Board committee questions UPAC intake, notice and data as referrals spike

A board committee met to review how the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPAC) receives referrals, opens investigations and shares evidence, as staff detailed a marked increase in caseloads since 2024 and members pressed for clearer notice and better data tracking. Chair Carrier framed the meeting as a fact-finding review, saying the panel "is really just gather[ing] information" and will not change rules during the process.

Ben Rasmussen, UPAC's executive director, told the committee UPAC's statutory responsibilities include "investigat[ing] educator misconduct," holding hearings and making recommendations to the state board (citing a code reference presented verbally in the meeting). Rasmussen said referrals arrive through a Qualtrics form on the agency website, direct email and an audit hotline, and that staff follow up to confirm jurisdiction because "UPAC under the statute can only . . . has jurisdiction over licensed educators." He described a triage and agenda process in which staff compile materials into a packet for commissioners to decide whether to open a case.

The committee focused on three recurring concerns: rising referrals and capacity, timing and…