Here’s what the presidents of Utah’s universities told The Tribune about possible program cuts

The onus is now on Utah’s university and college presidents.

Lawmakers gave them the unilateral authority last session to cut programs that are “low-performing. And then a blistering state audit last month instructed them to start taking action — and soon — to save taxpayer money.

That includes eliminating degrees that few students are choosing to pursue or that few students are actually completing through graduation. If a program doesn’t lead to a high-paying job or support the state’s workforce needs, they could be terminated, too.

[Read more: Liberal arts professors in other states who’ve seen programs slashed warn Utah: You may be next]

“Clearly resources are not being allocated to where the growth needs are, and, in some cases, are being allocated to where we’re not being that efficient,” said House Speaker Mike Schultz when the audit came out.

The Salt Lake Tribune asked each school leader to share their thoughts on the audit and what they plan to do.

Here’s what they said:

Utah Valley University

Jim Mortensen, the vice president of finance at UVU, provided a response when President Astrid Tuminez was out of the office. He said the Orem university — which is the largest in the state — is already looking at the data and seeing where it can reallocate funding to higher-performing programs:

“Utah Valley University welcomes the findings of the state’s recent audit of higher education, which affirm our commitment to data-driven decision making. We consistently track enrollment, graduation rates, costs and other metrics to monitor the success of our programs. In fact, we invested in a new software system last year to deliver this data at the program level.”

“We are using this information,” he continued, “along with employment outcomes from the Utah System of Higher Education, to meet the Legislature’s call to reallocate funding to programs that educate our students for Utah’s high-demand, high-salary employment needs.”

Weber State University

President Brad Mortensen said cutting programs is difficult and that those decisions require a variety of perspectives beyond a few data points. He said Weber State also has an obligation to its community to provide both economic and cultural value:

“Over the last few weeks, we’ve had university-wide discussions about the potential for program cuts. These are tough conversations. It’s difficult to compare and contrast the strengths and successes of each academic program using a single measure, or even a handful of measures, so that’s one major challenge that lies ahead.”

“We appreciate the opportunity to engage with legislators, the Utah Board of Higher Education and other USHE institutions to achieve the objectives of our policymakers while also following through on our commitments — to students who came to Weber State for meaningful educational opportunities,” he continued, “and to our community, which supports and relies on us for a host of economic and cultural contributions.”

“Weber State has a track record of receiving high marks for return on investment,” he added. “This proves our commitment to affordability and workforce alignment.”

“Data from a recent Cicero study presented at the Utah Board of Higher Education meeting on Nov. 21 demonstrated that the greatest demand from industry today is for the ‘durable skills’ that support communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork,” he noted. “These skills keep Utah’s economy strong, and research shows they’re often best honed through work-based learning or liberal arts and humanities programs.”

“With that in mind, we’re working to make general education and all our academic programs even more aligned with workforce needs so that WSU graduates are career-ready. We hope that any criteria developed for program cuts will consider the positive impacts these programs have on our graduates and our state,” he concluded.

Southern Utah University

President Mindy Benson said she’s reviewed the findings of the audit and wants to balance those with the unique mission of SUU:

“SUU is actively engaging in conversations with legislators, state leaders, and the Utah System of Higher Education to explore opportunities for improvement. As part of this process, the university is conducting a thorough review of internal data to ensure that the university’s mission and goals remain aligned with the needs of our students, community and the state.”

“SUU is committed to fostering student success through personalized education and hands-on learning experiences that prepare graduates to excel in their careers and contribute meaningfully to their communities,” she continued. “We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with state leaders and our system partners to develop thoughtful, data-informed solutions that align with statewide objectives while preserving the unique strengths and values that define SUU.”

Utah Tech University

Utah Tech’s interim President Courtney White said the school is focused on serving the workforce needs of southern Utah:

“Utah Tech University aims to provide workforce-aligned educational opportunities that meet the needs of our growing region,” he said. “We appreciate this audit and the guidance it provides on how we can make data-informed decisions that increase efficiency and better serve our students.”

Salt Lake Community College

Gregory Peterson, the newly appointed president of SLCC, said the audit will help the school plan and prepare for the future. But he noted the school already does much of the program reviews that the audit calls for because it is focused on training employees for jobs:

“As a comprehensive community college, SLCC has systems in place and regularly uses them to review programs and reallocate resources to support Utah’s growing workforce and community needs,” he said. “We are committed to continuing these efforts and remaining thoughtful stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

Snow College

As president of the smallest college in the state, Stacee McIff said the central Utah school is committed to regular reviews to make the best decisions for both students and industry partners:

“We have not yet done an analysis to determine which programs need to expand, pivot, or transition,” she said. “Program reviews at Snow College will be collaborative and data-driven.”

University of Utah

U. President Taylor Randall declined to respond.

Utah State University

USU President Elizabeth Cantwell declined to respond.