Reinvestment plan: Utah State University to consolidate several colleges

LOGAN — A pair of "global structural changes" are part of Utah State University's evolving strategic reinvestment plan mandated by the Legislature.

In a recent message sent to USU faculty and staff, the school's interim president, Alan Smith, announced the mergers of several existing colleges at the Logan-based campus.

The first will be a merger of the Caine College of the Arts, College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Science.

"This will result in a new college at USU that aligns common arts and sciences models nationally," wrote Smith.

Joe Ward, the current dean of the school's College of Humanities and Social Sciences, will lead the new college.

The second structural change calls for merging the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources and the College of Agricultural and Applied Sciences — forming a new college, according to Smith, "that aligns with those found at several thriving land-grant institutions."

The dean of that new college is to be determined.

"In both cases, these mergers will strategically enhance academic programming, foster interdisciplinary scholarship, and significantly improve our ability to meet the evolving needs of our students and the state of Utah," wrote Smith.

In light of the mergers, USU faculty and staff can expect department consolidations, moves and reconfigurations.

"Crucially, these adjustments are part of our reinvestment strategy, aimed at enhancing strengths, creating synergies, and exploring new directions enabled by our updated academic structures," wrote Smith.

"Our task includes phasing out less productive or declining programs while actively pursuing areas of growth and future potential," Smith said.

The new colleges at USU, added Smith, will be tasked over the coming academic year to form "strategic plans, governance structures, novel curricular initiatives" and other infrastructure elements to ensure long-term success and impact.

Layoffs looming at USU

In an earlier message to USU employees, Smith noted that job layoffs are inevitable, adding "personnel are the primary cost of an institution like ours."

USU is also offering a universitywide voluntary separation incentive program for eligible employees as a method of campus force reduction.

"A pressing task will be to address roles and responsibilities tied to leadership and some support functions," wrote Smith in his most recent message.

"Any associated personnel reductions – which would be applied July 1 or later — will depend on (voluntary separation incentive program) uptake and the administrative and operational needs of the new colleges.

"I know personnel impacts are of particular concern to our community, and we will work to communicate as quickly and clearly as possible to those affected when decisions are made," Smith said.

The evolving restructuring happening in Logan reflects similar efforts developing at all of Utah's public degree-granting institutions in order to comply with HB265 — the recently passed legislation requiring schools to reallocate millions to programs determined to be of highest value.

In the coming weeks, USU and the state's other public institutions of higher education will present their strategic plans to the Utah System of Higher Education and, later, to state lawmakers.

If their recommended reallocations are approved, they can reclaim the 10% of their annual budget that was cut earlier this year as part of the strategic reinvestment process.

Leaders at USU are tasked with absorbing a $4.8 million budget cut from the 2024 Legislature even while addressing the $12.5 million being withheld, at least temporarily, through HB265.

"If our proposal is accepted, we will then recover these dollars, but they must be spent in the proposed new ways," wrote Smith last month. "These ways will naturally align with our mission and various strategic priorities yet will only be achievable by pivoting away from some of our previous structures, programs, and people.

"This will be incredibly hard for us even if in the interest of the long-term health and success of USU," he said.

Smith concluded his most recent message with praises for USU's academic community:

"You are heroically meeting the needs of our students and the communities we serve during a time of unusual disruption for higher education as well as personal concerns about future changes at USU."

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