The University of Utah has finalized its list of course and program cuts as part of the legislature-mandated strategic reinvestment process.
University of Utah Board of Trustees members signed off on a list of just over 80 inactive courses, certificates and degree programs that could be discontinued once the Utah System of Higher Education and Utah lawmakers sign off. Read the full list here.
The university started by analyzing enrollment and graduation numbers for each of the courses and programs. This data-informed analysis started with programs that have had little to no recent enrollment or degree conferrals over the past decade.
“These decisions reflect careful consideration and consultation with college, school and departmental leadership,” Provost Mitzi Montoya wrote in a July 9 memo to academic leaders. “We recognize the weight of these decisions and the importance of shared governance in managing this process with transparency and integrity. Thank you for your continued partnership in advancing the mission of the university and supporting a bold, student-centered approach to academic reinvestment.”
The university offers more than 100 undergraduate degrees and 200 graduate degrees across all colleges and departments. As proposed, the discontinuation list would terminate just under 30 master’s degree programs, 15 doctoral degrees, another 30 undergraduate and certificate programs, as well as 9 minors.
On May 16, the university submitted phase one of its reinvestment plan to the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE), part of a three-year process to reallocate $19.6 million of state-appropriated funds as required by House Bill 265 (HB 265). University leaders have emphasized that the changes required under the bill are not happening in isolation, but as part of a broader transformation already underway through Impact 2030.
The phased approach is designed to ensure thoughtful implementation that strengthens the university’s momentum toward long-term goals while aligning with HB 265’s priorities to improve completion rates and strengthen workforce readiness.
Academic Affairs has adopted a Mission-Aligned Planning process to integrate academic planning with the institution’s strategic mission and goals. The first initiatives include prioritizing strategic reinvestments in workforce-responsive courses and programs and addressing the hidden costs of a stacked class schedule.
The Academic Senate Executive Committee signed off on the inactive program list on July 21.
“We commend senior leadership for undertaking this arduous, time-sensitive task the right way, using data analytics tools that were put into place in anticipation of this scenario, collaborating with deans and department chairs to generate targeted cuts from the ground up, and trusting the shared governance process, even under unforgiving deadlines, to perform oversight and thereby build campus-wide consensus,” Senate President Richard Preiss wrote in a July 22 report to the trustees. “We recognize that there will be further, more painful rounds of cuts and restructurings, but we hope this can serve as a precedent and model.”
Students currently enrolled in the programs will receive support with “clear, timely pathways to degree completion (so-called ‘teach out’ plans),” Montoya wrote. Some students may be referred to academically appropriate alternatives.