In the 2001 General Session, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 61 which established an Engineering and Computer Science Initiative. The purpose of this initiative was to double the number of graduates in engineering, computer science, and related technologies by 2006 and to triple the number by 2009. The Technology Initiative Advisory Board (TIAB) was created to assist the Board of Regents in the administration and allocation of the appropriated funds.
During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $4,500,000 from all sources for Engineering Initiative. This is a 0 percent increase from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources. The total includes $4,500,000 in new approprations from the General/Education Funds.
In addition to statewide compensation and internal service fund cost increases, the following appropriation adjustments were made during the 2015 General Session:
The Legislature recognized that a significant increase in the number of engineering and computer science graduates from the Utah System of Higher Education over the next several years would stimulate critical technology occupations of the State.
To advance the initiative, the Legislature has appropriated a total of $104.7 million since FY 2002 for this initiative. An important component of the legislation requires USHE institutions to evaluate current program offerings and reallocate funds internally to leverage the state appropriated dollars to enhance the objective of this initiative.
It should be noted that even during the period of the State's weak economy, engineering and computer science graduates received job offers in Utah at higher than average starting salaries.
COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.