Utah System of Higher Education

Salt Lake Community College

Friday, March 24, 2023

 

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Minutes

 

Board Members Present                                                      Board Members Absent

Lisa-Michele Church, Chair                                                                                    Steve Starks

Jesselie Anderson, Vice Chair

Grace Acosta

Stan Albrecht

Julie Beck

Stacey Bettridge

Rich Christiansen

Sanchaita Datta

Hope Eccles

Korianne Gibson

Patricia Jones

Arthur Newell

Shawn Newell

Scott Theurer

Xitlalli Villanueva

Rick Wheeler

 

Office of the Commissioner

Dave Woolstenhulme, Commissioner

Alison Adams-Perlac, General Counsel

Brett Campbell, Research Analyst

Kris Coles, Assistant Commissioner for Student Affairs

Trisha Dugovic, Director of Communication

Malin Francis, Director of Facilities & Planning

Brynn Fronk, Executive Assistant to the Utah Board of Higher Education

Russ Galt, Senior Assistant Commissioner for Technical Education Finance

Jared Haines, Senior Advisor for Technical Education

Julie Hartley, Associate Commissioner of Academic Education

Vic Hockett, Associate Commissioner of Talent Ready Utah

Carrie Mayne, Chief Economist

Lais Martinez, Assistant Commissioner for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Katie Mazzie, Director of Student-Center Initiatives

Will Pierce, Assistant Commissioner of Technical Education

Dave Pulsipher, Senior Assistant Commissioner

Melissa Van Hien, Executive Assistant to the Commissioner

Scott Wyatt, Senior Executive Director of Statewide Online Education

Kim Ziebarth, Associate Commissioner of Technical Education

 

Institutional Presidents Present

Darin Brush, Davis Technical College                                            Brad Mortensen, Weber State University

Mindy Benson, Southern Utah University                                   Jordan Rushton, Dixie Technical College

Chad Campbell, Bridgerland Technical College                       Jim Taggart, Ogden-Weber Technical College

Clay Christensen, Mountainland Technical College               Astrid Tuminez, Utah Valley University

Noelle Cockett, Utah State University                                            Aaron Weight, Uintah Basin Technical College

Deneece Huftalin, Utah Valley University                                   Richard Williams, Utah Tech University

Stacee McIff, Snow College (interim)                                             Brennan Wood, Southwest Technical College

 

Salt Lake Community College Board of Trustees

Brady Southwick, Chair

Nate Boyer

Lindsay Simons

Jim M. Wall

Kim R. Wilson

Tashelle Wright

Other Guests

Neil Abercrombie, Senior Advisor for Legislative Affairs and Policy for Governor Cox

Cathy Anderson, Chief Financial Officer, University of Utah

Jason Atuaia, Interim Associate Vice President for Budget & Finance, University of Utah

Wendy Carter, Executive Vice President & Provost, Bridgerland Technical College

Marvin Dodge, VP for Finance & Administration, Southern Utah University

Chase Hagood, Senior Associate VP for Academic Affairs & Dean of Undergraduate Studies, University        of Utah

Rachel Divine Lewis, Assistant Provost for Curriculum & Academic Systems, Salt Lake Community                 College

Linda Makin, VP for Planning, Budget & Finance, Utah Valley University

Darren Marshall, Assistant VP of Budget Services & Financial Planning, Salt Lake Community College

Kirt Michaelis, VP for Administrative Services/CFO, Mountainland Technical College

Paul Morris, Utah Tech University

Mitzi Montoya, Senior VP for Academic Affairs, University of Utah

Val Peterson, VP for Administration/Strategic Relations, Utah Valley University

Kelly Simerick, Vice President of Student Services

Laura Snow, Senior Advisor, University of Utah

Keith Sprouse, VP of Administrative Services, Uintah Basin Technical College

Kent Thygerson, VP of Finance & Operations, Tooele Technical College

Jacob Wright, Senior Budget & Policy Analyst

 

 

Chair Church called the meeting to order at 7:30 a.m.

 

President’s Report and Board of Trustees Report

 

President Huftalin reported on the state of Salt Lake Community College. Salt Lake Community College’s Board of Trustees Chair Brady Southwick provided his insight and perspective on the state of the college. Trustee Simmons gave a report to the Board on the state of the college from the perspective of the students.

 

Board member Villanueva asked what advances are being made so there are more resources for undocumented students. President Huftalin shared there is a collegewide effort to embed EDI thinking into all different departments.

 

At Chair Church’s request, President Huftalin spoke about the way enrollment is going. Community colleges are losing enrollment across the nation. Salt Lake Community College is the most affordable, open access, and designed to help students succeed. The communication isn’t quite clear. The national narrative needs to change.

 

Board member Jones asked President Huftalin what things the Board could do to help her succeed. The president responded that the Board should be brave about conversations around EDI, to pay attention to the general education recommendation and those at the community college and what they’re advocating for.

Board member Wheeler 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; Board member Arthur Newell seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Closed Session

Board member Wheeler made a motion to end closed session; Board member Christiansen seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Committee of the Whole

 

Student Report

 

Shantanna Crank from Davis Technical College and Mone Langi from Salt Lake Community College each provided a student report. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Committee Reports

 

Board member Albrecht summarized the February 2023 Academic Affairs Committee meeting and highlighted the committee’s dashboard with the list of priorities and deliverables. Board member Eccles provided an update from the Institutional Roles and Missions Taskforce

 

Board members Shawn Newell, Scott Theurer, and Arthur Newell provided summaries from the February 2023 Technical Education and Student Affairs Committee meetings and the March 2023 Financial and Facilities Committee meeting. Chair Church recapped the deliverables for each committee. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

2023 Legislative Session Report

 

Commissioner Woolstenhulme provided a summary of the 2023 Legislative Session. He thanked the Board members, presidents, legislators, and Neil Abercrombie. Nate Talley provided a report of the funding results from the session. Geoff Landward walked the Board members through a few bills, highlighting a few that impacted higher education. Nate Talley reviewed the systemwide funding totals and the performance funding numbers. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

State Board Impacts

 

Neil Abercrombie, Senior Advisor for Legislative Affairs and Policy for Governor Cox, spoke with the Board about the impact of SB146 and the transition process. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

USHE Tuition Presentations, Public Comment, Board Action

 

Utah Tech University

 

Paul Morris reviewed three new graduate programs for differential tuition. There was a discussion about tuition for in-state versus out-of-state tuition for online classes, demand for the programs, and the timeline for reviewing program approvals. Board member Jones moved to approve Utah Tech University’s new graduate differential tuition schedules for Master of Sports Management, Master of Nursing Education Leadership, and Occupational Therapy Doctorate. Board member Wheeler seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Utah State University – Tech Ed

 

President Cockett presented the proposed changes in student tuition and fees. There was a discussion about Board members receiving tuition information in advance. Commissioner Woolstenhulme explained that the conversion of clock-hour to credit-hour had been previously approved by the board, is revenue neutral, and is an effort to integrate cost structures of technical colleges and degree-granting institutions at a system-level. Board member Arthur Newell moved to approve the tuition rate of $95 per credit hour for Utah State University – Eastern – Technical Education, along with student fees, and differential tuition rates as presented. Vice Chair Anderson seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Board member Christiansen wanted the minutes to reflect that he’s asking for materials beforehand for review.

 

Snow College – Tech Ed

 

President McIff presented the tuition-neutral model for technical education. Board member Christiansen moved to approve the tuition rate of $85 per credit hour for Snow College – Technical Education, along with student fees as presented. Board member Albrecht seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Salt Lake Community College

 

President Huftalin shared Salt Lake Community College’s tuition presentation. Board member Datta moved to approve the tuition rate of $90 per credit hour for Salt Lake Community College – Technical Education, along with student fees, and differential tuition rates as presented. Board member Shawn Newell seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Bridgerland Technical College

 

President Campbell presented Bridgerland Tech’s tuition alignment proposal. Board member Jones moved to approve the tuition rate of $95 per credit hour for Bridgerland Technical College. Vice Chair Anderson seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Davis Technical College

 

President Brush reviewed the tuition alignment and differential tuition proposal for Davis Technical College. Board member Acosta moved to approve the tuition rate of $95 per credit hour for Davis Technical College, along with differential tuition rates as presented. Board member Christiansen seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Dixie Technical College

 

President Rushton shared the tuition presentation for Dixie Technical College. Board member Jones moved to approve the tuition rate of $105 per credit hour for Dixie Technical College, along with differential tuition rates as presented. Board member Eccles seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Mountainland Technical College

 

President Christensen and Kirt Michaelis presented the tuition and credit alignment for Mountainland Technical College. Board member Shawn Newell moved to approve the tuition rate of $120 per credit hour for Mountainland Technical College. Board member Arthur Newell seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

Ogden-Weber Technical College

 

President Taggart shared Ogden-Weber Technical College’s tuition presentation. Board member Arthur Newell moved to approve the tuition rate of $95 per credit hour for Ogden-Weber Technical College. Vice Chair Anderson seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Tooele Technical College

 

Kent Thygersen presented the proposed credit tuition amount and differential tuition. Board member Theurer moved to approve the tuition rate of $85 per credit hour for Tooele Technical College, along with differential tuition rates as presented. Board member Albrecht seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Uintah Basic Technical College

 

President Weight reviewed Uintah Basin Technical College’s tuition presentation. Board member Acosta moved to approve tuition rate of $100 per credit hour for Uintah Basin Technical College, along with differential tuition rates as presented. Board member Jones seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Annual Tuition Review

 

Due to time restraints, this agenda item was not addressed.

 

FY 2025 Performance Funding Model

 

Nate Talley explained how the new performance funding model works with the Board members. There was discussion regarding the institutions’ five-year goals and the policy by which the Board will set those goals. Nate reviewed the one-year goal proposals, including access, timely completion, and high-yield awards with the Board. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Adoption of Policy R522, Annual Performance Goal Setting & Funding Determination

 

Board member Christiansen moved to adopt Policy R522, Annual Performance Goal Setting and Funding Determination. Board member Villanueva seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Data Dashboard

 

Carrie Mayne reviewed the Data Dashboard website with the Board members. The Board requested to review the Data Dashboard with Carrie during each Board meeting to have the data to make informed decisions. There was a discussion on the dashboard’s design and unifying it with the institutions’ dashboards. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Approval of Institution FY 2025 One-Year Performance Goals

 

Carrie Mayne reviewed the one-year goal proposals for access, timely completion, and high-yield award.

Board member Datta moved to adopt FY 2025 systemwide and institutional annual performance goals consistent with proposed Board policy R522. Board member Shawn Newell seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

Consent Calendar

 

Board member Arthur Newell moved to approve the Consent Calendar. Vice Chair Anderson seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Promise Partnership Discussion

 

Crystal Maggelet presented the Utah Promise Scholarship to the Board members. Commissioner Woolstenhulme noted a lot of good would come from the scholarship, and they want to work hand-in-hand with the institutions on this. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Council of Presidents Report

 

President Huftalin provided a report from the degree-granting presidents. President Brush shared perspectives from the technical college presidents. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Simplified Admissions: Single Admissions Application Update

Kris Coles reviewed the simplified admissions concepts that the Simplified Admissions Taskforce discussed. He highlighted the concerns of the institutions. Kris shared that Huron was selected as the vendor, and he then reviewed the cost details. Board member Datta moved to approve the expenditure of funds not to exceed $300,000 for consultation on the scoping and development of a USHE-shared single admission application. Board member Eccles seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

Affordability Discussion

 

How Affordable are USHE Institutions?

 

Nate Talley presented analysis on how USHE institutions are currently meeting Board-defined affordability measures to the Board members. There was a discussion amongst the Board about the affordability of the USHE institutions This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

What are the Key Affordability Strategies and Tactics?

 

Nate Talley presented key affordability strategies and tactics, including improving fiscal transparency and understanding, coordinating and optimizing financial aid, increasing completion of the FAFSA, ensuring institutions maintain strong fiscal health and operational efficiency. Nate and the Board discussed the Board levers on affordability. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

How Do We Define Affordability? For Whom and for What Purpose?

 

Overview of Current Definition and Opportunities for Improvement

 

Nate Talley shared the current Board-adopted definition of affordability with the Board members. He highlighted definitional shortcomings, including capturing variance in institution and student characteristics, opportunity cost, time and return on investment. . This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Applied Examples of Definitional Shortcomings

 

Katie Mazzie presented three case studies of possible student financial scenarios. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

 

 

 

Disparities in Educational Attainment and Earnings by Demographic Status Data and Implications for Affordability

 

Lais Martinez presented the definition of affordability as defined by USHE and contrasted it to that of some USHE students. Carrie Mayne reviewed public use data on Utah earning differentials by educational attainment, race and ethnicity with the Board members. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Student Experiences with Affordability

 

Student Board members Korianne Gibson and Xitlalli Villanueva spoke about the student experience with affordability. They provided recommendations to the Board members on increasing affordability for students, including being creative in sharing information, rethinking the payment system, and scholarships that apply to other things besides tuition. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

What are Board Levers to Increase ROI?

 

Industry Partnerships & Talent Ready Utah

 

Due to time restrains, this agenda item was not addressed.

 

Potential Gains in Affordability from Reaching 5-Year Performance Goals

 

Nate Talley reviewed USHE’s five-year performance goals and shared how achieving the goals could  impact affordability in terms of student increased earnings and cost avoidance. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

What are the Board Levers for Cost Avoidance?

 

Update on Shared Services Initiative

 

Arthur Newell provided an update on the Shared Services Initiative. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Potential Revisions to Board Policies on Capital Facilities

 

Nate Talley highlighted recent Board and Council of Presidents discussions on Board policies related to capital facilities, architectural programming, acquisition of property, and use of capital project funds. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Board Prioritization of All Institution Requests for Appropriations

 

Commissioner Woolstenhulme shared that all RFAs presented by institutions and legislators must go through the Board pursuant to Senate Bill 146 of the 2023 General Legislative Session. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

What are Board Levers Affecting Students’ Ability to Pay

 

Board Approval Criteria for Tuition and Fees Increases

 

Commissioner Woolstenhulme shared the findings from the audit regarding tuition and fee increases. He expressed that having the Board delegate the responsibility to the boards of trustees is the proper practice and encouraged the Board to continue to delegate it to the trustees. There was a discussion amongst the Board about this process. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Increase FAFSA Completion

 

Board member Theurer shared the work being done to increase FAFSA completion. There is a cultural challenge in the state, where many do not know about FAFSA. They will continue to do what they’re doing with training the trainers and access advisers. The simplified FAFSA will be marketed as soon as it’s ready. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

USHE Institution Waiver Use

 

Dave Pulsipher discussed the USHE institution tuition waiver use with Board members. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Forthcoming Study on Merit-Based Scholarships and Student Completion

 

Due to time restraints, this agenda item was not addressed.

 

Board Scholarship Allocation

 

Chair Church explained that the Board receives a certain amount of money appropriated for scholarships every year from the legislature. Nate Talley detailed these scholarships: the Opportunity Scholarship, the Promise Scholarship, and the New Century Scholarship. The New Century Scholarship has been phased out. Nate explained a few financial scenarios the Board could use to reallocate funding from the New Century Scholarship to the Promise Scholarship. There was a discussion amongst the Board about these three scenarios. The Board moved this to the May Board meeting to allow time to investigate the scenarios. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

University of Utah – 2023A Revenue Bond Results

 

Due to time restraints, this agenda item was not addressed.

 

Annual Space Utilization Report

 

Due to time restraints, this agenda item was not addressed.

 

Financial Ratio Report & Annual Money Management Report – FY 2022

 

Nate Talley reviewed the Financial Ratio and Annual Money Management reports with the Board. Board member Christiansen raised concerns about some ratios and asked for more discussion. Board Member Newell shared that the Finance and Facilities Committee asked Nate to engage relevant institutions and more deeply evaluate the financial health metrics of those institutions. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

 

Motion to Adjourn

 

Vice Chair Anderson moved to adjourn; Board member Arthur Newell seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

 

The meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.

_____________________

Geoffrey Landward, Secretary

Date Approved: May 18, 2023