On July 21, the Academic Senate Executive Committee at the University of Utah signed off on a list of 81 programs that would be cut as part of a three-year process to reallocate state funds as required by HB 265 of the 2025 Utah legislative session. State lawmakers voted to cut $60.5 million from the higher education budget with the U going through the largest share of the cuts at $19.6 million, leading to the decision being made to drop “inefficient” majors or programs that lead to lower paying jobs.
According to the Utah Legislature’s Executive Appropriations Committee, the money from the cuts are being reallocated to a strategic reinvestment fund and represents about 10% of each institution’s instructional budget.
“What the state has asked us to do is to look at how we’re deploying the resources that the state is giving us and to make sure that we’re directing those resources to areas that give the state and the students the best return on that investment,” Utah Commissioner of Higher Education Geoffrey Landward said in a quote from the “House Rules” podcast.
The list of 81 programs affected mainly included master’s and doctorates with zero or one student graduate over the last eight years. Most of these cuts were in the College of Humanities, where 22 programs were dropped. Sixteen of those programs were in the Middle East Studies Program surrounding languages or language teaching. Eight programs were cut from the College of Fine Arts, including master’s degrees in theater, ballet and modern dance.
These cuts follow the trend of disproportionately affecting liberal arts across every school in Utah under the directives of HB 265.
A July 9 statement from Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Mitzi Montoya explains the selection process.
“This action is taken in accordance with House Bill 265: Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment, passed during the 2025 general session of the Utah Legislature,” Montoya said. “In response, the University conducted a data-informed analysis of academic programs-beginning with those that have had little to no recent enrollment or degree conferrals … These decisions reflect careful consideration and consultation with college/school and departmental leadership.”
U Academic Senate President Richard Preiss commended the senior leadership at the U for making a data driven decision that “can serve as a precedent and model” for future rounds of restructurings.
The U is the last higher institution in the state of Utah to provide a list of cut programs, with other institutes like Weber State and Utah Valley providing their list earlier in the spring. Institutions will get their funds reimbursed according to HB 265 but only if these funds will be reinvested into degrees for jobs that the state needs.
University leaders emphasized since the submission of phase one of their reinvestment plan May 16 that these changes are not happening in isolation due to the bill, but as a larger plan underway through Impact 2030, a strategic campus plan. Impact 2030 aims to increase enrollments, explain the goals and priorities of top leadership and allow individuals to understand its benefits and support its efforts.
“We are committed to ensuring that currently enrolled students in [cut] programs are supported with clear, timely pathways to degree completion or transition to academically appropriate alternatives,” Montoya said.
Additional information about cuts and reallocations will be presented to the Utah Legislature’s Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee on Aug. 19.
