How Utah’s college presidents, higher ed leaders are preparing for a historic legislative session

On the eve of the 2025 Utah legislative session, the state’s higher education leaders are gearing up for fiscal turbulence in the form of budget cuts and reallocation.

On Thursday, University of Utah president Taylor Randall participated in a forum at the school, making the case for the broad value of higher education — even while responding to emerging opportunities and disruptions.

“I think that becoming more efficient in the way we deliver support to both faculty, staff and students is really important,” said Randall. “Those are the other types of things that we’re going to look hard at as we try to make these reinvestments.”

Randall earlier told the Deseret News that the University of Utah and legislative leaders share the same priorities: ensuring that Utah’s institutions of higher education are preparing the greatest number of Utahns for a future of “profound economic upheaval that’s completely unrelenting, accelerating irreversible, driven by technological change.”

In advance of the Utah Legislature’s 2025 higher education actions, the Deseret News reached out to several of Utah’s other higher education leaders — gleaning their thoughts on a variety of issues prior to what’s expected to be a historic legislative session.

Elizabeth Cantwell — president, Utah State University

When asked about how Utah State University is preparing for the Legislature’s anticipated actions, school president Elizabeth Cantwell acknowledged higher education stands at a “critical inflection point” that demands “adaptation and reaffirmation” to ensure it fits today’s job market.

“We are a public higher education institution that is poised to play an even more critical role for the future,” she wrote in an email. “At Utah State, we intend to work collaboratively with our Utah System of Higher Education colleagues and state leaders to embrace change — ensuring the future success of higher education in Utah.”

USU, added Cantwell, remains “deeply committed” to providing a strong return on investment for its students and communities.

“We are actively working to ensure that our reallocations, as we plan them out, focus on benefitting our students and our core teaching mission.”

Meeting industry workforce needs is a driving element of the Legislature’s expected higher education debates. Cantwell wrote that USU is determined to align its programs with evolving workforce demands, prioritizing student success and contributing to the state’s economic vitality.

“Land-grant institutions have always been focused on offering an applied education and practical applications of scientific research. This commitment is exemplified by our long-standing programs in social work, nursing and engineering. Our Statewide Enterprise has expanded certificate and technical education programs across the state of Utah, and we have recently focused our efforts on increasing engineering enrollments and graduates.”

Legislative leaders such as Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, are advocates of some four-year bachelor’s degrees becoming three-year programs.

Cantwell notes a four-year degree requiring 120 credits offers students classes that help them become well-rounded and better prepared to communicate across diverse cultures.

“But we know that not all students and not all jobs need the same thing,” she wrote. “The flexibility of offering a three-year bachelor’s degree in areas where career outcomes for students can be enhanced is welcome.”

Geoffrey Landward — Utah’s commissioner of higher education

No surprise, Utah’s higher education leaders are anxious about how this year’s legislative session will affect their campus operations.

But amid discomfort, Commissioner of Higher Education Geoffrey Landward said partnerships between lawmakers and educators have developed over the past several months during ongoing discussions.

“We recognize the need and value of higher education in Utah, but we also have a responsibility to the taxpayers in how we use their money,” said Landward. “So when it comes to higher education, we want to be more responsible with the taxpayers’ funds by understanding where we’re getting a return on investment for the money that we’re putting into higher education.”

That means examining budgets and degree programs — and then determining “where are we getting the highest value for taxpayers and for the students who are enrolling.”

Landward’s office is expected to be tasked with developing reallocation criteria for the state’s higher education institutions that will be anchored to “what we view as the hallmarks of high-performing programs or high-return-on-investment areas of the institution.”

Such hallmarks would likely include program alignment with Utah’s industry demands — and if the costs of specific programs are aligned with workforce outcomes.

Reallocation specifics are expected to be the call of the institutions, who would then report their decisions to the Utah Board of Higher Education and, ultimately, the legislative bodies holding the pursestrings.

“Each institution is different, each region is different,” said Landward. “So there isn’t a set formula for reallocation and reinvesting. It has to be an institution-specific process — but guided by these criteria.”

Expect to often hear the term “high return of investment” during this year’s legislative’s higher education debates.

Landward said the vast majority of Utah students who choose to pursue higher education are primarily motivated by improving their economic outlet possibilities. They are looking to increase their job options — and seeking high-yield programs that lead to high-paying job options.

“And we want to know if what we’re providing them actually gives them those results,” he said.

Employers are telling Utah’s higher education leaders that they need a highly educated workforce that includes engineers, AI experts and health care professionals.

“So anything that we can do to provide a workforce that’s trained in those areas has a high return from the state,” said Landward.

“This isn’t just about individual economic needs for individual students … but it’s also about the state’s economy. When our economy is strong, that impacts everybody.”

Brad Mortensen — president, Weber State University

Governments at both the state and national level have historically prioritized connecting public higher education and training for the workforce, said Weber State University President Brad Mortensen.

But such priorities bring with it public scrutiny.

“So we now find ourselves in that moment here in Utah,” Mortensen said. “All of the questions the legislators are asking are certainly within their prerogative. It’s uncomfortable on campuses, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t meet the conversations head-on.”

Such conversations, he added, double as opportunities to correct narrative misconceptions while sharing “the good things” that are happening at the state’s higher education institutions.

“There are certainly things we can do better — and we’re eager to engage in those conversations and probably have some tough conversations on campus at Weber State about how to handle that.”

In response to lawmakers’ calls to tighten efficiencies while diminishing administrative bloat, Weber State will be consolidating two vice presidents positions into one and also vacating several other executive-level positions.

Managing cuts or reallocations on the academic program side is a bit more challenging, admitted Mortensen.

He is waiting to see what legislative guidance emerges from the session, even while continuing campus conversations about moving forward.

“It’s going to be a really difficult environment on campus.”

Mortensen is a staunch believer in humanities and liberal arts programs that are not always included in immediate industry-alignment conversations.

“Many of the fundamental skills that we value in higher education — when it comes to communication and problem solving and teamwork — are developed through those disciplines, in addition to the strong technical aspects required in (career specific) areas such as nursing or computer science.”

Adams and others have called for alignment boosts between higher education and industry to better prepare graduates for the workforce.

Mortensen said many of Weber State’s degree programs already have advisory boards consisting of local industry leaders.

It’s critical, he added, for institutions to offer “high-impact education experiences” such as internships and undergraduate research to develop essential durable skills.

“We want to make sure every one of our bachelor’s degree graduates gets a couple of those high-impact experiences to help prepare them for the workforce — in addition to ensuring the education they receive in the classroom is aligned with what’s happening currently in industry.”

Greg Peterson — president, Salt Lake Community College

As the leader of the state’s largest two-year college (enrollment: 27,000+), Salt Lake Community College President Greg Peterson plays a guiding role in the educational paths of many Utahns.

Some SLCC graduates will move directly into the full-time workforce. Many others will transition to Utah’s four-year institutions.

“I appreciate the investment that the state has in our education,” said Peterson, who was appointed president last April. “We care. Our leaders and elected officials care. And our communities care. So I’m excited to see how together we can ensure the best opportunities for our students and for our communities.”

Peterson said SLCC is well-equipped to engage in legislative discussion about budget reallocations. Over the past two years, the school has reduced several programs as part of its regular program-review process.

“So the idea that we need to be mindful and attuned to ensure that our pathways are going directly to good career opportunities and (college) transfers for our students all makes sense,” he said.

Utah has two public community colleges — SLCC and Ephraim’s Snow College. Both play an essential role in Utah’s higher education system, said Peterson.

“It’s all about providing access, across the board, to more individuals in our community gaining the benefits of a post-secondary education. That can be through us — or through us moving then to our university partners.”

Like Schultz, Peterson is a fan of the types of concurrent enrollment opportunities offered at SLCC that help Utah high school students earn college credit — and save a few dollars.

He also emphasizes the SLCC’s duty to provide educational opportunities to non-traditional students.

“What I love about the community college is that we recognize that the majority of our students have an identity other than ‘student,’” said Peterson. “We’re able to augment their experiences as a student within their life — and find ways that we can adapt and be flexible so that they can still be a parent or a caregiver.

“They can still be an employee and do other aspects of their life while continuing to learn and grow.”