1. (1) As used in this section:

   1. (a) "High-yield award" means the same as that term is defined in board policy under Subsection 53H-8-304(3).
   2. (b) "System" means the Utah System of Higher Education.

2. (2)

   1. (a) The goals the board establishes in accordance with Subsection 53H-8-304(1)(a)(ii) for the Utah System of Higher Education for the five-year performance period beginning on July 1, 2022, and ending on June 30, 2027, are:

      1. (i) for the access metric described in Subsection 53H-8-304(2)(a)(i), to increase the percent of Utah high school graduates participating in the system by 3.0%;
      2. (ii) for the timely completion metric described in Subsection 53H-8-304(2)(a)(ii), to increase the system percentage of a cohort that completes an award in up to and including 1.5 times the time in which a student typically completes an award program by 3.0%; and
      3. (iii) for the high-yield awards metric described in Subsection 53H-8-304(2)(a)(iii), to increase the system percentage of high-yield awards by 3.0%.

   2. (b) The board shall ensure that the goals the board establishes in accordance with Subsection 53H-8-304(1)(a)(ii)(D) for the five-year performance period beginning on July 1, 2027, and ending on June 30, 2032, are:

      1. (i) for the workforce responsiveness metric described in Subsection 53H-8-304(2)(b)(i)(A), to:

         1. (A) increase the number of degrees and certificates an institution awards that map to high-demand jobs in the state by at least 1.0% each year; or
         2. (B) maintain the number described in Subsection (2)(b)(i)(A) at or above 80%;
      2. (ii) for the institutional efficiency metric described in Subsection 53H-8-304(2)(b)(i)(B), to increase the five-year rolling average number of degrees and certificates an institution awards per full-time equivalent student by at least 1.0% each year;

      3. (iii) for the timely completion metric for degree-granting institutions described in Subsection 53H-8-304(2)(b)(ii)(B), to:

         1. (A) increase the percentage of timely completion at the institution by at least 1.0% each year; or
         2. (B) maintain the percentage described in Subsection (2)(b)(iii)(A) at or above 75%;
      4. (iv) for the regional university and community college first-year student metric described in Subsection 53H-8-304(2)(b)(iii)(B), to increase the number of students achieving the student's first 30 credit hours by at least 1.0% each year;
      5. (v) for the research university research expenditure metric described in Subsection 53H-8-304(2)(b)(iv)(B), to increase the total number of research dollars the university expended by at least 1.0% more than the year-over change in the Consumer Price Index that the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports; and
      6. (vi) for the technical college placement metric described in Subsection 53H-8-304(2)(b)(v)(B), to increase the placement rate of graduates in jobs or degree-granting programs by at least 1.0% each year.

3. (3) In order to meet the system goals described in Subsection (2)(a), the goals for each institution for the five-year performance period are:

   1. (a) for the access metric, to increase the institution's share of Utah high school graduates participating in the system by a percentage that the board determines;
   2. (b) for the timely completion metric, to increase the percent of a cohort enrolled at the institution that completes an award in up to and including 1.5 times the standard completion time or sooner by a percentage that the board determines; and
   3. (c) for the high-yield awards metric, to increase the percent of high-yield awards the institution grants by a percentage that the board determines.

Amended by Chapter 229, 2026 General Session