When Two Become One: Examining Utah's State-Level Postsecondary Education Governance Reform Efforts

• In Event: Exploring the Role and Impact of State- and System-Level Policies

Abstract

State-level postsecondary education governance has experienced a lull in reform efforts since the turn of the century. However, in 2020, the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) and Utah System of Technical Colleges (UTECH) were formally merged following a multi-year effort by state legislators and state higher education officials. The current qualitative study aims to understand the various factors that led to Utah's successful implementation of governance reform efforts, as well as consider how such a consolidation impacted all sectors of public higher education in the state. The findings from this study will also provide insights for policymakers considering enacting future state-wide governance reform efforts.

Authors

• Paul G. Rubin, University of Utah
  Presenting Author

• Cheri Daily, University of Utah
  Presenting Author

• Shawn R. Coon, Westminster University
  Presenting Author