Three higher education bills that passed this session by the Utah Legislature could bring major changes to college campuses in Utah.
Three bills were passed during the legislative session:
Before becoming law, a bill must move through several steps in the legislative process. A lawmaker first introduces the bill, which is then assigned to a committee for review, debate and possible changes. If the committee approves it, the bill goes to the full House or Senate for a vote. It must then pass both chambers of the legislature before going to the governor, who can sign it into law or veto it.
HB 84
HB 84 addresses carrying a dangerous weapon on campus. The law states that individuals 21 years or older can carry a concealed weapon on campus without a permit. However, open carry is not permitted.
There are some exceptions to this law. Individuals can openly carry if:
- They were approved by the university
- They are responding to an active threat
- The weapon is accidentally revealed
HB 84 is intended to increase emergency readiness, coordination and bring awareness to the community, said Juan Fulgencio, a sergeant with the Utah Tech Police Department.
Fulgencio said Utah Tech’s safety policies already align with this bill.
“We already do some variation, if not, most of the things the bill introduced,” Fulgencio said. “But of course, there is always room for improvement.”
Student-led events could see changes as they plan events.
“This could affect student organizations in the sense that they may be required to gather more information prior to having their events approved,” Fulgencio said. “Student organizations can also expect to be more involved in the safety planning of events on campus.”
Fulgencio said faculty and staff members can review guidance from the Utah System of Higher Education and contact the UTPD or the Office of General Counsel for clarification.
“I think that the bill heightens the importance of safety on campus and hopefully it will bring a spotlight to this area that can sometimes be an afterthought,” Fulgencio said.
HB 353
HB 353 focuses on how college credits transfer between universities. This bill required the Utah Board of Higher Education to create a clear and consistent way for credits to transfer by providing students with information related to transfer and accepted credits. It helps protect students from losing credits as they transfer from different universities.
This bill supports non-traditional learning, allowing students to move between institutions without losing credits. This bill also improves the communication about transferable credits, allowing for less course duplication.
“It will not change what Utah Tech does for transfer because we are already doing what it says schools should do,” said Helen Tate, associate provost for academic success.
SB 216
SB 216 focuses on higher education performance and enrollment funding. University student enrollment is now tied to university funding. As enrollment increases and decreases, funding will reciprocate.
“This impact is seen over a five-year period rather than evaluating single-year enrollment,” said Bryant Flake, executive director of planning and budget.
This can impact schools to focus more on their growing programs, as it will create more enrollment numbers. SB 216 revises how institutions measure their performance goals and metric goals for performance-based funding.
“The primary focus of the adjusted metrics is on student success in the form of retention and completion,” Flake said. “Utah Tech receives approximately 60% of core operational funding from the state, which is significantly higher than the national average and many surrounding states. This high level of state support enables UT to charge lower tuition and fees than regional and national peer institutions.”
