WSU HB 265 Strategic Reinvestment Proposal
As part of Weber State University’s response to HB 265, the university is required to outline how it would reallocate funds in accordance with the legislation.
The following reinvestment proposal was submitted to the Utah Board of Higher Education and Utah Legislature for review and was approved Sept. 15, 2025.
In total, 52 proposals were submitted for instructional reinvestment. After review and prioritization by deans and additional conversations and revisions with university leadership, the following 22 instructional and four non-instructional initiatives are being recommended for reallocation.
With the exception of instructional wages in the first year, initiatives requiring one-time funding were not considered, and graduate programs, except for those requiring a match through a grant or those that have already completed their phase-in period, were not funded. These programs may still be supported in the future, but will have funding opportunities through the university’s phased-in funding model.
Instructional Reinvestments
Instruction reinvestments represent $5,032,636 or 74.7% of total reallocations.
Innovation, AI and Emerging Technologies Initiative
These proposals position WSU as a leader in digital transformation, supporting AI innovation, bioinformatics, and immersive experiences. Together, they will focus on emerging technologies tied to state tech workforce needs.
| Initiative | College/Area | Amount Allocated |
|---|---|---|
| AI Innovation | Engineering, Applied Science, & Technology | $260,000 |
| Writing, Rhetoric & Technologies | Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities | $100,000 |
| Bioinformatics | College of Science | $100,100 |
| Bioinformatics | Engineering, Applied Science, & Technology | $128,700 |
| Total: 5 faculty lines | $588,800 | |
Health Professions and Behavioral Health Expansion
These proposals support Northern Utah's health workforce needs and align with our long-term reinvestment roadmap. From nursing and dental hygiene to behavioral health and family services, these investments target high-demand and underserved fields.
| Initiative | College/Area | Amount Allocated |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | College of Social Sciences & Education | $171,600 |
| Dental Hygiene | Dumke College of Health Professions | $180,000 |
| Emergency Healthcare | Dumke College of Health Professions | $100,000 |
| Nursing | Dumke College of Health Professions | $500,000 |
| Radiological Sciences | Dumke College of Health Professions | $185,900 |
| Child & Family Studies | College of Social Sciences & Education | $199,590 |
| Neuroscience | College of Social Sciences & Education | $101,530 |
| Total: 14 faculty lines | $1,438,620 | |
Energy, Aerospace, and Defense
These proposals build capacity in applied engineering, systems design, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing aligned with both state priorities and local employer needs.
| Initiative | College/Area | Amount Allocated |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Engineering | Engineering, Applied Science, & Technology | $235,000 |
| Industrial Engineering | Engineering, Applied Science, & Technology | $150,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Engineering, Applied Science, & Technology | $140,000 |
| Systems Engineering | Engineering, Applied Science, & Technology | $150,000 |
| Total: Talent Ready Utah match plus 2 additional faculty lines ~ 5 faculty lines | $675,000 | |
Digital Economy, Social Media, and Forensics
Focused on economic mobility, these proposals provide access to scalable, workforce-aligned programs in business and digital media.
| Initiative | College/Area | Amount Allocated |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy/Marketing | Goddard School of Business & Economics | $110,000 |
| Finance | Goddard School of Business & Economics | $140,000 |
| Human Resource Management | Goddard School of Business & Economics | $122,500 |
| Crime Scene Investigation Faculty | College of Social Sciences & Education | $104,390 |
| Social Media & Data Analytics | Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities | $92,950 |
| Total: 5 faculty lines | $569,840 | |
Creative Industries and Digital Content
These proposals support media production, entertainment, and digital content creation, offering real-world skills in sound design, film, and storytelling.
| Initiative | College/Area | Amount Allocated |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Production BAS | Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities | $81,150 |
| Film Studies | Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities | $92,950 |
| Total: 2 faculty lines | $174,100 | |
Other Instructional Related Reinvestments
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Instructional Wage Investment (Year 1): $142,852
-
Course Fees: $1,586,276
Noninstructional Reinvestments
Non-instructional reinvestments represent $1,604,844 or 25.3% of total reallocations.
This reallocation will strengthen recruitment, enrollment, and student success through intentional strategies. Expanding academic advising capacity, aligned with national best practices, builds on recent gains and supports continued improvements in retention and graduation. Funding will also support centralized classroom technology management to improve consistency and quality in learning environments. This aligns with our efforts toward centralized scheduling. In addition, this investment will sustain the development of open educational resources and ensure access to up-to-date library materials and subscriptions.
| Initiative | College/Area | Amount Allocated |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Advising (11 Advisors) | All | $738,166 |
| Recruitment/Enrollment | Student Access & Success | $250,500 |
| Classroom Technology | All | $616,178 |
| Library Support (OER/Collections) | Stewart Library | $100,000 |
| Subtotal: Non-instructional Reinvestments | $1,704,844 | |