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Cedar City • Based on the theory that even academics can be swayed by market forces, Utah higher-education bosses parceled out performance bonuses Friday to the state's eight colleges and universities.
The biggest slices went to Utah's two research schools: The University of Utah received $2.55 million, and Utah State University got $1.9 million.
Utah Board of Regents members approved the total batch of $9 million-plus in payouts at its monthly meeting at Southern Utah University — the first-ever round of cash rewards after a smaller $1.5 million pilot program last year.
"We're starting with a very small percentage," said Sen. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George, whose legislative proposal to grow the bonus pot succeeded this year. The bonus fund still is only a fraction of the $850 million taxpayers are providing state colleges this year, Urquhart noted after the Regents' meeting.
Each school is graded on a few criteria — including their completion rates, the numbers of low-income and minority students on campus, the availability of in-demand majors and students' graduation rate within six years of enrollment.
School leaders also hammered out their own additional benchmarks that, to a lesser degree, factored into the evaluations.
The U. and USU earned extra for research, but the schools' bulkier shares also are a factor of their larger enrollment. The rewards are weighted by student population sizes.
School administrators will get to decide how to spend the cash.
Utah lawmakers rallied behind the initiative during the 2015 Legislature, nearly doubling the Regents' original request for $5 million in public funds.
Aside from the pair of research universities, the next biggest award went to Salt Lake Community College, which brought in $1.2 million. Two-year Snow College, the tiniest of Utah's eight public colleges, brought up the rear with $258,000.
The Beehive State is not alone in offering bonuses to public colleges.
In some states, such as Tennessee, colleges must compete to win any funding at all. That model isn't likely to come to Utah, Higher Education Commissioner David Buhler said.
"It's clearly going to be a priority," Buhler said of the new model. But Regents also want to improve scholarship opportunities and keep tuition increases small. "We're going to have a balance."
To continue winning a cut, Utah institutions will have to hold enrollment steady or boost their student populations.
That could prove tricky.
Last year, the tally of students stayed constant from the 2013-2014 school year. Before that, it trended downward as many opted to work in an improving economy.
Still others left to serve Mormon missions after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lowered the minimum age of its global proselytizing force in 2012.
Twitter.com: @anniebknox —
Utah college performance bonuses:
University of Utah • $2.55 million
Utah State University • $1.9 million
Salt Lake Community College • $1.22 million
Utah Valley University • $1.22 million
Weber State University • $1.16 million
Dixie State University • $472,765
Southern Utah University • $442,566
Snow College • $258,121
Total • $9,239,000
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