In April 2024, Utah Valley University received a request from legislative auditors asking about “high-yield” programs. Quinn Koller, then Director, Institutional Effectiveness, Accreditation, and Academic Assessment within UVU’s academic administration, responded on behalf of the institution and immediately recognized a bigger issue.
“I thought to myself, nobody just asks for the good, they’re going to want the bad too,” Koller recalls.
Rather than wait for additional scrutiny, UVU launched a full review of every program across the university. Later, when potential budget cuts began circulating in legislative discussions, UVU was ready.
“We started running the numbers and looking at, okay, if we have to cut this percentage, this is what it’s going to look like,” Koller explains.
UVU Used Program Economics and Portfolio Analysis to Reallocate Funding With the Least Impact on People
House Bill 265 ultimately required universities to reallocate 10 percent of their instructional budget over three years, moving funds from “underperforming programs” to “high-yield programs.” Instead of spreading the impact across the full timeline, UVU chose to implement the entire $8.9 million reallocation in year one to reduce uncertainty and strengthen long-term stability.
“We were the only university in the state that was ready, and we’re the only one that had the tools that we could actually go down to the level of detail we needed to get to,” Koller says.
UVU already used Gray DI’s PES decision support software to evaluate its program portfolio and instructional economics. That foundation allowed UVU to respond quickly with clarity and confidence.
UVU’s strategy included several practical actions, such as streamlining redundant degree pathways and evaluating programs with significant financial loss. For example, Koller cites a Master’s degree in Nursing Education with eight students that lost $800,000 over three years due to one-on-one instruction. UVU recommended phasing it out and reallocating funds to a higher-demand Family Nurse Practitioner Master’s degree.
UVU also used Gray DI market analysis to guide new program development, leading to launches including Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Applied Artificial Intelligence and a Sports Management program.
“The State of Utah didn’t have any of those previously,” Koller notes.
UVU Has Enjoyed These Results Since Using Gray DI PES
Business Analytics grew from 800 to 1,300 students in one year
Sports Management enrolled 45 students in its first course with no direct marketing
UVU can allocate costs down to the course level and analyze every program
Estimated $200,000–$250,000 in annual staffing savings
With Gray DI PES market data, UVU has identified programs positioned for growth. One example includes a reconfigured Business Analytics program that increased from 800 to 1,300 students within a year. UVU’s Sports Management program enrolled 45 students in its inaugural course without any direct marketing efforts.
UVU also gained the ability to evaluate financial performance at a deeper level than before.
“We can see what a program costs and how much it brings in, and how much it loses,” Koller says.
By front-loading the $8.9 million reallocation, UVU strengthened its ability to manage future uncertainty and improved operational efficiency. Koller estimates Gray DI’s system has also reduced staffing needs tied to internal analysis.
“I think if I took my analysts out of my current equation, we’re saving at least $200,000-$250,000 a year on staffing,” he explains.
Situation
UVU needed a way to evaluate the performance of every program and prepare for potential legislative budget cuts.
Solution
UVU used Gray DI’s PES software to analyze program economics and market demand, guiding faster, more confident portfolio decisions.
Results
UVU reallocated $8.9M in year one, grew key programs (Business Analytics 800 → 1,300), and launched new offerings like Applied AI and Sports Management.
