With Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature,  HB 261 “Equal Opportunity Initiatives” will become state law on July 1. We understand the legislation has raised many questions about how this new law will impact our campus—particularly our colleagues who work on issues of equity, diversity and inclusion.

Every member of our University of Utah community matters. The unique life experiences, perspectives and approach to the work you do make our campus the vibrant place that it is for learning, teaching, conducting research and providing exceptional health care. We will continue to foster a campus community that welcomes everyone.

As the state’s flagship institution of higher education, we follow state law. We will work with Utah System of Higher Education leaders and our peers at other state colleges and universities, moving forward together to implement the requirements of HB 261. As part of the work to understand the new law, we are launching a university-wide review to determine which policies, processes and people may be affected.

Some key items to note:

• Within the law, student centers will continue to work with all students to support their success.
• The law protects grants, academic research and eligibility requirements set by federal programs and accreditation bodies.
• An FAQ will be published on @theU once a thorough review of the new legislation is complete. This analysis is expected to take a few weeks.

As part of this deep assessment, leaders will be meeting with key teams from across campus to document the impacts. This analysis will be broad, but deliberate. Please don’t hesitate to share your questions and concerns at president@umc.utah.edu.

We care deeply about each member of this campus community—students, faculty and staff—and appreciate the work each of you do to strengthen the university and support student success. This work is done one by one, with attention to individual needs. The university is committed to being a place where all students, faculty and staff can thrive.

Sincerely,

Taylor Randall
President

Michael Good
Senior Vice President for Health Sciences

Mitzi Montoya
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs