Faculty Governance and Administrative Structure
Faculty governance and oversight are foundational to the Center for Civic Excellence’s success. Over 300 faculty of every rank and from disciplines across the USU system have dedicated hundreds of hours to this university-wide academic program.
Curriculum for the Center for Civic Excellence is developed and approved using ordinary faculty governance processes, with approval through the Faculty Senate’s University Curriculum Committee and regular reports provided to the Educational Policies Committee (EPC).
The CIVIC Curriculum Committee has expert representation from every undergraduate college. Committee members were appointed through a similar process to other Educational Policies Committee (EPC) sub-committees, in consultation with deans and department heads.
Provost Office Leadership
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Harrison Kleiner | Vice Provost over Undergraduate Education |
| Matt Sanders | Interim Associate Vice Provost of the Center for Civic Excellence |
Center for Civic Excellence Curriculum Committee
| Committee Members | Expertise Area | College/Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Sanders (Chair) | Interim Associate Vice Provost | Provost Office/CMME |
| Ben Blau | Quantitative Literacy | Jon M. Huntsman School of Business/Economics & Finance |
| Brynja Kohler | Quantitative Literacy | College of Arts & Sciences/MATH |
| Ryan Bosworth | American Institutions | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources/APEC |
| Damon Cann | American Institutions | College of Arts & Sciences/POLS |
| Michaelann Nelson | Communication Literacy/Statewide | College of Arts & Sciences/ENGL |
| Lezlie Christensen-Branum | Communication Literacy | College of Arts & Sciences/ENGL |
| Charlie Heunemann | Humanities | College of Arts & Sciences/HCI |
| Patrick Mason | Humanities | College of Arts & Sciences/HCI |
| Troy Beckert | Social Science | College of Education, Health, & Human Sciences/HDFS |
| Stephen VanGeem | Social Science | College of Arts & Sciences/SOC & CJ |
| Chris Scheer | Creative Arts | College of Arts & Sciences/Music |
| David Wall | Creative Arts | College of Arts & Sciences/ART |
| Jennifer Burbank | Life & Physical Science | College of Arts & Sciences/BIO |
| Edd Hammill | Life & Physical Science | College of Agriculture & Natural Resource/WATS |
| Katie Potter | Life & Physical Science | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources/GEO |
| Deepak Keshwani | Life & Physical Science, Quantitative Literacy | College of Engineering |
Ex-Officio Members
| Ex-Officio Members | Organization/Unit |
|---|---|
| Harrison Kleiner | Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education |
| Heidi Kesler | Academic Belonging and Learning Excellence |
| Shelly Kotynek | University/Exploratory Advising |
| Lisa Simmons | Student Orientation and Transition Services |
| Toni Gibbons | Registrar’s Office/Concurrent Enrollment |
| Britt Fagerheim | Library |
| Sarah McKay Strobel | Office of Data Analytics |
Leadership Advisory Committee
Since its inception, the Center for Civic Excellence has worked diligently with college and department stakeholders to oversee the implementation of general education reform. A Department Head Task Force was taking the lead in the start of this work, and beginning Fall 2026, a Leadership Advisory Committee will be formed to continue this collaboration and to address shared challenges across colleges and departments.
Administrative Team
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Jason Gilmore | College of Arts & Sciences |
| Katie Potter | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources |
| Jen Burbank | College of Arts & Sciences |
| Chad Simon | Jon M. Huntsman School of Business |
| Lezlie Christensen Branum | College of Arts & Sciences |
| Dustin Crawford | College of Arts & Sciences |