Utah System of Higher Education
Salt Lake Community College
Friday, January 14, 2022

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MINUTES

Board Members Present
Harris H. Simmons, Chair
Aaron Osmond, Vice-Chair
Nina R. Barnes, Vice-Chair
Jesselie B. Anderson
Mike Angus
Jera L. Bailey
Stacey K. Bettridge
Lisa Michele Church
Wilford Clyde
Sanchaita Datta
Alan Hall
Patricia Jones
Crystal Maggelet
Tanner Marcum
Arthur E. Newell
Shawn Newell
Valirie Serawop
Scott Theurer

Office of the Commissioner
Dave R. Woolstenhulme, Commissioner of Higher Education
Geoffrey Landward, Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel
Rachelle Ackley, Program Support Specialist, Talent Ready Utah
Alison Adams-Perlac, Associate General Counsel
Kymber Crosby, Student Intern
Trisha Dugovic, Director of Communication
Brynn Fronk, Executive Assistant to the Utah Board of Higher Education
Jared Haines, Senior Advisor for Technical Education
Julie Hartley, Associate Commissioner of Academic Education
Melanie Heath, Assistant Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives
Vic Hockett, Director, Talent Ready Utah
Malissa Jones, Office Manager
Spencer Jenkins, Chief Student Affairs Officer
Lais Martinez, Assistant Commissioner for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Carrie Mayne, Chief Economist
Peter Reed, Program Manager, Talent Ready Utah
Juliette Tennert, Chief Financial Officer
Scott Wyatt, Senior Executive Director of Online Education
Kim Ziebarth, Associate Commissioner of Technical Education

Institutional Presidents Present
Chad Campbell, Bridgerland Technical College
Clay Christensen, Mountainland Technical College
Paul Hacking, Tooele Technical College
Taylor R. Randall, University of Utah
Darin Brush, Davis Technical College
Kelle Stephens, Dixie Technical College
Astrid Tuminez, Utah Valley University
Jim Taggart, Ogden-Weber Technical College
Brad J. Cook, Snow College
Brennan Wood, Southwest Technical College
Noelle Cockett, Utah State University
Brad L. Mortensen, Weber State University
Mindy Benson, Southern Utah University (interim)
Richard Williams, Dixie State University

Salt Lake Community College Trustees
Coralie Ashton Alder
Sunny Washington

Other Guests
Derek Adams, Chief Technology Officer, BrainStorm
Bradley Buchanan, Senior Enterprise Account Executive – Education, Adobe
Erin Casale, Head of Education Customer Success, Qualtrics
Will Clive, Chief People Officer, Pluralsight
Dave Cowley, Vice President for Business and Finance, Utah State University
Marvin Dodge, Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services, Southern Utah University
Christian Gardner, Board of Trustees Chair, University of Utah
Michael Good, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, University of Utah
Nancy Hanks, Assistant to the President, Utah State University
Carson Howell, Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, Snow College
Sebastian Medina, Salt Lake Community College student
Val Peterson, Vice President for Administration/Strategic Relations, Utah Valley University
Sabah Sial, University of Utah student
Todd Taylor, Senior Strategic Development Management for Higher Education, Adobe
Martell Teasley, Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Utah
Jeff West, Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO, Salt Lake Community College

Board Members Absent

Vice-Chair Osmond called the meeting to order at 7:30 a.m.

Closed Session

Board member Shawn Newell made a motion to go into closed session for the purposes of
discussing the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an
individual; Vice-Chair Barnes seconded the motion and the motion was passed.

Committee of the Whole

Vice-Chair Osmond called the Committee of the Whole meeting to order at 9:10 a.m.

Student Update

Sebastian Medina provided student updates from Salt Lake Community College and Sabah Sial from the
University of Utah. Sebastian asked Board members to help people understand that it is never too late to
go back to school. Board member Marcum and President Randall recognized Sabah as a Rhodes Scholar.
Sabah asked Board members to help students connect with opportunities and encourage them to go for
them. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

President Kelle Stephens Retirement

Vice-Chair Osmond acknowledged President Kelle Stephens and announced her retirement. This was an
information item only; no action was taken.

Student Affair Committee Report

Board member Church provided a report from the December 2021 Student Affairs Committee Meeting.
They discussed dream centers on campuses and LBGTQ issues across Utah. Board member Marcum
presented findings from the Student Safety and Equity Commission. Board member Church and Kris
Coles have visited campuses to talk to admissions directors. In February, they will travel to the technical
colleges to ask about their admissions issues. Another item in their committee is food security and
addressing students’ basic needs. They had a food insecurity survey done, and Board member Church
will present full results of the survey at the next meeting. Vice-Chair Barnes asked if period products
were included in the food insecurity piece. Board member Marcum stated that Utah Student
Associations presidents identified period products as a priority to focus on this year. Conversations are
happening between students and administrations to know what is possible. Vice-Chair Osmond
highlighted the New Leadership Academy Orientation that was held the day prior. He encouraged Board
members to keep an open mind during the experience. This was an information item only; no action was
taken.

Board Transfer Council Updates

Vice-Chair Barnes gave a report of the Board Transfer Council, which is comprised of Board members,
presidents, staff, and individuals from various campuses. Their first priority was to update the
Electronic Transfer Guide. They began to design direct transfer to the top transfer majors. This would
ensure students who completed an associate degree would be able to complete a bachelor’s degree with
an additional 62 credits. They now have 12 majors where this is happening. The Council identified the
next two priorities: financial aid for transfer students and reverse credit transfer. This was an
information item only; no action was taken.

Finance and Facilities Report

Chair Clyde reviewed four action items from the Finance and Facilities Committee that will be discussed
later in the agenda. The Committee discussed the Voice of the Customer Report from Cicero. They also
reviewed the Earn to Learn presentation, which will be discussed further at the March meeting. Juliette
Tennert will study the Earn to Learn and come back to the Committee with a recommendation. They also
reviewed Performance Funding Allocations, the Space Utilization Report, the Annual Report on
Institutional Revenue Bond Indebtedness, the Annual Financial Statements of the Commissioner’s Office,
and the revenue bond results the University of Utah released. This was an information item only; no action
was taken.

Strategic Plan Update

Melanie Heath provided an update on the strategic plan with the Board. She introduced the red light
green light dashboard on the website. President Tuminez asked if they would have an opportunity to
discuss items with no information or at risk. Melanie responded that she would welcome those
questions during the committee meetings. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Legislative Session Update

Spencer Jenkins gave a brief update on some of the legislative items they’ll work on. Vice-Chair Osmond
asked when the presidents would be called into the Higher Education Committee. Commissioner
Woolstenhulme ensured the schedule would be sent to the presidents and the Board once it was
finalized. Vice-Chair Barnes, Board member Jones and President Randall expressed interest in a Higher
Ed Day on the Hill event this year. It had not been previously scheduled, but the USHE staff will look
into having one during the 2022 session. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Vet School at USU

President Noelle Cockett presented the proposal to add a vet school at Utah State University to the
Board. This was an information item only; no action was taken.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy Review
Alison Adams-Perlac provided an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy review. Alison and Assistant
Commissioner Laís Martinez have teamed up together to work with the group. They hope to share
guidelines with the institutions for them to consider. Recommendations for edits will go through the
subcommittees for the Board’s review. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Title IX Discussion

Board member Church led a Title IX discussion with the Board. She iterated that Title IX issues and
campus safety is very important to them. They have tried hard to listen to the concerns of students,
presidents, and leaders on this issue and noted that every parent and family should feel confident
sending their students to our institutions in Utah. The Board and system intend to support Title IX
officers as much as possible to get new regulations implemented. Hiring associate general counsel
Alison Adams-Perlac is a great step in the right direction. The Student Affairs Committee will be holding
more hearings on this issue and hearing from Title IX officers on what we can do statewide. Board
member Church asked if there are things that can be done systemically to standardized complaint
procedures, complaint documentation, and investigation standards of victims bill of rights. She
questioned if there was a potential for some shared services. Commissioner Woolstenhulme proposed
bringing in outside experts to review what we are currently doing at our institutions and identify ways to
standardize. Presidents Randall and Cockett expressed support of this proposal. Vice-Chair Osmond
asked if this topic warrants a separate taskforce. Board member Church said they are willing to take care
of this within the Student Affairs Committee. President Huftalin is noticing on campus that with Title IX
changes that are frequent in presidential administrations, often the complaints don’t rise to the level of
the federal definition, but they are problematic behaviors. Staffing, salaries, and a system-wide approach
would be very helpful. Vice-Chair Barnes addressed that diving deeper into athletics department culture
is important. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

UHealth Presentation

Dr. Mike Good, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, Executive Dean of the Spencer Fox Eccles
School of Medicine at the University of Utah and CEO, University of Utah Health, provided an overview
of the UHealth system with the Board members. Board member Clyde asked what their overall budget is
for a year. Dr. Good noted it is around $4.5 billion. Commissioner Woolstenhulme expressed
appreciation for Dr. Good and his contributions. Board member Jones stated that the work of our
research institutions should be noted in our marketing. This was an information item only; no action
was taken.

Board Statewide Online Education Task Force Report

The Statewide Online Education Task Force met for the first time on January 10, 2022. There is more
debate that needs to be done within the group. They will come back at the next Board meeting to report.
Board member Mike Angus made a motion for the Commissioner and task force to
proceed with the USHE Online Concept Study from the Cicero Group. Board member
Church seconded the motion and the motion passed.

Revisions to R120 and R141

Alison Adams-Perlac reviewed revisions to R120 and R141 policies with the Board. President Tuminez
requested a sentence be added to listen closely to presidents that would complement 3.13. On 4.1
Evaluation Report, she suggested adding a phrase noting input from university presidents should be
solicited for the evaluation. Vice-Chair Barnes supported President Tuminez’s addition. The presidents
will provide the wording to add to the policy. Board member Church made a motion to adopt
the revisions to R120, Board of Higher Education Bylaws, and R141, Functions of the
Commissioner of Higher Education, with the recommendation of strengthening the
wording relating to the relationship between the Commissioner and the presidents. Vice Chair Barnes seconded the motion and the motion passed.

UVU State Funded Building Project Revision

Board member Clyde summarized the UVU State Funded Building Project Revision. Board member
Clyde made a motion to approve the project revisions for the Utah Valley University
Engineering Building. Board member Shawn Newell seconded the motion and the motion
passed.

UofU Tuition Increase

Board member Clyde introduced President Taylor Randall. President Randall reviewed the University of
Utah tuition increase for the Online and Professional MBA Program. The average national price for
these programs is $81k, and the University of Utah’s program is $59k. The proposal is to increase to
$62k, a 4% increase to be able to fund the additional services that have hit the market. University of
Utah Board of Trustees Chair Christian Gardner was present on the Zoom to endorse the action item.
Board member Arthur Newell made the motion to approve the 4% tuition increase for the
Professional Online and MBA Programs at the David Eccles School of Business, to go into
effect immediately for the Spring 2022 semester. Board member Angus seconded the
motion and the motion passed.

SUU Non-State Funded Project

Board member Clyde reviewed the SUU Non-State Funded Project. Interim President Benson noted it is
a great opportunity to expand the campus footprint and to be able to provide quality housing. Board
member Bailey asked if it would be used for scholarship housing. Interim President Benson said it
would not be available for students at this time due to the repayment of the bond. Vice-Chair Barnes
made a motion to grant approval to Southern Utah University to seek legislative
authorization to issue revenue bonds for the acquisition of “The Cottages at Shakespeare
Lane” apartment complex and adjoining home. Board member Bailey seconded the
motion and the motion passed.

Snow College Long-term Lease for Richfield Housing

Board member Clyde summarized the Snow College Long-term Lease for Richfield Housing. President
Brad Cook and Vice President Carson Howell were present to endorse the action item. Board member
Jones made a motion to approve the long-term lease for housing in Richfield, with terms
as presented. Board member Anderson seconded the motion and the motion passed.

Consent Calendar

Board member Church made a motion to approve the consent calendar; Board member
Datta seconded the motion and the motion passed.

Silicon Slopes Workforce/Talent Solutions Discussion

Commissioner Woolstenhulme welcomed colleagues from Talent Ready Utah. Vic Hockett introduced
his team from Talent Ready Utah, Rachelle Ackley and Peter Reed. He introduced the industry partners,
Derek Adams from Brainstorm, Todd Taylor from Adobe, Bradley Buchanan from Adobe, Erin Casale
from Qualtrics, and Will Clive from Pluralsight. The industry partners then reported on their workforce
concerns. Chair Simmons asked what value they place on literal education experience for students in the
humanities, arts, English, etc. They expressed the reality that there is such a lack of talent that that is not
a priority. Board member Hall asked what institutions are producing students that have requisite skills
and is there anything of value coming out of online academic providers. They said online providers are
producing valuable talent, and locally UVU has produced the best talent due to their business and
entrepreneurial centers. Board member Hall then asked what precisely would they have the Board add
or improve upon relative to the higher ed strategy. They recommended getting companies more involved
with higher ed and provide more practical experience. Board member Jones asked if they had the
authority as part of USHE, what is one thing they would do today to address the deficits. They would
give equal and exclusive access to those technologies to everyone. Board member Church acknowledged
that there is a huge equity issue if it’s digital literacy and experiences they need. Vice-Chair Osmond
asked why the IT industry is not interested in talent coming out of technical colleges. The industry
partners said it might be a question of awareness and relationships more than anything. This was an
information item only; no action was taken.

Motion to Adjourn

Vice-Chair Barnes made a motion to adjourn; Vice-Chair Osmond seconded the motion
and the motion passed.

The meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

Date Approved: March 25, 2022