The highly contentious education bill, HB 265, passed the Utah House on Feb. 4, by a large margin, with 63 votes for, nine votes against and three absent voters. HB 265 proposes to reallocate 10% of the state’s higher education budget towards high-performing degrees.
Several other provisions make up HB 265, including imposing a 120 credit hour cap for undergraduate degrees, with an exception of up to 126 credits for licensing or accreditation requirements, studying a redesign of Utah’s performance funding model and more.
The bill’s sponsors, Utah House Rep. Karen Peterson and Utah Sen. Ann Millner worked to promote the bill to their colleagues, where it then passed the House vote. It is different from the other bills they have worked on, but Millner felt confident they could take on the challenge.
“We’ve worked on lots of big issues over the years, and I think that our higher education system is stronger and better for it. So we want to continue that work,” said Millner. “This is called ‘continuous improvement.’ And that is our goal here, to continuously improve our institutions, make sure we’re being responsive to the communities and the regions in which they live, that we’re providing opportunities and access for students into high-need programs across the state.”
Now that the bill has passed the House, it will move to the Senate. If it passes in the Senate and is signed into law, it gives lawmakers the ability to modify, consolidate, or terminate programs of instruction, and may require an institution to develop a performance improvement plan and annually report back to the board regarding the plan.
Colleges will be required to work with the Utah Board of Higher Education to create a reallocation plan. Plans that are approved in August will be given three years to implement the plan and get funds.
Millner and Peterson assert that how funds are reallocated is ultimately up to the universities themselves, with guidance and approval from the Utah Board of Higher Education and Executive Appropriations Subcommittee.
“We are trying to say, ‘We want you to go through this rigorous review process and determine where we can get more efficiencies and where we can make sure we’re expanding investment in needed areas for the world that we live in today,’” Millner stated.
The bill has been viewed by some as a threat to liberal arts, and a shift toward turning Utah universities into technical colleges. Even those who agree with the need for restructuring have hesitancies about the bill’s approach to the issue.
“Just keep this in mind. As an employer, if you give me a professional that only knows their science and only knows their profession, it’s going to be hard for me to employ them in my setting,” said Cedar City Sen. Evan Vickers.
Peterson has defended the bill, arguing that some state programs only graduate one student each year.
“We need to be really careful in this conversation, because it isn’t about the value of just learning and the value of being lifelong learners and all of that that comes from a university education,” Peterson said. “It really is about making every dollar count in our system and making opportunities count for students in a way that provides them both general and specific education.”
The bill has also received an array of concerts from those more directly involved in higher education.
“Just because a program has low enrollment doesn’t automatically mean that program is not a high value program,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Geoff Landward. “Conversely, just because a program has high enrollment does not necessarily mean that it is a high value program.”
Landward has similar goals to the ones Millner and Peterson hope to accomplish with HB 265, but wants lawmakers to consider more factors and objective data.
Many universities across the state have said they will work to manage the effect of these changes on their students and programs.
“The legislature and governor are clearly committed to implementing a reinvestment plan. We are actively working to mitigate the impact of these potential reductions on our students and our core teaching and research missions,” said Utah State University President Elizabeth Cantwell in a statement. “However, adjustments of this magnitude will necessitate difficult decisions regarding academic programs.”
HB 265 has been placed on the Senate 3rd Reading Calendar table, and will eventually be voted on by the Utah Senate.
Author: Tessa Cheshire
Photographer: Anna Mower
Editor: Anna Mower
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