The University of Utah Board of Trustees heard concerns from faculty leadership on Monday over how a sweeping state higher education overhaul could affect department budgets and academic programs on March 10.
Academic Senate President Richard Preiss told trustees that the Utah System of Higher Education’s (USHE) “System Redesign” initiative, which would reorganize universities into regional clusters and eliminate overlapping programs, has potential but raises unresolved questions for faculty.
System redesign
The new system, pushed by both USHE and several bills recently passed by the Legislature, would prioritize vertical and horizontal integration. Vertical integration aims to create seamless transfer pathways between institutions, for example, from Salt Lake Community College to the U. “Fundamentally, I think [System Redesign] is a really sound set of ideas. It fosters collaboration rather than competition among universities,” Preiss said. “And that’s a landscape in which the U stands to benefit a great deal.”
Meanwhile, horizontal integration is supposed to reduce redundant programs between different universities in order to reduce competition between universities. This will “reorganize the state’s institutions of higher ed into regions,” Preiss said, “grouping feeder schools like technical community colleges together with degree-granting institutions.”
Faculty perspective
Preiss primarily brought up concerns with the horizontal element of system redesign. “A collaborative model based on shared mission may lack a built-in engine for growth and innovation,” Preiss said. “If a community college wants to be more than a community college and, for example, wants to launch a dance program or if a [research university] wants to have an automotive school, should they get to try? Should they get to fail?”
Additionally, Preiss highlighted concerns over how budgets may look. Department budgets depend on class enrollment and the number of declared majors. Preiss questioned how eliminating programs at some schools and routing students to outside institutions would affect that funding.
Preiss said he brought these potential roadblocks up to illustrate the demand on faculty. He referred to this demand as a point “where the rubber meets the road.” “I also want to remind you, trustees, that you have a hand on the wheel,” Preiss said. “You can help make the transition smooth. One acting as an interface between our university leadership and our state partners to ensure that their visions are aligned as we enter the year ahead of turning new law into policy.”
The board of trustees members thanked Preiss for his leadership and willingness to work with the administration. “This has been a problem for decades with articulation, with technical education and higher ed,” trustee Kathi Garff said. “And I hope that the University of Utah and your faculty members and friends can be at the forefront of helping to solve this problem … and if we keep students at the forefront and make sure that they are the most important part of this equation, I think the University of Utah can be a leader in this.”
