4: Higher Education

The mission of the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) is to provide superior quality academic, professional, and applied technology learning opportunities, public service, and research that are designed to advance the intellectual, cultural, social, and economic well-being of the state and its people. The USHE will foster a society of lifelong learners; prepare a productive work force for a knowledge-based global marketplace; cultivate social responsibility and commitment to ethical values; improve the quality and understanding of life through research and public service; and promote cultural awareness, and appreciation for diversity.

Other Information:

MASTER PLANNING PRIORITIES The priorities below have emerged from Board of Regent task forces working to build upon the commitments and action plans of the Board's Master Plan 2000. The work of these task forces has been incorporated into ongoing efforts of the Board's standing committees to the extent that these committees have now been renamed. They are the Finance, Facilities and Accountability Committee, and the Academic, Applied Technology, and Student Success Committee. Board priorities now include: • Funding Formula. A balanced funding formula is needed to enable USHE institutions to increase quality and accountability as they meet the needs of students today and into the future. • Student Success, Quality and Accountability. The System's role in preparing students for success academically and in their eventual careers must be paramount. To accomplish this, Regents and institutions are committed to a sharper focus on student success, graduation efficiency, and accountability for the use of state resources. • Institutional Roles and Missions. Utahns are fortunate to have access to ten higher education institutions with a variety of roles to meet their diverse needs for postsecondary education and training. It is imperative that institutions focus on what they do best–their role in the Higher Education System–and not divert time, effort, or resources to aspiring to be something they are not. The roles and missions of institutions are being refined and clarified in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts. FUNDING Funding Formula. The Regents' Task Force on Funding has reviewed the State's economic climate, tuition policies, and a five-year enrollment growth and cost projection model, and suggested a balanced Funding Formula that would allocate new tax dollars into one of four budget categories: • New Student Support – the cost of instruction for new students • Existing Student Support – costs associated with students currently enrolled • Outreach, Research, and Public Service – costs of instructional-support programs • Special Initiatives – costs to promote special Regent priorities such as libraries, technology, engineering, nursing, or student financial aid. Enrollment and Cost Projections. The Task Force has reviewed a 20-year enrollment projection as a basis for deriving a 5-year cost model, taking into consideration projected state revenues. Efficiency and Productivity. Several topics were discussed, including health care costs, retirement and early retirement incentive plans, administrative standardization and centralization, performance indicators, and differentiated staffing. Tuition and Fees. The Task Force discussed benchmarking increases in tuition and fees in the context of the most appropriate balance between state tax funding and student tuition funding. Differentiated tuition was also discussed. Space Utilization. Current and projected capital development needs were also reviewed in the context of the most efficient use of current and future space. STUDENT SUCCESS The primary goal of the Regents' Task Force on Student Success has been to enhance student learning while assisting students to complete their studies efficiently. Building upon the Master Plan 2000 goals to foster student success, the Task Force has developed six recommendations for institutions to adopt to improve student success. National Consulting from the Noel-Levitz Group provided assistance and direction to the Task Force. MISSIONS AND ROLES Utah has been recognized as being one of the few states with well-developed and long-standing mission-differentiation agreements. The differences between and among the institutions can become blurred, however, as institutions may aspire to move beyond their specified roles and missions. The Utah College of Applied Technology (UCAT) adds a new dimension to the USHE and provides new opportunities for Utah students. The needs of citizens as well as the financial condition of the state must be considered in planning efforts. What types of institutions does Utah need? How many institutions of each type can or should the state support? What are the best locations for the institutions? And how will the state's economy affect the future types and locations of Utah colleges and universities? A new policy has been developed to recognize the distinct and unique missions and roles of institutions in the USHE. This new policy (R312, see www.utahsbr.edu/policy/r312.htm) is based on the new Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, with Utah's types of institutions inserted and modified as appropriate. UCAT is included in the policy as a new institutional category. Also included will be each institution's updated mission and roles statement. These statements are being rewritten based on the new R-312 criteria and will be included in the policy after appropriate approval by the respective Boards of Trustees and the Board of Regents. The five institutional categories or types now include: Doctorate-granting Institutions: Type I (University of Utah and Utah State University) Master's Colleges and Universities: Type II (Weber State University and Southern Utah University) Baccalaureate Colleges/Associate's Colleges: Type III (A&B) (Utah State College and Dixie College) Comprehensive Community Colleges/Associate's Colleges: Type IV (Salt Lake Community College, Snow College, and the College of Eastern Utah) Technical Colleges: Type V (Utah College of Applied Technology)

Objective(s):

Higher Education 1: K-16

Higher Education 2: Mentoring

Higher Education 3: Barriers to Student Success

Higher Education 4: Two-to-Four-Year Transfers

Higher Education 5: Student Retention

Higher Education 6: Returning Student Communications

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