On July 1, 2020, a new system of higher education will emerge. During its 2020 session, the Utah Legislature passed S.B. 111, Higher Education Amendments—a sweeping change to higher education structure and governance that merges the Utah System of Higher Education and the Utah System of Technical Colleges. While passing the legislation only took a matter of weeks, the process leading up to the new structure took several years.
In broad terms, S.B. 111 merges the Utah System of Technical Colleges with the Utah System of Higher Education, creating a joint Utah System of Higher Education, with one Board, the Utah Board of Higher Education, to govern. The new Utah Board of Higher Education will be comprised of 18 members,
including two student members.
The unified Utah System of Higher Education will be made up of 16 institutions, including eight technical colleges, two community colleges, four regional universities, and two research universities.
To seize the advantages of a combined system, the new System must embrace the view that technical and academic education are not mutually exclusive options for students, but are, in fact, educational opportunities that can complement and build on each other, can provide pathways to better access and outcomes for all students from all backgrounds, and can lead to partnerships within the System that will make higher education
more efficient and effective for students moving forward.
