In consultation with the board’s executive committee, evaluate and provide support and guidance to an institution of higher education president. The Commissioner facilitates comprehensive presidential performance evaluations on behalf of the Board. The Commissioner may provide leadership, advice and consultation as may be sought by institutional Presidents or directed by the Board. |
| Audit | The Commissioner is empowered to require information and reports from the institutions. The Commissioner has the authority, after giving due notice to the president, to assign his or her staff to audit records of institutions or otherwise verify data. Such audits shall be in response to Board instructions or to verify compliance with Board policy or applicable law. The Board audit committee shall prioritize the Commissioner’s audits. |
| System Policy | The Commissioner develops policy that addresses statewide issues impacting the system for the Board to consider and adopt. The Commissioner shall be responsible for interpreting Board policy. The president of any institution may appeal the Commissioner’s interpretation of policy to the Board. |
| Communication | The Commissioner:
The Commissioner is authorized to advocate on behalf of the Board before the Governor and his or her staff, the Legislature, and other officials and governmental entities. |
| System Budget and Finance | The Commissioner, in collaboration with the presidents, develops a unified budget request for the system and presents budget priorities for the Board to consider and adopt. |