July 2024

Institutional Update

I hope everyone is enjoying summer! We are very excited to welcome our students back to campus in just a few short weeks, and I know our incredible faculty and staff are working hard on those preparations. Our students have the very best college experience, and the Aspen Institute recently shared data with us that over 90% of our students either graduate or transfer. Over 90%!

With so many reasons to celebrate at Snow College, it’s concerning to hear the national narrative surrounding higher education. Some criticize college as too expensive and not worth the investment. It’s up to us to share the facts. According to a comprehensive report by the Kem C. Gardner Institute at the University of Utah, individuals with a post-secondary credential in Utah experience significant lifetime benefits for themselves and their families.

• Average annual compensation for those with a degree or certificate remains roughly double that of those without a degree or certificate.
• Those without a degree or certificate are twice as likely to experience long-term unemployment.
• Seven out of 10 people completing a postsecondary education say they are financially stable, compared with only 4 out of 10 who did not complete postsecondary education.
• People with postsecondary completion are more likely to afford quality childcare and are more civically involved.
• Personal educational attainment is highly correlated with upward mobility, which means that the children of people who earn a certificate or degree are likely to be more financially prosperous than the previous generation.

In addition to sharing your personal experiences with student success at Snow, please share this additional information about how higher education improves the lives of individuals and families. We are in the business of shaping lives and communities, and no one does it better, thanks to the best faculty and staff in higher education! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Stacee

Academic Affairs

The Office of Academic Affairs is pleased to announce that Kristi Stevens, Chair of the Department of Communications, has been appointed as the Assistant Provost. She will begin officially in the fall semester, though she has already begun to assume some of the duties of the position. Professor Stevens will be the Academic Affairs representative to the Curriculum, General Education, Academic Standards, and Service Learning committees, along with the colllege's Strategic Enrollment Committee. She will also have primary responsibility for service learning, prison education, undergraduate research, new faculty orientation, and prior learning credit. She will also supervise the academic affairs contributions to the college’s First Year Experience program.

Finance and Administrative Services

The Finance and Administrative Services team continues to push hard during the summer, and in many ways, summer can be our busy time. Whether it’s fiscal year end, maintenance and grounds projects, IT equipment upgrades, loading new budgets and new wages, or staving off hackers and phishers (or impersonating them to give us “live” experience), the team has been busy.

The team also looks a little different than it did just a month ago. Leslee Cook was named the new Chief Facilities Officer. Anytime there is a change in leadership, it’s a good time to reevaluate how we’re doing and the larger goals we’re pursuing. This will be an exciting evolution in the Campus Services team.

I also want to give a HUGE shout-out to the Budget Task Force and everyone who was involved in the Budget Framework Project. If you remember only a few years ago, we cut budgets across campus. This group took more than a year in evaluating budgets, processes, and how to best strategically use the state tax dollars we receive. Many budgets have now increased above what they were before the cut. This is an ongoing process, so if you have questions, please reach out to your budget liaison.

External Affairs

The summer of 2024 has been very successful. Snow College was able to partner with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and host their FSY program for a third year. We love the energy that this program brings to campus each year. As the summer comes to an end, we will have hosted over 10,000 FSY participants.

On top of this, Snow College Athletics was able to host a variety of summer sports camps. Volleyball hosted one camp on the Ephraim campus and two on the Richfield campus. Volleyball’s team camp had 38 teams in attendance. Basketball hosted two camps this summer and had over 100 kids ages 8-18 participate. Soccer has hosted a variety of day camps throughout spring and summer with over 180 kids joining the fun. This has resulted in over 500+ young athletes visiting campus with more to come. Softball and soccer will be hosting a variety of camps/clinics this August.

July 1st the Football coaches held a walk-on tryout for the team. This brought more than 100 athletes to campus for the event. Over 30 athletes were selected for the team. Our JV football team will compete in their first season under the direction of head coach Mike O’Neal. The first JV game will be on September 19th. Our Varsity team will begin their season August 31st at home against Community Christian College Detroit.

The athletic department has also been busy this summer preparing for the inaugural season of Cross Country for men and women on our Richfield campus. These teams will be led by Head Coach, Chase Englestead. These student-athletes will begin competition August 30th at the UVU Invitational.

We would also like to welcome our new coaches that have joined our department this summer.

• Ricky Aliifua — Assistant Football Coach
• Matt Beecher — Assistant Football Coach
• Jake Hill — Assistant Football Coach
• Kolton Rader — Assistant Volleyball Coach
• Jenna Czarnecki — Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach

As we head into fall, we look forward to the return of our fall sport athletes which will arrive on campus August 1st.

Technical Education and Industry Connections

Snow College’s Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration (HAVACR) is a relatively new program in Snow’s Technical Education certificate offering. We all rely on and benefit from a HVACR technician each season of the year in our homes and places of work. Using various technologies, the HVAC technician insures that the heating, ventilation, air conditioning in our homes and places of work, the refrigeration of our food, and the humidity and purity of the air in an enclosed space to provide comfortable and acceptable air quality.

The HVACR program is gives students skills in using technology and equipment to install and maintain all forms of air handling and refrigeration equipment. Students earn a 21-credit certificate of completion. Through the competency-based hybrid course design student can complete the required 21 credit hours in less than 6 months and begin their career at any one of a hundred plus businesses throughout Central Utah, the Wasatch front and Southwestern Utah. It is not uncommon to have a student start at the $24.50 to $30 dollars per hour with full benefits at many machining businesses.

A shout-out and thank you to Morgan White creating industry connections to build this program to meet the increasing demand for skilled HVAC technicians.

Student Affairs and Enrollment

As students arrive on our campus, we find they come with new and evolving needs to ensure their success during their time here. Many of these at-risk students are navigating the challenges associated with substance use and addictive behaviors including social media, excessive online shopping among others. Recognizing this, The Wellness Center, next to the Business Building, launched an initiative called Badger Support during this last Spring Semester.

Badger Support is a program designed to provide a confidential and supportive group setting for students. Bryan Moulton, the Director of the Wellness Center, facilitates these group meetings. During the 45-minute sessions, students can openly discuss their challenges and victories. They can support their fellow Badgers and receive essential tools and guidance to help them navigate these challenges, ultimately aiding them in their journey to becoming successful Badgers.

If you know a student who might benefit from Badger Support, please encourage them to attend. Badger Support meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of every month from 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. in the Zen Den, which is located inside the Wellness Center next to the Business Building. These meetings take place during Fall and Spring semesters.

For more information about the Badger Support program, please contact the Wellness Center at 435-283-7136 or go to snow.edu/wellness.

If you know a student who is experiencing a mental or emotional crisis, please have them call Trula Counseling at 800-573-5960 to speak with a trained crisis counselor.

Snow College's Richfield Campus has been a hive of activity this summer, engaging the community in a series of vibrant events. Among the highlights, the SnowMobile and Wrestling teams made a standout appearance in the Richfield City 4th of July parade. This beloved event drew thousands of spectators who enthusiastically lined the streets. Children were particularly delighted as hundreds of Snow College frisbees, glow sticks, and pounds of candy were tossed into the crowd, creating a memorable and festive atmosphere. Cheers to Coach Strain and Mike Rowley for sharing our badger pride by supporting these community activities and encouraging student participation.

In addition to the parade, the Richfield campus played host to the Utah Rural Schools Association’s annual conference luncheon on July 16. Approximately 600 K-12 educators gathered on campus for this significant event. President McIff welcomed the group to campus, emphasizing the vital role of rural schools. These schools are situated across a diverse and expansive geography, making the conference a crucial platform for networking and sharing best practices. We especially appreciate our Concurrent Enrollment team and Dr. Rodriguez for representing the college at this event.

These activities underscore Snow College's commitment to fostering community spirit and supporting educational development in rural Utah.