Leadership Updates, Mission Statement Feedback & Back to School Events

Editor's note: the following message was sent to university employees on Monday.

Dear Utah State Faculty & Staff,

Whether you've been teaching, conducting research, serving communities across Utah, welcoming new employees, preparing our campuses, or supporting students, your efforts have positioned us for a strong start to the semester.

With students returning soon, I want to share a few updates and opportunities to engage as we begin the new academic year.

Leadership Updates

Last week, we posted a new chief of Workforce and Industry Partnerships position. This role will strengthen and connect the employer and industry partnerships already happening across the university, identify new opportunities, increase commercialization of technology, expand partnerships with the university and outside industry, and help expand career-connected experiences for our students.

This position is made possible largely through savings generated by recent administrative adjustments, allowing us to strategically invest in areas that will strengthen student success, discovery opportunities, and our ability to serve the state.

We’ll also soon begin a national search for a Vice President for Research and Innovation. With an evolving focus for this role, the next vice president will provide strategic leadership for our research enterprise with a particular emphasis on innovation and commercialization, industry and external partnerships, and connecting USU’s research expertise with opportunities across Utah and beyond.

Lisa Berreau will continue serving as Vice President for Research throughout the search. We are deeply grateful for Lisa’s leadership, expertise, and commitment to USU. She has made significant contributions to our research enterprise, and we look forward to continuing to benefit from her leadership and expertise as we move into this next chapter.

I also want to share an update regarding the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX. The executive director of Civil Rights and Title IX and the assistant director and deputy Title IX coordinator are both transitioning out of the university. I appreciate their service and thank them for their contributions to Utah State. Courtney White will serve as the interim executive director for the office and Title IX coordinator while we conduct a national search for these roles, providing continuity for this important work.

In addition, details about campus visits for the vice president of Extension and dean of the Huntsman School of Business will be announced soon. We have also posted the position of Vice President of Statewide and Online Education and are currently accepting applications.

Mission Statement Feedback

As we move into a new academic year, we're taking a fresh look at our mission statement. Over the summer, the cabinet and USU Board of Trustees have discussed a modest update to our mission statement that remains grounded in our role as Utah's land-grant university while more clearly reflecting our priorities for the future. Before the USU Board of Trustees and the Utah Board of Higher Education consider the final mission statement, I invite you to review it and share your feedback on whether it reflects Utah State's purpose and direction. The brief survey will remain open through August 17:

https://usu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ehQ796nmcPthX3o

Back to School Events

Most importantly, I'm looking forward to having our university community back together. I hope you'll join us on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 12:30-2 p.m. for our Back-to-School Picnic on the Quad. Stop by for lunch and a chance to reconnect with colleagues as we begin another academic year.

Later that afternoon, I hope to see you online or in person in the Eccles Conference Center on the Logan campus for our university-wide Town Hall at 3:00 p.m. I'll share more about our priorities for the coming year, what's happening across the university, and answer your questions.

There is a lot to look forward to this year. I'm excited to welcome our students back, to continue shaping our priorities together, and to build on the important work happening across Utah State. I look forward to seeing many of you on Aug. 18 and throughout the semester.

Best

brad