1     
TEACHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATION AMENDMENTS

2     
2024 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Ken Ivory

5     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill requires the Utah Board of Higher Education to establish admission pathways
10     for accepting students who earn a degree from a non-accredited college or university
11     into a graduate program.
12     Highlighted Provisions:
13          This bill:
14          ▸     requires the Utah Board of Higher Education to establish admission pathways for
15     accepting students who earn a degree from a non-accredited college or university
16     into a graduate program.
17     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
18          None
19     Other Special Clauses:
20          None
21     Utah Code Sections Affected:
22     AMENDS:
23          53B-1-402, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 254
24     

25     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
26          Section 1. Section 53B-1-402 is amended to read:
27          53B-1-402. Establishment of board -- Powers, duties, and authority -- Reports.

28          (1) (a) There is established the Utah Board of Higher Education, which:
29          (i) is the governing board for the institutions of higher education; and
30          (ii) controls, oversees, and regulates the Utah system of higher education in a manner
31     consistent with the purpose of this title and the specific powers and responsibilities granted to
32     the board[; and].
33          (b) (i) The University of Utah shall provide administrative support for the board.
34          (ii) Notwithstanding Subsection (1)(b)(i), the board shall maintain the board's
35     independence, including in relation to the powers and responsibilities granted to the board.
36          (2) The board shall:
37          (a) establish and promote a state-level vision and goals for higher education that
38     emphasize data-driven retrospective and prospective system priorities, including:
39          (i) quality;
40          (ii) affordability;
41          (iii) access and equity;
42          (iv) completion;
43          (v) workforce alignment and preparation for high-quality jobs; and
44          (vi) economic growth;
45          (b) establish system policies and practices that advance the vision and goals;
46          (c) establish metrics to demonstrate and monitor:
47          (i) performance related to the goals; and
48          (ii) performance on measures of operational efficiency;
49          (d) collect and analyze data including economic data, demographic data, and data
50     related to the metrics;
51          (e) govern data quality and collection across institutions;
52          (f) establish, approve, and oversee each institution's mission and role in accordance
53     with Section 53B-16-101;
54          (g) assess an institution's performance in accomplishing the institution's mission and
55     role;
56          (h) participate in the establishment and review of programs of instruction in accordance
57     with Section 53B-16-102;
58          (i) perform the following duties related to an institution of higher education president,

59     including:
60          (i) appointing an institution of higher education president in accordance with Section
61     53B-2-102;
62          (ii) through the commissioner and the board's executive committee:
63          (A) providing support and guidance to an institution of higher education president; and
64          (B) evaluating an institution of higher education president based on institution
65     performance and progress toward systemwide priorities;
66          (iii) setting the terms of employment for an institution of higher education president,
67     including performance-based compensation, through an employment contract or another
68     method of establishing employment; and
69          (iv) establishing, through a public process, a statewide succession plan to develop
70     potential institution presidents from within the system;
71          (j) create and implement a strategic finance plan for higher education, including by:
72          (i) establishing comprehensive budget and finance priorities for academic education
73     and technical education;
74          (ii) allocating statewide resources to institutions;
75          (iii) setting tuition for each institution;
76          (iv) administering state financial aid programs;
77          (v) administering performance funding in accordance with Chapter 7, Part 7,
78     Performance Funding; and
79          (vi) developing a strategic capital facility plan and prioritization process in accordance
80     with Chapter 22, Part 2, Capital Developments, and Sections 53B-2a-117 and 53B-2a-118;
81          (k) create and annually report to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
82     on a seamless articulated education system for Utah students that responds to changing
83     demographics and workforce, including by:
84          (i) providing for statewide prior learning assessment, in accordance with Section
85     53B-16-110;
86          (ii) establishing and maintaining clear pathways for articulation and transfer, in
87     accordance with Section 53B-16-105;
88          (iii) establishing degree program requirement guidelines, including credit hour limits;
89          (iv) establishing and maintaining pathways for students who earn undergraduate

90     degrees from a non-accredited institution into an institution of higher education graduate
91     program;
92          [(iv)] (v) aligning general education requirements across degree-granting institutions;
93          [(v)] (vi) coordinating and incentivizing collaboration and partnerships between
94     institutions in delivering programs;
95          [(vi)] (vii) coordinating distance delivery of programs;
96          [(vii)] (viii) coordinating work-based learning; and
97          [(viii)] (ix) emphasizing the system priorities and metrics described in Subsections
98     (2)(a) and (c);
99          (l) coordinate with the public education system:
100          (i) regarding public education programs that provide postsecondary credit or
101     certificates; and
102          (ii) to ensure that an institution of higher education providing technical education
103     serves secondary students in the public education system;
104          (m) delegate to an institution board of trustees certain duties related to institution
105     governance including:
106          (i) guidance and support for the institution president;
107          (ii) effective administration;
108          (iii) the institution's responsibility for contributing to progress toward achieving
109     systemwide goals; and
110          (iv) other responsibilities determined by the board;
111          (n) delegate to an institution of higher education president management of the
112     institution of higher education;
113          (o) consult with an institution of higher education board of trustees or institution of
114     higher education president before acting on matters pertaining to the institution of higher
115     education;
116          (p) maximize efficiency throughout the Utah system of higher education by identifying
117     and establishing shared administrative services, beginning with:
118          (i) commercialization;
119          (ii) services for compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20
120     U.S.C. Sec. 1681 et seq.;

121          (iii) information technology services; and
122          (iv) human resources, payroll, and benefits administration;
123          (q) develop strategies for providing higher education, including career and technical
124     education, in rural areas;
125          (r) manage and facilitate a process for initiating, prioritizing, and implementing
126     education reform initiatives, beginning with common applications and direct admissions;
127          (s) provide ongoing quality review of programs; and
128          (t) before each annual legislative general session, provide to the Higher Education
129     Appropriations Subcommittee a prioritization of all projects and proposals for which the board
130     or an institution of higher education seeks an appropriation.
131          (3) The board shall submit an annual report of the board's activities and performance
132     against the board's goals and metrics to:
133          (a) the Education Interim Committee;
134          (b) the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee;
135          (c) the governor; and
136          (d) each institution of higher education.
137          (4) The board shall prepare and submit an annual report detailing the board's progress
138     and recommendations on workforce related issues, including career and technical education, to
139     the governor and to the Legislature's Education Interim Committee by October 31 of each year,
140     including information detailing:
141          (a) how institutions of higher education are meeting the career and technical education
142     needs of secondary students;
143          (b) how the system emphasized high demand, high wage, and high skill jobs in
144     business and industry;
145          (c) performance outcomes, including:
146          (i) entered employment;
147          (ii) job retention; and
148          (iii) earnings;
149          (d) an analysis of workforce needs and efforts to meet workforce needs; and
150          (e) student tuition and fees.
151          (5) The board may modify the name of an institution of higher education to reflect the

152     role and general course of study of the institution.
153          (6) The board may not take action relating to merging a technical college with another
154     institution of higher education without legislative approval.
155          (7) This section does not affect the power and authority vested in the State Board of
156     Education to apply for, accept, and manage federal appropriations for the establishment and
157     maintenance of career and technical education.
158          (8) The board shall ensure that any training or certification that an employee of the
159     higher education system is required to complete under this title or by board rule complies with
160     Title 63G, Chapter 22, State Training and Certification Requirements.
161          (9) The board shall adopt a policy requiring institutions to provide at least three work
162     days of paid bereavement leave for an employee:
163          (a) following the end of the employee's pregnancy by way of miscarriage or stillbirth;
164     or
165          (b) following the end of another individual's pregnancy by way of a miscarriage or
166     stillbirth, if:
167          (i) the employee is the individual's spouse or partner;
168          (ii) (A) the employee is the individual's former spouse or partner; and
169          (B) the employee would have been a biological parent of a child born as a result of the
170     pregnancy;
171          (iii) the employee provides documentation to show that the individual intended for the
172     employee to be an adoptive parent, as that term is defined in Section 78B-6-103, of a child born
173     as a result of the pregnancy; or
174          (iv) under a valid gestational agreement in accordance with Title 78B, Chapter 15, Part
175     8, Gestational Agreement, the employee would have been a parent of a child born as a result of
176     the pregnancy.
177          Section 2. Effective date.
178          This bill takes effect on May 1, 2024.