Presidents of Utah’s universities weigh in on possible program cuts
The Salt Lake Tribune; courtesy photos
Clockwise from top left: University of Utah President Taylor Randall; Utah State University President Elizabeth Cantwell; Utah Valley University President Astrid Tuminez; Weber State University President Brad Mortensen; Southern Utah University President Mindy Benson; Utah Tech University interim President Courtney White; Salt Lake Community College President Greg Peterson; Snow College President Stacee McIff.Editor’s note: This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.
The onus is now on Utah’s university and college presidents.
Lawmakers gave them the unilateral authority last session to cut programs that are “low-performing. And then a blistering state audit last month instructed them to start taking action — and soon — to save taxpayer money.
That includes eliminating degrees that few students are choosing to pursue or that few students are actually completing through graduation. If a program doesn’t lead to a high-paying job or support the state’s workforce needs, they could be terminated, too.
“Clearly resources are not being allocated to where the growth needs are, and, in some cases, are being allocated to where we’re not being that efficient,” said House Speaker Mike Schultz when the audit came out.
The Salt Lake Tribune asked each school leader to share their thoughts on the audit and what they plan to do.
Read the rest of this story at https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2024/12/24/what-utahs-university-presidents/.
