Lawmakers return $8.8M to Utah State

Utah State University has regained $8.8 million in previously withheld state funding after lawmakers signaled satisfaction with the university’s response to a legislative audit that raised concerns about governance and financial oversight.

USU President Brad L. Mortensen said he addressed lawmakers following the release of the audit.

“There were three times since the legislative audit came out that I addressed the legislature — first at the audit committee, then at the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee,” Mortensen said. “I had received word before that they were satisfied with our response to the audit so to try to keep my remarks to 30 seconds, and so that’s what I tried to do.”       

The restored funding is part of a three-year strategic reinvestment plan. Mortensen said the university will submit its year-one report to lawmakers.

“We’ll give our year-one report this summer to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee again and continue to keep them apprised as we move forward,” Mortensen said.           

In response to the audit, the university implemented additional safeguards intended to strengthen oversight of spending and administrative processes. The USU Board of Trustees now reviews the USU President’s Office budget quarterly, and advance notice is required for expenditures above certain thresholds.

“One of the big findings from the audit is that oftentimes we have policies in place. We just weren’t as diligent as we should be at following those policies here in the past,” Mortensen said. “We’ve built in some checks and safeguards.”      

Mortensen said there’s an emphasis on clearer communication with legislators and students to ensure spending aligns with both state expectations and campus priorities. This is a shift from former USU President Elizabeth Cantwell, where the legislative audit found procurement policies at USU were not consistently followed.           

“It’s not that we can’t spend money, but we just want to make sure that we’re being transparent about it and using it for purposes that align with what the university needs,” Mortensen said.

Beyond governance changes, the reinvestment process resulted in structural shifts across campus. There were 14 academic degree programs eliminated, and colleges were consolidated to reduce administrative costs. Eight colleges were reduced to five, decreasing the number of dean’s offices and related expenses.      

“The big impact on students was that there were obviously a lot of degrees that got cut,” said Max Alder, executive vice president and president-elect of USUSA.

Students already enrolled in affected programs were able to finish their degrees, but new students could no longer declare those majors. University officials also reviewed certificate offerings in an effort to reduce duplication and focus resources more strategically.

“In this day and age, there’s a lot of, just, mistrust of institutions, and colleges and universities kind of fall under that,” Mortensen said. “I feel like if we’re doing the work that advances the institution, that provides for meaningful experience for students and aligns with the policies and things of the state, then we really don’t have anything to hide.”

Alder said transparency regarding university funding and expenditures will remain important for students navigating the changes.

“I think that any student that has a reasonable enough reason to want to know should be able to find that fairly easily,” Alder said.      

The university plans to measure the success of its reinvestment efforts through enrollment trends, graduation rates and student debt levels.

“At the end of the day, it really comes back to how our students feel about their university, and we want to be a university that they can be proud of,” Mortensen said.

Although the audit findings predated his presidency, Mortensen said maintaining confidence requires consistent leadership.

“I try not to take for granted the kind of trust and confidence people are showing in me because we have to make good decisions on a daily basis in order to keep that,” Mortensen said.      

Since taking office, Mortensen says he has focused on addressing past audit findings while also looking ahead to campus growth and program development. Efforts to improve transparency and streamline administrative processes have set the stage for future initiatives across academic programs and statewide campuses.

“There is so much momentum at Utah State,” Mortensen said. “I’m excited to get to work on that part of the university instead of just responding to the audit.”