USU announces proposed major cuts under new Utah law

LOGAN, Utah (ABC4) — Utah State University has released a list of the academic programs it could be discontinuing due to a 2025 bill taking effect starting May 7, 2025. While this bill will impact all higher education institutions across Utah, USU is the first to announce a potential change in academic programs.

H.B. 265 requires “each degree-granting institution to create a strategic reinvestment plan to reallocate funding from certain programs and divisions of the institution to certain programs and divisions that merit additional investment,” according to the text of the bill.

Governor Spencer Cox signed H.B. 265 on March 26, 2025. It will go into effect on May 7 of this year.

In a January statement from former USU President Elizabeth R. Cantwell, she said, “We are actively working to mitigate the impact of these potential reductions on our students and our core teaching and research missions. However, adjustments of this magnitude will necessitate difficult decisions regarding academic programs.”

On Friday, USU’s Interim President Alan L. Smith sent a message to all employees.

“We have not yet finalized reinvestment decision-making tied to our proposal. However, we anticipate pursuing new or amplified structures that foreground artificial intelligence and computing, health disciplines, student success, and graduate education throughout our statewide system,” Smith said in the message.

Smith also shared that there would be some structural changes to existing departments, saying that the College of Humanities and Social Sciences will be merging eight departments into six, the Department of Geosciences will join with the Natural Resources and Agriculture department, and the Engineering Education Department will be discontinued.

“Decisions to discontinue educational activities have been based on an iterative process that involved considering the span of data aligned with HB 265, contextual information offered through the deans and your feedback, and our anticipated strategic directions for reinvestment,” he stated.

Here is a complete list of academic programs, degrees, and certificates that are being discontinued.

• Agriculture Communication, Bachelor’s Degree
• ASL Interpretation, Emphasis
• ASL / Deaf Education Teacher Prep Program, Bachelor’s Degree
• Community and Public Health, Emphasis within Health Education
• Deaf and Elementary Education, Bachelor’s Degree
• Environmental Engineering, Bachelor’s Degree
• Family Finance, Emphasis within Human Development and Family Studies
• Family Life Studies, Bachelor’s Degree
• Applied Kinesiology Fitness Promotion, Master’s Degree
• National Environmental Policy Act, Graduate Certificate
• Physical Education, Emphasis in Kinesiology
• Rehabilitation Transition, Graduate Certificate
• Psychology Data Science and Research Methodology, Ph.D. Specialization
• Theatre Program in Price, Associate Degree

“As a reminder, ultimately our proposal will be reviewed by our Board of Trustees, USHE, and legislative committees and therefore is subject to change,” Smith said in the letter. “Thank you for expressing the stamina, grit, and compassion for one another that we need to navigate toward a stronger USU.”