
University of Utah President Taylor Randall speaks at a panel on higher education policy ahead of Utah’s 2025 legislative session.
Over the past few years, lawmakers across the United States have been asking difficult questions of higher education institutions and Utah is no exception to the trend.
While challenging and uncomfortable, the questions are valid, says University of Utah President Taylor Randall, because they reveal a genuine desire to ensure public education systems are poised to carry individuals, communities and economies into the future.
“ We’re going through an immense period of technological and social change,” Randall said at a pre-legislative Hinckley Institute of Politics forum on Jan. 16, “Making the Case for Higher Education.”
“When that happens, institutions have to analyze themselves and say, ‘Are we delivering based on the promise we have made?’”
Ahead of Utah’s annual legislative session, Randall joined Geoffrey Landward, Utah’s commissioner of higher education, and Mitzi Montoya, the U’s provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, in a panel discussion moderated by Jason Perry, Hinckley Institute director and vice president of government relations.
“The fact that we’re a priority and the subject of so many conversations suggests the outsized role that higher education plays in the state of Utah,” Landward said. “Not only the impact that it has on the state and its prosperity but also the size of the investment that it requires to run a system that operates at this kind of level.”
The cost—and value—of higher education will be a central topic during the 2025 Legislature which begins on Tuesday, Jan. 21. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-12, has asked the leaders of all of Utah’s higher education institutions to model cutting 10% of their budgets and reallocating some of those funds to ensure better outcomes for students. In anticipation of the request, the president sent cabinet members a letter on Oct. 7 asking areas to begin the budgeting exercise.

A student asks a question of higher education leaders during the pre-legislative session panel at the Hinckley Institute.
Addressing critical issues
Other existential questions loom. At the Utah Board of Higher Education’s Nov. 21 meeting, the board heard several presentations tied to current critiques of higher education, including:
- An audit of space utilization, which found a surplus of space at traditional colleges and universities and a dearth at technical schools. Randall challenged the methodology of the study, which didn’t account for the complexity of a large research university like the U, at the Nov. 21 meeting.
- A legislative audit which found higher education institutions’ out of alignment with workforce needs in the state.
- A report from consultants who found Utah employers need their workers to demonstrate more than software coding and spreadsheet manipulation; they need so-called “durable” skills, such as teamwork and communication
All of it would seem to set up a tense lawmaking session, but the higher education leaders on the panel remain optimistic about their ability to address legislators’ concerns while preserving the essential characteristics that make Utah higher education institutions unique and essential.
Landward said he has never had a conversation with lawmakers that suggests investing in higher education isn’t worth it.
“This has simply been about where are we going to get the very best return on the investment that we’re making?” he said. ”The fact that we’re at the table and they’ve been responsive to our feedback suggests that we’re going to make this the best possible outcome.”
Preparing the workforce of tomorrow
As the U and Utah’s other higher education institutions look forward to potentially changing how degrees are offered and what degrees are available, Montoya noted it’s important to remember that faculty are always reimagining and improving what they teach to make sure degrees are relevant in an ever-changing world. Montoya said the university is using data to help them decide what should be offered based on factors like what students want to study, what degrees employers need and what degrees are offered at other institutions.
“We are working on a structure to review our programs regularly to ensure our students have great outcomes and our employers are satisfied,” she said.
While the changes could mean certain programs go away, Randall said higher education leaders in the state are pushing for a plan that includes a “teach out” period to allow students already pursuing a degree to finish their coursework.
The challenge education leaders face as they make these decisions is trying to prepare students for things they don’t even know are yet to come, Montoya said.
“To do that, we have to reinvent ourselves,” she said. “That is never easy and we have to do it together. What is amazing about being at a university like this is we work with people who will be the architects of future technology and changes and we have no idea how it will impact us.”
The president echoed the provost’s optimism about preparing Utah’s next generation.
One of the most important roles of the university is to develop people, Randall said.
“Our university creates amazing human beings and amazing human talent,” he said. “What we produce because of our research in terms of human capital is very sophisticated and unique. You are special in so many ways including how you will go out and engage in the real world.”