In 2024 the Legislative session greatly impacted higher education, with several bills such as H.B. 257 and H.B. 261 attacking DEI efforts among Utah universities. Several budget cuts harmed higher education — specifically staff and student protections.
With the 2025 Legislative Session beginning, we should not expect anything less than legislation against DEI and higher education. Expect budget cuts targeting the humanities. Being aware of these bills and budget cuts is crucial throughout the 2025 Legislative Session. The empathy and way of speech taught in humanities are needed in America now more than ever. Cutting back on higher education will attack and eliminate togetherness brought by the arts.
Previous Trends in Legislative Sessions
In 2024, the Legislature passed seven different bills that affected higher education. These bills substantially affected faculty, inclusivity and funding for Utah universities. DEI efforts were heavily reduced.
Inclusivity is becoming less and less of a priority at Utah universities. Who’s to say what programs and initiatives will be cut next? This trend is without a doubt going to continue in the 2025 Legislative session.
Speaker of the House Mike Schultz has proposed a 10% budget cut for higher education. Schultz told the Salt Lake Tribune that the money from these budget cuts could be reallocated to other programs. Specifically, programs that are bolstering the state’s economic growth.
On top of this, we can expect to see a dip in enrollment starting in 2027. Along with these budget cuts, Utah universities will receive less income from tuition. These cuts will be detrimental to the University of Utah. The U was ranked the No. 1 public university in the West in 2024, but who knows for how much longer.
What’s Next?
Allocating more money to economically beneficial programs will have major impacts on arts and humanities programs. These proposed budget cuts are an attempt to make Utah’s higher education more efficient. If your program does not directly provide job training, it is not seen as efficient. Why waste money on arts or history when the Legislature is benefiting more from real estate which requires no degree?
“We work really hard as a state to hold our state agencies accountable and to make them run efficiently, but nobody’s ever looked at higher ed,” Schultz said to the Salt Lake Tribune. The purpose of college isn’t necessarily to receive job training, it’s to receive a well-rounded education. Even though statistically all university education helps with a variety of skills relating to job training, a well-rounded education is not what the legislature wants for public universities.
These budget cuts are less about money and more about control. The trend of attacking higher education is continuing to grow. Schultz has never attended a public university, so it’s unclear where he gets off discussing budget cuts for higher education.
The Legislature thinks the U is too progressive and higher education is producing more democrats. Schultz posted on X about his commitment to getting back to the basics by teaching core academics and not pushing political agendas. Schultz’s attacks are disguised as efficiency efforts but he seems to be more concerned with political agendas. The U is producing freethinkers — professors of all political backgrounds teach at the U.
There is something to be said about educated people voting left — and Schultz, the Republican speaker of the house, does not have further education than high school. The Legislature is focused on the economy rather than a meaningful education. The economy is important, but so is teaching language, arts and history. With the U.S. being as polarized as it is, the language and communication skills brought from humanities are what it needs most.
Learning Empathy
Even in a STEM world, studying humanities continues to be important. Before STEM was science, technology, engineering and mathematics, it was STEAM, including arts into the important world-changing majors. The humanities are a broad field of study that examines the human experience, including our cultures, ideas and languages.
It is heavily argued what purpose an education that does not directly provide training in a job skill provides — an attack aimed at the humanities. An education in humanities does provide STEM knowledge. Natural and social sciences are almost always a requirement for a humanities degree.
In the digital age of STEM majors that follow set algorithms, learning about humanity is crucial. The humanities inspire the ability to understand complex moral questions and create life reflections. The humanities provide a little bit of humanity for life at a time when Americans are learning less and less about empathy.
Taking Action
Calling on Gov. Cox to veto bills that attack higher education is essential. Out of the 1,166 bills passed last year, Cox only vetoed seven. Utah has plenty of money in its rainy day fund. Meanwhile, tax dollars are being wasted left and right on things citizens don’t really care about.
Critical thinking done in humanities is much more than the set problem solving acquired in STEM majors. Although STEM is important, empathy for humanity is becoming less of a priority. This is being shown through America’s rapid polarization.
Contact your legislators, stay informed and call on Gov. Cox to use his executive power to veto bills. The need for the College of Arts and Humanities is more prevalent than ever.
