The nail tech debate dividing Utah educators

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Board of Higher Education's typical meeting agendas involve macro discussions about billion-dollar budgets, university president hirings, and state and federal legislative briefs.

But the most lively back-and-forth at Wednesday's UBHE meeting centered around nail technicians — manicurists, nail artists, pedicurists or nail stylists.

The Wednesday morning nail debate came during the board's review and approval of the strategic reinvestment proposals from each of the state's eight technical colleges.

Utah higher education watchers know all about "strategic reinvestment." It's been an oft-repeated catchphrase across Utah's public college campuses and legislative halls over the past couple of years.

In 2025, the Utah Legislature launched an initiative to shift higher education resources into academic areas determined to be of highest value to both students, Utah industry and the taxpayers who support the state's colleges. Think healthcare, AI and engineering.

The plan's initial iteration focused on Utah's eight degree-granting institutions — reallocating 10% from their respective budgets toward the reinvestment initiative.

Then in March, UBHE called for similar strategic reinvestment plans at the state's public technical colleges: Bridgerland Technical College, Davis Technical College, Dixie Technical College, Mountainland Technical College, Ogden-Weber Technical College, Southwest Technical College, Tooele Technical College and Uintah Basin Technical College.

Technical schools were tasked with reallocating 5% of their instructional general fund/income tax fund across a six-year period.

And like their counterparts at degree-granting schools, technical college leaders made reinvestment decisions based largely on workforce demands and student outcomes.

But Wednesday's UBHE gathering demonstrated that "demands" and "outcomes" can be subjective.

And while board members and the Utah Higher Education Commissioner Geoffrey Landward all agreed that programs such as welding and HVAC were logical fits for a technical college's strategic fund reallocation, the reinvestment-worthiness of nail technician programs was, well, split.

Tackling higher ed reinvestment policy questions

The board voted Wednesday on whether to approve each of the eight technical colleges' proposed reinvestment plans, taking into consideration Landward's recommendations.

Included in the Davis Technical College plan was a $141,000 reinvestment request for expanding the school's nail technician program.

But the UBHE memorandum summarizing Davis Tech's reinvestment plan noted that the school's nail tech program "maps to a one- to two-star job outlook" — signaling that the occupation had limited expected growth or reliability.

In the memo, Landward recommended approval of Davis Tech's reinvestment plan — but added that such approval be conditional on the board's determination that the nail tech program "meets the objectives of strategic reinvestment."

During Wednesday's meeting, Landward said that Davis Tech's nail technician reinvestment request doubled as an opportunity for the board to tackle a key policy question regarding reallocations. The intent of strategic reinvestment, he said, is "to build confidence" with lawmakers and taxpayers that they are realizing a positive return on their investment in their public higher education institutions.

"We're looking for program-types for reinvestment that provide higher levels of value than other programs."

Such programs, Landward added, will propel the state's economy in emerging industries, while also providing positive wage outcomes for graduates.

"This is not a question of whether or not institutions or technical colleges should have nail tech programs — that's not what we're debating," said Landward. "What we're debating is, for strategic reinvestment, is this the best place for a reinvestment of those dollars for that question of 'return on investment' for the taxpayers?

"That's what makes it strategic in the first place."

The commissioner noted there's high demand for nail technicians in some areas. And he doesn't question the profession's merit. But, he asked, does the nail technician training program fit within the objectives of the state's strategic investment plan?

"So that's why we have a softer recommendation from the commissioner's office, simply because we felt like that, in our view, this does not meet the criteria for the kind of strategic reinvestment that I think we had initially envisioned," he said.

High demand for a scrutinized 'beauty program'

During remarks to the board Wednesday, Davis Tech President Darin Brush said that nail technician is a state-licensed program, adding "it's our highest demand program — and we consistently exceed the graduation, job placement and licensure targets for the program."

Nail technicians and other so-called "beauty programs" offer flexible employment and second incomes for many Utah households, Brush noted. And the K-12 school districts near Davis Tech have asked for the nail technician program to be implemented at area high schools.

Board member Danny Ipson supports including nail technician programs in Utah's strategic reinvestment, asserting that the profession offers flexibility and generates entrepreneurship.

Ipson's daughter is a nail technician, and it's provided her family with a supplemental income.

"I don't think there's any other economic qualifier that could have been more beneficial to their family than to be able to have this training and to be able to have this background," he said.

Board member Javier Chavez Jr. said Wednesday that he's witnessed nail technician financial success stories. Strategic reinvestment, he added, should look beyond just, say, high tech or engineering. It's also "other entrepreneurship, non-tech businesses that we should create an infrastructure to develop."

Meanwhile, UBHE Vice Chair Jon Cox asked for a revision to Davis Tech's reinvestment plan.

"We have 4- and 5-star (job outlook programs) that we're trying to prioritize," said Cox.

"I recognize everybody comes at these things from different places. And by no means do I want to devalue those experiences. But I do think that for the exercise we're going through, I'd like to be able to prioritize those higher demand industries."

The board ultimately voted to approve Davis Tech's reinvestment proposal — including the funds for expanding the nail technician program. Cox cast the lone opposing vote.

The opportunities — and pain — of strategic reinvestment

The remainder of the technical colleges' strategic proposal was also approved Wednesday by the board.

But like the strategic reinvestment process for the degree-granting institutions, Wednesday's reallocations were not painless. Programs are slated for extinction and some jobs are being cut.

The software development and business programs at Tooele Technical College, for example, will be eliminated, prompted by dips in industry and enrollment demands.

The faculty positions connected with those positions will be eliminated at the end of those program teach-out periods, according to Tooele Tech interim President Kent Thygerson.

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