UT
Utah Senate Bill SB0334

Utah 2025 Regular Session

Utah Senate Bill SB0334 Compare Versions

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1-Enrolled Copy S.B. 334
1+03-04 11:24 S.B. 334
22 1
33 Center for Civic Excellence at Utah State University
44 2025 GENERAL SESSION
55 STATE OF UTAH
66 Chief Sponsor: John D. Johnson
77 House Sponsor: Karianne Lisonbee
88 2
99
1010 3
1111 LONG TITLE
1212 4
1313 General Description:
1414 5
1515 This bill establishes the Center for Civic Excellence at Utah State University (center).
1616 6
1717 Highlighted Provisions:
1818 7
1919 This bill:
2020 8
2121 ▸ defines terms;
2222 9
2323 ▸ establishes the center as a pilot program;
2424 10
2525 ▸ provides the purposes, curricular focus, responsibilities, authority, and administration of
2626 11
2727 the center;
2828 12
2929 ▸ requires a report to the Utah Board of Higher Education to consider system-wide changes
3030 13
3131 to general education; and
3232 14
3333 ▸ establishes a sunset date for the center.
3434 15
3535 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
3636 16
3737 None
3838 17
3939 Other Special Clauses:
4040 18
4141 None
4242 19
4343 Utah Code Sections Affected:
4444 20
4545 AMENDS:
4646 21
4747 63I-1-253, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Third Special Session, Chapter 5
4848 22
4949 ENACTS:
5050 23
5151 53B-18-1901, Utah Code Annotated 1953
5252 24
5353 53B-18-1902, Utah Code Annotated 1953
5454 25
5555 53B-18-1903, Utah Code Annotated 1953
5656 26
5757 53B-18-1904, Utah Code Annotated 1953
5858 27
59-53B-18-1905, Utah Code Annotated 1953 S.B. 334 Enrolled Copy
59+53B-18-1905, Utah Code Annotated 1953
6060 28
6161 53B-18-1906, Utah Code Annotated 1953
6262 29
6363 53B-18-1907, Utah Code Annotated 1953
6464 30
6565
66+ S.B. 334 S.B. 334 03-04 11:24
6667 31
6768 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
6869 32
6970 Section 1. Section 53B-18-1901 is enacted to read:
7071 33
7172
7273 Part 19. Center for Civic Excellence
7374 34
7475 53B-18-1901 . Definitions.
7576 35
7677 As used in this part:
7778 36
7879 (1) "Center" means the Center for Civic Excellence established in Section 53B-18-1902.
7980 37
8081 (2) "Program" means the general education program at Utah State University.
8182 38
8283 Section 2. Section 53B-18-1902 is enacted to read:
8384 39
8485 53B-18-1902 . Center for Civic Excellence establishment -- Purpose.
8586 40
8687 There is established the Center for Civic Excellence as a pilot program and an
8788 41
8889 administrative unit in the Office of the Provost at Utah State University to:
8990 42
9091 (1) provide general education for all Utah State University students;
9192 43
9293 (2) replace the existing distribution model of general education with a coherent curriculum
9394 44
9495 with a foundation of the core values, principles, and purposes described in Section
9596 45
9697 53B-18-1906; and
9798 46
9899 (3) develop a curriculum grounded in the following mission:
99100 47
100101 (a) engaging students in civil and rigorous intellectual inquiry, across ideological
101102 48
102103 differences, with a commitment to intellectual freedom in the pursuit of truth;
103104 49
104105 (b) ensuring, through engagement with foundational primary texts representing "the best
105106 50
106107 of what has been thought and said," that all graduates, regardless of the graduate's
107108 51
108109 major, engage with the "big questions, great debates, and enduring ideas" that
109110 52
110111 continue to shape society's self-understanding, the American experience, and the
111112 53
112113 modern world; and
113114 54
114115 (c) cultivating students' intellectual and personal habits of mind to enable the students to
115116 55
116117 contribute and thrive in the students' economic, social, political, and personal lives
117118 56
118119 with a focus on civil discourse, critical thinking about enduring questions, wise
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120121 decision-making, and durable skills.
121122 58
122123 Section 3. Section 53B-18-1903 is enacted to read:
123124 59
124125 53B-18-1903 . Duties -- Authority.
125126 60
126127 The Center for Civic Excellence shall:
127128 61
128129 (1) serve as the program home of general education at Utah State University;
129-- 2 - Enrolled Copy S.B. 334
130130 62
131131 (2)(a) govern faculty over all general education curriculum; and
132132 63
133133 (b) establish a faculty curriculum committee to develop and review program outcomes
134134 64
135135 and all courses;
136+- 2 - 03-04 11:24 S.B. 334
136137 65
137138 (3) develop and assess the program and all general education courses, ensuring alignment
138139 66
139140 with the purposes and commitments described in Sections 53B-18-1902 and
140141 67
141142 53B-18-1906;
142143 68
143144 (4) appoint and evaluate all instructors who will teach general education courses at Utah
144145 69
145146 State University; and
146147 70
147148 (5) provide professional development for instructors teaching in the program to ensure
148149 71
149150 fidelity to the program's purposes, values, and outcomes.
150151 72
151152 Section 4. Section 53B-18-1904 is enacted to read:
152153 73
153154 53B-18-1904 . Leadership.
154155 74
155156 (1)(a) The Office of the Provost shall house the center.
156157 75
157158 (b) The provost shall appoint a vice-provost to:
158159 76
159160 (i) lead the center; and
160161 77
161162 (ii) report to the provost regarding the operation of the center and the general
162163 78
163164 education program.
164165 79
165166 (2) The vice-provost overseeing the center shall:
166167 80
167168 (a) appoint faculty to the center's curriculum committee;
168169 81
169170 (b) oversee the development and assessment of the general education program and the
170171 82
171172 program's courses;
172173 83
173174 (c) manage the recruitment of affiliate instructors from other academic units;
174175 84
175176 (d) approve appointments of affiliate instructors who will teach for the center;
176177 85
177178 (e) approve syllabi from affiliate instructors who will teach for the center;
178179 86
179180 (f) oversee the development of performance expectations for affiliate faculty;
180181 87
181182 (g) manage the evaluation of affiliate instructors; and
182183 88
183184 (h) manage the review and approval of petitions for exceptions for general education
184185 89
185186 requirements.
186187 90
187188 Section 5. Section 53B-18-1905 is enacted to read:
188189 91
189190 53B-18-1905 . Faculty.
190191 92
191192 (1) Only an instructor whom the vice-provost leading the center grants an appointment as
192193 93
193194 an affiliate instructor in the center may teach general education courses at Utah State
194195 94
195196 University.
196197 95
197198 (2) In appointing an instructor under Subsection (1), the vice-provost leading the center
198-- 3 - S.B. 334 Enrolled Copy
199199 96
200200 shall:
201201 97
202202 (a) grant an at-will appointment on a two-year, renewable basis;
203203 98
204204 (b) require the instructor to engage with all professional development the center
205+- 3 - S.B. 334 03-04 11:24
205206 99
206207 mandates; and
207208 100
208209 (c)(i) ensure the center annually evaluates the instructor on the instructor's teaching
209210 101
210211 performance in the general education program; and
211212 102
212213 (ii) deliver the performance evaluation to the faculty member, department head, and
213214 103
214215 dean.
215216 104
216217 Section 6. Section 53B-18-1906 is enacted to read:
217218 105
218219 53B-18-1906 . Curriculum.
219220 106
220221 (1) The center shall:
221222 107
222223 (a) govern the general education program and general education courses at Utah State
223224 108
224225 University; and
225226 109
226227 (b) ensure that:
227228 110
228229 (i) the general education program aligns with the general education program
229230 111
230231 requirements described in board policy; and
231232 112
232233 (ii) there is general education transferability to and from Utah State University and
233234 113
234235 other institutions within the Utah System of Higher Education.
235236 114
236-(2) The center is founded on the following principles, values, and purposes:
237+(2) The center is founded in the following principles, values, and purposes:
237238 115
238239 (a) a commitment to viewpoint diversity and civil discourse, ensuring that students
239240 116
240241 understand opposing points of view and can contribute in the public square in civil
241242 117
242243 and productive ways;
243244 118
244245 (b) the development of program outcomes and courses that engage students in enduring
245246 119
246247 questions of meaning, purpose, and value; and
247248 120
248249 (c) the cultivation in students of the durable skills necessary to thrive in educational,
249250 121
250251 social, political, economic, and personal contexts.
251252 122
252253 (3) The center shall ensure, within the general education program:
253254 123
254255 (a) a cap of 30 credits;
255256 124
256257 (b) the integration of six written and oral communication credits with three humanities
257258 125
258259 credits;
259260 126
260261 (c) that three three-credit courses in the humanities:
261262 127
262263 (i) engage with perennial questions about the human condition, the meaning of life,
263264 128
264265 and the nature of social and moral lives;
265266 129
266267 (ii) emphasize foundational thinking and communication skills through engagement
267-- 4 - Enrolled Copy S.B. 334
268268 130
269269 with primary texts predominantly from Western civilization, such as:
270270 131
271271 (A) the intellectual contributions of ancient Israel, ancient Greece, and Rome; and
272272 132
273273 (B) the rise of Christianity, medieval Europe, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment,
274+- 4 - 03-04 11:24 S.B. 334
274275 133
275276 and post-Enlightenment;
276277 134
277278 (iii) include texts for each course that are historically distributed from antiquity to the
278279 135
279280 present from figures with lasting literary, philosophical, and historical influence,
280281 136
281282 such as Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Lao Tzu, Cicero, Maimonides, Boethius,
282283 137
283284 Shakespeare, Mill, Woolf, and Achebe; and
284285 138
285286 (iv) are organized around themes central to the preservation and flourishing of a free
286287 139
287288 society, such as the moral life, happiness, liberty, equality and justice, and
288289 140
289290 goodness and beauty; and
290291 141
291292 (d) that one three-credit course in American institutions:
292293 142
293294 (i) engages students with the major debates and ideas that inform the historical
294295 143
295296 development of the republican form of government of the United States of
296297 144
297298 America;
298299 145
299300 (ii) focus on the founding principles of American government, economics, and
300301 146
301302 history, such as natural rights, liberty, equality, constitutional self-government,
302303 147
303304 and market systems; and
304305 148
305-(iii) use primary source material, such as:
306+(iii) use primary source material, Ŝ→ [including] such as ←Ŝ :
306307 149
307308 (A) the Magna Carta, the United States Constitution, the Federalist Papers; and
308309 150
309310 (B) material from thinkers, such as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Adam Smith, John
310311 151
311312 Locke, Montesquieu, and Alexis de Tocqueville.
312313 152
313314 (4) The vice-provost overseeing the center:
314315 153
315316 (a) shall ensure that the center:
316317 154
317318 (i) no less than seven days before the first day of class for a given semester or other
318319 155
319320 academic term during which the institution offers a course, makes available to the
320321 156
321322 public on the institution's website a syllabus for each section of the courses in the
322323 157
323324 humanities described in Subsection (3) that:
324325 158
325-(A) provide the section number;
326+(A) Ŝ→ [provides the name of the instructor] provide the section number ←Ŝ ;
326327 159
327328 (B) provides a brief description of each major assignment and examination;
328329 160
329330 (C) lists any required or recommended reading; and
330331 161
331332 (D) provides a general description of the subject matter of each lecture or
332333 162
333334 discussion;
334335 163
335336 (E) is accessible from the home page of the institution's website by use of not
336-- 5 - S.B. 334 Enrolled Copy
337337 164
338338 more than three links;
339339 165
340340 (F) is searchable by keywords and phrases; and
341341 166
342342 (G) is accessible to the public without requiring registration, use of a user name
343+- 5 - S.B. 334 03-04 11:24
343344 167
344345 and password, or another method of user identification;
345346 168
346347 (ii) continues to make the information described in Subsection (4)(a) available on the
347348 169
348349 center's website until at least the second anniversary of the date on which the
349350 170
350351 center initially posted the information; and
351352 171
352353 (iii) updates the information described in Subsection (4)(a) as soon as practicable
353354 172
354355 after the information changes; and
355356 173
356357 (b) may assign duties under this Subsection (4) to one or more administrative employees.
357358 174
358359 Section 7. Section 53B-18-1907 is enacted to read:
359360 175
360361 53B-18-1907 . Oversight -- Reporting.
361362 176
362363 (1) The vice-provost leading the center shall submit an annual report:
363364 177
364365 (a) to the provost, president of the institution, and the commissioner;
365366 178
366367 (b) that includes a mission-based accounting of:
367368 179
368369 (i) program and instructor performance and goals for improvement;
369370 180
370371 (ii) professional development offerings and future goals;
371372 181
372-(iii) the course offerings and syllabus publication described in Section 53B-18-1906;
373+(iii) the course offerings and syllabus publication described in Section 53B-18-1907;
373374 182
374375 and
375376 183
376377 (iv) a full account of the center's budget.
377378 184
378379 (2) The commissioner shall report annually to the Education Interim Committee regarding
379380 185
380381 the implementation and activities of the center.
381382 186
382383 (3) Each year, the center shall:
383384 187
384385 (a) assess the quality of teaching and adherence to program principles, values, and goals;
385386 188
386387 (b) identify expectations for addressing deficiencies or for continued improvement; and
387388 189
388389 (c) share the review described in Subsections (2)(a) and (b) with appropriate department
389390 190
390391 heads.
391392 191
392393 (4) Before July 1, 2029, the center shall:
393394 192
394395 (a) report to the board educational outcomes and impacts of the pilot program;
395396 193
396397 (b) provide recommendations for system-wide general education curriculum; and
397398 194
398399 (c) report to the Education Interim Committee regarding the implementation and
399400 195
400401 activities of the center.
401402 196
402403 (5) Based on the pilot program's outcomes, the board shall, in consultation with academic
403404 197
404405 experts, pedagogical specialists, and institutional stakeholders, develop a proposed core
405-- 6 - Enrolled Copy S.B. 334
406406 198
407407 of system-wide general education courses aligned with the educational principles of this
408408 199
409409 section.
410410 200
411411 Section 8. Section 63I-1-253 is amended to read:
412+- 6 - 03-04 11:24 S.B. 334
412413 201
413414 63I-1-253 . Repeal dates: Titles 53 through 53G.
414415 202
415416 (1) Section 53-1-122, Road Rage Awareness and Prevention Restricted Account, is
416417 203
417418 repealed July 1, 2028.
418419 204
419420 (2) Section 53-2a-105, Emergency Management Administration Council created --
420421 205
421422 Function -- Composition -- Expenses, is repealed July 1, 2029.
422423 206
423424 (3) Section 53-2a-1103, Search and Rescue Advisory Board -- Members -- Compensation,
424425 207
425426 is repealed July 1, 2027.
426427 208
427428 (4) Section 53-2a-1104, General duties of the Search and Rescue Advisory Board, is
428429 209
429430 repealed July 1, 2027.
430431 210
431432 (5) Title 53, Chapter 2a, Part 15, Grid Resilience Committee, is repealed July 1, 2027.
432433 211
433434 (6) Section 53-2d-104, State Emergency Medical Services Committee -- Membership --
434435 212
435436 Expenses, is repealed July 1, 2029.
436437 213
437438 (7) Section 53-2d-703, Volunteer Emergency Medical Service Personnel Health Insurance
438439 214
439440 Program -- Creation -- Administration -- Eligibility -- Benefits -- Rulemaking --
440441 215
441442 Advisory board, is repealed July 1, 2027.
442443 216
443444 (8) Section 53-5-703, Board -- Membership -- Compensation -- Terms -- Duties, is repealed
444445 217
445446 July 1, 2029.
446447 218
447448 (9) Section 53-11-104, Board, is repealed July 1, 2029.
448449 219
449450 (10) Section 53-22-104.1, School Security Task Force -- Membership -- Duties -- Per diem
450451 220
451452 -- Report -- Expiration, is repealed December 31, 2025.
452453 221
453454 (11) Section 53-22-104.2, The School Security Task Force -- Education Advisory Board, is
454455 222
455456 repealed December 31, 2025.
456457 223
457458 (12) Subsection 53B-1-301(1)(j), regarding the Higher Education and Corrections Council,
458459 224
459460 is repealed July 1, 2027.
460461 225
461462 (13) Section 53B-7-709, Five-year performance goals, is repealed July 1, 2027.
462463 226
463464 (14) Title 53B, Chapter 8a, Part 3, Education Savings Incentive Program, is repealed July 1,
464465 227
465466 2028.
466467 228
467468 (15) Title 53B, Chapter 17, Part 11, USTAR Researchers, is repealed July 1, 2028.
468469 229
469470 (16) Section 53B-17-1203, SafeUT and School Safety Commission established -- Members,
470471 230
471472 is repealed January 1, 2030.
472473 231
473474 (17) Title 53B, Chapter 18, Part 16, USTAR Researchers, is repealed July 1, 2028.
474-- 7 - S.B. 334 Enrolled Copy
475475 232
476476 (18) Title 53B, Chapter 18, Part 17, Food Security Council, is repealed July 1, 2027.
477477 233
478478 (19) Title 53B, Chapter 18, Part 18, Electrification of Transportation Infrastructure
479479 234
480480 Research Center, is repealed July 1, 2028.
481+- 7 - S.B. 334 03-04 11:24
481482 235
482483 (20) Title 53B, Chapter 18, Part 19, Center for Civic Excellence, is repealed July 1, 2030.
483484 236
484485 [(20)] (21) Title 53B, Chapter 35, Higher Education and Corrections Council, is repealed
485486 237
486487 July 1, 2027.
487488 238
488489 [(21)] (22) Subsection 53C-3-203(4)(b)(vii), regarding the distribution of money from the
489490 239
490491 Land Exchange Distribution Account to the Geological Survey for test wells and other
491492 240
492493 hydrologic studies in the West Desert, is repealed July 1, 2030.
493494 241
494495 [(22)] (23) Subsection 53E-1-201(1)(q), regarding the Higher Education and Corrections
495496 242
496497 Council, is repealed July 1, 2027.
497498 243
498499 [(23)] (24) Subsection 53E-2-304(6), regarding foreclosing a private right of action or
499500 244
500501 waiver of governmental immunity, is repealed July 1, 2027.
501502 245
502503 [(24)] (25) Subsection 53E-3-503(5), regarding coordinating councils for youth in care, is
503504 246
504505 repealed July 1, 2027.
505506 247
506507 [(25)] (26) Subsection 53E-3-503(6), regarding coordinating councils for youth in care, is
507508 248
508509 repealed July 1, 2027.
509510 249
510511 [(26)] (27) Subsection 53E-4-202(8)(b), regarding a standards review committee, is repealed
511512 250
512513 January 1, 2028.
513514 251
514515 [(27)] (28) Section 53E-4-203, Standards review committee, is repealed January 1, 2028.
515516 252
516517 [(28)] (29) Title 53E, Chapter 6, Part 5, Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission,
517518 253
518519 is repealed July 1, 2033.
519520 254
520521 [(29)] (30) Subsection 53E-7-207(7), regarding a private right of action or waiver of
521522 255
522523 governmental immunity, is repealed July 1, 2027.
523524 256
524525 [(30)] (31) Section 53F-2-420, Intensive Services Special Education Pilot Program, is
525526 257
526527 repealed July 1, 2024.
527528 258
528529 [(31)] (32) Section 53F-5-214, Grant for professional learning, is repealed July 1, 2025.
529530 259
530531 [(32)] (33) Section 53F-5-215, Elementary teacher preparation grant, is repealed July 1,
531532 260
532533 2025.
533534 261
534535 [(33)] (34) Section 53F-5-219, Local Innovations Civics Education Pilot Program, is
535536 262
536537 repealed July 1, 2025.
537538 263
538539 [(34)] (35) Title 53F, Chapter 10, Part 2, Capital Projects Evaluation Panel, is repealed July
539540 264
540541 1, 2027.
541542 265
542543 [(35)] (36) Subsection 53G-4-608(2)(b), regarding the Utah Seismic Safety Commission, is
543-- 8 - Enrolled Copy S.B. 334
544544 266
545545 repealed January 1, 2025.
546546 267
547547 [(36)] (37) Subsection 53G-4-608(4)(b), regarding the Utah Seismic Safety Commission, is
548548 268
549549 repealed January 1, 2025.
550+- 8 - 03-04 11:24 S.B. 334
550551 269
551552 [(37)] (38) Section 53G-9-212, Drinking water quality in schools, is repealed July 1, 2027.
552553 270
553554 Section 9. Effective Date.
554555 271
555556 This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.
556557 - 9 -