Utah Board of Higher Education

Virtual Meeting

Friday, July 12, 2024

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MINUTES

 

Board Members Present                                                   Board Members Absent

Amanda Covington, Chair                                                         Jon Cox

Steve Neeleman, Vice Chair                                                      Aaron Skonnard

Javier Chávez Jr.                                                                         Cydni Tetro

Sharon Eubank

Danny Ipson

Tina Marriott

 

Office of the Commissioner

Geoffrey Landward, Commissioner

Alison Adams, General Counsel and Board Secretary

Taylor Adams, Associate Commissioner of Student Affairs

Trevor Cross, Systems Administrator

Trisha Dugovic, Director of Communication

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

Russ Galt, Senior Assistant Commissioner for Tech Education Finance

Vic Hockett, Associate Commissioner of Talent Ready Utah

Jerry Henley, Senior Assistant Commissioner, The Point

Carrie Mayne, Chief Economist

Katie Mazzie, Director of Student-Centered Initiatives

Jefferson Moss, Associate Commissioner for Innovation, Commercialization and Economic    Development

Brian Shuppy, Senior Assistant Commissioner for Budget and Planning

Melissa Smolik, Executive Assistant, The Point

Nate Talley, Deputy Commissioner and CFO

Gabi Tellez, Director of Innovation and Commercialization, The Point

Melissa Van Hien, Office Manager / Executive Assistant to the Commissioner

 

Institutional Presidents Present

Mindy Benson, Southern Utah University                            Taylor Randall, University of Utah

Darin Brush, Davis Technical College                                    Jordan Rushton, Dixie Technical College

Elizabeth Cantwell, Utah State University                            Jim Taggart, Ogden-Weber Technical College

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

Paul Hacking, Tooele Technical College                                 Aaron Weight, Uintah Basin Technical College

Brad Mortensen, Weber State University                               Courtney White, Utah Tech University (interim)

Greg Peterson, Salt Lake Community College                       Brennan Wood, Southwest Technical College

Other Guests

Cathy Anderson, Chief Financial Officer, University of Utah

Ben Aplanalp, Principal, Cicero Group

Chad Burchell, Vice President for Instructional Services, Ogden-Weber Technical College

Dave Cowley, Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services, Utah State University

John Creer, Chief Real Estate Officer, University of Utah

Tiger Funk, Vice President for Operations, Southern Utah University

Carson Howell, Vice President of Finances and Administrative Services, Snow College

Jeff Labrum, Chief Operations Officer, University of Utah

Lisa Moon, Vice President for Instruction, Bridgerland Technical College

Burke Nazer, Assistant Attorney General

Levi Severson, Business Analyst, Cicero Group

Wayne Vaught, Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Utah Valley University

George Wong, Cicero Group

 

 

Chair Amanda Covington called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.

Committee of the Whole

President Greg Peterson Welcome

Chair Covington welcomed new Salt Lake Community College President Greg Peterson. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Capital and Operational Budget Guidance

Nate Talley presented the FY2025-26 Operating Budget Guidance to the Board members and presidents. The changes to the guidance are in direct response to legislative requests. The Commissioner’s office will gather the budget requests from the institutions and prepare them for Board consideration at the October 2024 meeting. President Tuminez asked when they would receive tuition guidance, to which Nate responded they could expect November and the core principles from last year to remain. Commissioner Landward noted that this results from years of feedback from the legislature and legislative leadership. He is having close conversations with legislative leadership to help them understand the nature of the changes. Commissioner Landward thanked the presidents and their staff for their collaboration. President Tuminez expressed support for prioritizing at the Board level. Board member Ipson moved to approve the Operating Budget Process Guidelines. Vice Chair Neeleman seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

 

Nate Talley presented the FY 2025-2026 Capital Budget Guidance. He recapped last year’s capital budget and compared the old to the new non-dedicated capital facilities prioritization. Board member Ipson asked if inefficiencies or energy issues are considered part of non-functionality. Nate responded that he would have to look at the technical definitions. President Tuminez recommended the imminent non-functionality criteria be removed. Nate replied that since the system can only advance one request by statute, imminent non-functionality must be considered. Board member Ipson asked if the institutions should be incentivized to raise outside funds to move up the prioritization scale. Nate answered that rebalancing percentages is certainly the Board’s prerogative. President Hacking inquired about SB102 dollars moving to technical colleges because Tooele Tech has a time-sensitive landbank request. Nate answered that his request would need to be brought forward as a Land Bank Request. Board member Eubank moved to approve the Capital Facilities Process Guidelines. Board member Marriott seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

 Shared Services Update

Nate Talley provided a shared services update. The shared services priorities are commercialization, Title IX, information technology services, human resources, payroll, and benefits administration. He shared the progress of each priority. A cost/benefit analysis will be done, and the Board will be the first to hear it. Commissioner Landward noted that a shared service will not be adopted before the Board hears an analysis. He also shared that communication is ongoing with the legislature. Chair Covington clarified the number of shared services required to avoid penalties. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Innovation/Commercialization as a Shared Service

Jefferson Moss, Gabi Tellez, and Jerry Henley presented Innovation/Commercialization as a Shared Service. The Utah Innovation Lab will serve as the ‘back office’ for the state’s innovation and commercialization endeavors. The USHE Commercialization and Innovation team will efficiently vet new technologies and research opportunities, ensuring that only the most promising projects receive further investment and maximize resource impact. These funds will provide comprehensive business development support, equipping institutions with the expertise to make informed investments and promote economic development across the state. Board members and presidents discussed the marketing of the service, challenges and successes thus far, unintended bias, supporting those with innovative ideas, addressing the trend of remote work, fulfilling the shared service mandate, and coordination with existing research institutions. Chair Covington asked for regular updates at future Board meetings. Vice Chair Neeleman moved to adopt commercialization as the shared service for the System and to direct institutions to coordinate commercialization activities through the Associate Commissioner for Innovation, Commercialization, and Economic Development. Board member Ipson seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

 

USU – Non-Traditional Arrangement Monument Valley Campus

Nate Talley presented Utah State University’s non-traditional arrangement for the development of the Monument Valley Academic Building. President Cantwell highlighted that this is the same approach USU used for the Moab building, and each non-profit has to be unique so they cannot use an existing one. The groundbreaking is scheduled for August 2, 2024, and the project completion date is anticipated for November 2025. Chair Covington moved to authorize Utah State University to enter into a non-traditional arrangement to use New Market Tax Credits for the Development of Facilities on the Monument Valley Campus. Vice Chair Neeleman seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

 USU – Non-State Funded Project

Nate Talley presented Utah State University’s Non-State Funded Project, the Talmage Arena at the Bastian Agricultural Center. President Cantwell reminded the group that this is the beginning of a long and well-paced adaptation of what the Bastian Center has been and what it will be in the future. Board member Eubank moved to authorize Utah State University’s construction of the Talmage Arena at the Bastian Equestrian Center and advance the project to DFCM for final approval. Vice Chair Neeleman seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

UU – Property Acquisition

Nate Talley introduced the University of Utah City Centre property acquisition to the Board members. John Creer reviewed the details of the acquisition. Vice Chair Neeleman asked how much additional money would be needed for the building, to which John answered $3 to $4 million, which the U has budgeted for. Vice Chair Neeleman also asked about the opportunity to turn these office buildings into affordable housing. John responded that the floor plate is the biggest challenge to converting offices into residences. However, affordable employee housing is high on their priority list, and they intend to solve it. Board member Ipson moved to authorize the property acquisition for the University of Utah as proposed. Chair Covington seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

Strategic Plan Task Force Update

Commissioner Landward introduced the Strategic Plan Task Force Update. Katie Mazzie shared the task force’s proposed changes to the vision and mission statement with the Board members. The Board and presidents provided their feedback on the proposed statement. Katie walked through the strategies within each strategic plan priority and elicited feedback from the Board and presidents. Vice Chair Neeleman moved to authorize the Strategic Plan Task Force to incorporate today’s feedback into a draft strategic plan to be reviewed at the next full Board meeting. Board member Eubank seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

Annual Open and Public Meetings Act Training

Burke Nazer provided the Board members with annual training on the Open and Public Meetings Act (OPMA). He gave a brief overview, walked through key definitions, and reviewed specific OPMA requirements. He also addressed what happens if the OMPA is violated. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Cicero Update

Vic Hockett provided the background of the Cicero Study, which aims to understand the effectiveness of higher education graduates in the workforce. George Wong, Ben Aplanalp, and Levi Severson from Cicero presented a mid-project update on the study. The Board members and presidents discussed work-based learning and internships. Vic Hockett shared that the goal is to have finalized reports around mid-September. This was an information item only; no action was taken.

Consent Calendar

Board member Marriott moved to approve the Consent Calendar. Board member Eubank seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

Vice Chair Neeleman moved to adjourn. Chair Covington seconded the motion, and the Board members in attendance voted unanimously in favor. The motion passed.

The meeting adjourned at 5:02 p.m.

Date Approved: August 30, 2024