President Alan L. Smith Shares Strategic Reinvestment Update

Editors note: the following was sent to USU faculty and staff on Thursday, April 10, 2025.

Dear Colleagues,

Following up on my previous communication, I write to offer an update on the development of our strategic reinvestment plan proposal. As you know, we must remove $12.5M+ from our current activities and propose new strategic activities in which we will reinvest. This is in addition to simultaneously addressing a separate $4.8M budget cut, a task that is progressing through a voluntary separation incentive program (VSIP), administrative efficiencies, and unit-level efficiencies across campus. My note here focuses on the strategic reinvestment task, required by HB 265, which specifically impacts our academic enterprise.

Informed by extensive engagement with the deans of the academic colleges and your feedback (which we continue to encourage), a work team convened by Provost Smith has assembled recommendations for our strategic reinvestment proposal that will ultimately be vetted by the USU Board of Trustees, the Utah Board of Higher Education, and legislative committees. I have begun meeting with this work team to discuss the recommendations and bring shape to the broader proposal. I have also been consulting with the Faculty Senate president, my cabinet, and others to gauge the strategic direction of the options, fit within the parameters of the legislation, and ascertain how certain recommendations might be implemented. This iterative process will continue through the month, over which I will offer you periodic updates.

At present, there are at least two global structural changes that will feature in our proposal – both being mergers of existing colleges. The first will be a merger of the Caine College of the Arts (which will become a school embedded in the new college), College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and College of Science. This will result in a new college at USU that aligns with common arts and sciences models nationally. Dean Joe Ward has graciously agreed to lead the new college. The second will be a merger of the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources and the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. This will result in a new college at USU that aligns with those found at several thriving land-grant institutions. The leader of this 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.

The restructuring of these colleges will be accompanied by department consolidations, moves, and reconfigurations that strengthen alignment and cohesion. These changes will likely impact downstream programs, initiatives, and centers or institutes. As more details become available, I will keep you informed. 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. Our task includes phasing out less productive or declining programs while actively pursuing areas of growth and future potential.

I recognize that you will have many questions about the implementation of the mergers. A pressing task will be to address roles and responsibilities tied to leadership and some support functions. Any associated personnel reductions – which would be applied July 1 or later – will depend on VSIP 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. Other merger details are to be worked out later and will be managed within the colleges. The new colleges will be tasked with spending the coming academic year forming strategic plans, governance structures, novel curricular initiatives, and other infrastructure elements to ensure their long-term success and impact.

Thank you for your commitment to our academic community. There is a lot going on. Aside from the reinvestment task, which is top of mind for most of us, we have our accreditation site visit next week and various late-semester events and responsibilities. Shortly thereafter we will celebrate the successes of our students at our Logan and Statewide Campus commencement ceremonies. 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. As always, I am grateful for all that you do.

Sincerely yours,

Alan L. Smith

Interim President