October 18, 2010 — Utah Commissioner of Higher Education Bill Sederburg is proud to introduce www.higheredutah2020.org — the first online public hearing for shaping the future of Utah’s Higher Education. Using an interactive website to gain input into what the public wants to see for the future of Higher Education, the State Board of Regents will create a successful plan to meet Utah’s needs for the future. The overall aim is to graduate more students, which will require increased capacity while maintaining the quality of Utah’s already excellent Higher Education system.

“The Utah State Board of Regents is to be commended for taking the leadership on this ambitious initiative, which is core to the state’s future economic prosperity,” said Daniel J. Hurley, Director of State Relations and Policy Analysis with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, based in Washington, DC. “The Board’s online hearing is a sophisticated, original and transparent method of soliciting statewide feedback, and is sure to garner useful grassroots input that will help shape the roadmap for achieving Utah’s educational attainment goals.” This interactive website will serve as a working resource and gateway to public input for the Board of Regents as they update the master plan for Higher Education. All the best ideas will be considered for the final product, which will become part of a broader effort to increase educational opportunities for Utahns.

Website features include:

• Voting up or down on over 70 ideas contained in the Action Plan
• PDF downloads of the latest draft of the HigherEd Utah 2020 Plan Case Statement and Action Plan
  
• Opportunities for the general public to contribute to the Case Statement and Action Plan Wiki
  
• Public comment on each of the Action Plan areas and an opportunity for general comments
  
• Direct contact with the Office of the Commissioner for Higher Education and Board of Regents via site forms, email or Facebook and Twitter links
  
• Critical resources and in-depth information on Higher Education
  

Visit www.higheredutah2020.org now to cast your thoughts on the future of Higher Education!

The Utah System of Higher Education includes all of Utah’s eight public colleges and universities: The University of Utah, Utah State University, Weber State University, Southern Utah University, Snow College, Dixie State College, Utah Valley University and Salt Lake Community College.