Welcome to the start of a new academic year. What an exciting time to be on this campus. You are part of another record-breaking year of enrollment growth here at UVU – evidence of what a dynamic and rewarding center of higher education this school has become. We will soon be the largest university in the state.
Of course, what is most exciting about this is not our growth alone, but why we are growing. Here at UVU, student success stands at the heart of our mission. This focus on you, the student, by faculty, staff and administrators who genuinely care, is linked with a unique blend of institutional values that make this one of the most distinctive and popular universities in the land.
From our historic commitment to certificate and two year degrees in trade and technical education, to roughly sixty bachelor’s degrees and now three master’s degrees, UVU offers an immense range of options for students of widely varying academic interests and career plans. Across this broad curriculum, we stress engaged learning, encouraging and rewarding faculty and students who strive to apply what they are learning in books and the classroom to real world problems and opportunities. Not only does this make learning come alive, but it leaves our students better prepared for the world of work.
Finally, at UVU we strive for high academic quality and rigor in all of our departments and programs. You should expect to work hard here for good grades and should register a complaint if a course is not appropriately demanding. By having high expectations, a UVU degree is increasingly signaling true excellence to potential employers and graduate admission boards.
I hope you will make the most of this year – striving to do your best in your classes and attending many of the special public lectures and students activities offered outside of class. It is also a time and place to make new friends and lasting memories. Have fun. Be safe. And relish the opportunity to be here at this extraordinary institution of learning.
Best,
Matthew S. Holland
President
