In Spring 2023 the University of Utah launched Navigate U, a campus-wide project set to improve the student experience and ultimately lead to increased retention, persistence, and completion rates.

As an institution, we share the responsibility to enhance our communication with students and efficiently notify students of important tasks (e.g., deadlines, holds, etc.) and requirements (e.g., documentation, necessary courses, etc.). Navigate U will empower students and staff to take shared responsibility for an exceptional educational experience by efficiently tracking student progress as students make their way to, through, and beyond the U.

The EAB Navigate platform will aid us in referring students to various support services for individualized assistance (e.g., academic advising, student success coaches, tutoring, counseling, health services, etc.). Implementation of the new platform will take place in three phases over the next academic year. A detailed timeline is in development and will be shared on a project website in the coming days.

Through Navigate U, the university will build on our previous successes and abiding commitments to ensure an exceptional educational experience for every student. I hope that you are as thrilled as I am to embrace this work and learn and grow, together!

And as always, Go Utah!
Chase

What is Chase reading, writing, listening to, watching, and/or doing?

The Fifth Wave: The Evolution of American Higher Education. Michael M. Crow and William B. Dabars. Johns Hopkins University Press. 2020.

Office Hours with EAB. EAB. 2023.

This year the Office for First Generation Access, in partnership with the J. Willard Marriott Library, presented the annual First-Gen Con on April 14. This is a free, one-day event where first-generation college students and first-generation higher education professionals collaborate to share their experiences, concerns, initiatives, and accomplishments related to supporting first-generation success. The conference format is designed to be different from the standard conference model in terms of tone and level of formality. Among other things, First-Gen Con is conversational, interactive, and more casual than formal. This year 178 students and higher education professionals joined us in efforts to make our community stronger. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Daniel K. Cairo, opened the conference with a powerful speech titled, "The Power of Us." His story of how education can turn one’s life around changes the narrative of stereotypes. Conference presenters covered a full spectrum of topics from how to engage campus resources, services, and spaces to overcome barriers inside the institution; how to cope with imposter syndrome; how to find community on a large commuter campus; how being first-generation impacts teaching at the U; and strategies for faculty and staff to cultivate first-generation success.  

Furthermore, this year the Office of First-Generation Access established the Eta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha honor society, or Tri-Alpha for short. This organization recognizes the academic achievement of first-generation college students. With the support of the advisors of the chapter, Dr. P Brandon Johnson and Linda Paternina-Serrano, the induction ceremony for this chapter was celebrated on April 21, where 91 first-generation students and staff were inducted—of those, 34 graduated in May. Each of them received a certificate, a pin, and a chord if they were graduating. The Center for First-Generation Success looks forward to continuing to grow this honor society and inducting more first-generation students, faculty, and staff in future ceremonies.

Heidi Chamorro-Leon credits the U’s Pre-Law LEAP program with giving her the confidence to pursue law. Read more about her path to practicing law in Utah, in the Summer 2023 issue of University of Utah Magazine.

Stephanie Begaye, academic advising coordinator and assistant director of the Major Exploration Program, has been named president of the Utah Advising Association (UAA)! Stephanie has worked in the Major Exploration Program at the Academic Advising Center for the past 8 years. She began her presidency at the 2023 UAA Conference in May.

The Utah Advising Association (UAA) is a non-profit organization established in 1999 to provide professional development opportunities to higher education professionals, particularly academic advisors, in the intermountain West. Each year UAA hosts a high-quality, low-cost conference dedicated to the issues, trends, and concerns facing academic advisors.

Congratulations, Stephanie!

Henry Crandall is the recipient of the 2023 Ivory Community Leadership Award. The award recognizes Crandall’s work as co-president and co-founder of the BioHive Student Chapter, a student-led initiative developed to strengthen ties between undergraduate and graduate students to Utah’s thriving life sciences, digital health, and biotech industries. Read more in @theU.

In early June, the U hosted youth from the Ute Indian Tribe for the annual Ute Storytelling Camp. Approximately 50 students attended this year’s camp, staying at Kahlert Village for a week of creative workshops and campus activities. The camp is a chance for kids to connect with their culture and each other while experiencing what the U has to offer. Read more in @theU. 

Nichole Hutchins, the assistant director for the Major Exploration Program in the Academic Advising Center, has won the Outstanding New Advisor Award from the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). NACADA’s award selection is extremely competitive and designed to honor and recognize professionals who have made significant contributions to the field of academic advising in higher education. Candidates are nominated by their institutions, and each application is carefully reviewed by NACADA committee members.

Nichole serves as the coordinator of the Major and Career Exploration Living Learning Community, and in three years at the university, has made a significant impact on the students she advises and teaches. Liz Spencer, Nichole’s co-instructor for UGS 1550: Major and Career Exploration, explains, “Nichole is emotionally, physically, intellectually, and mentally present in all meetings, student gatherings, and classes. She always shows up for those who depend on her.”

Nichole’s approach is to encourage students to practice the qualities of curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism, and risk-taking. In her own words, “Not every opportunity or chance students take will lead to something fruitful; however, they can be certain that lack of action will never lead to new opportunities.” Nichole’s commitment to—and enthusiasm for!—helping students craft their individual journeys and not fear uncertainty, is evident in her work.

Nichole is present. She is passionate. She is a believer that we all have individual journeys to craft, and each step will be worth the climb. To extend the climbing metaphor—at our university, no student has to free-solo. Nichole is their guide, she is their aid, she keeps a close eye on their progression and motivation, doing her best to ensure they feel like they have a footing and can continue the climb.

Applications open June 30! 

Connect2Health is a University of Utah volunteer program that seeks to address the social determinants of health in our communities. Volunteers meet one-on-one with low-income patients to provide them with access to information regarding public benefits, food, clothing, housing, and more. Volunteers collaborate closely with healthcare teams at sites such as the University of Utah Hospital, Primary Children's Hospital, and the Fourth Street Clinic to create more personalized holistic care for patients. Many of the health mentor volunteers are students headed toward careers in medicine, nursing, social work, and other related fields; however, applicants from all majors are encouraged to apply! 

General Health Mentor Volunteers: Serve one 4-hr shift/week + attend bi-monthly meetings for two consecutive semesters.

AmeriCorps Health Mentors: 

Serve one 6-hr shift/week + attend weekly meetings for three consecutive semesters. AmeriCorps mentors receive an educational award of $1,343 after completing 300-hrs of service and a mobilization project.

Deadline to apply Monday, July 31.

The calendar is intended to provide prospective and current students with opportunities to connect with majors before enrolling in classes. These can be Information Sessions, visit days, guest speakers, performances,  Senior Project days or anything else you think would be helpful in giving students a taste of your college/department/ major.

Send submissions to April Vrtis- Curran- AVrtis-Curran@advising.utah.edu

Adobe Express Training for US Staff

10:00-11:30 AM 

Marriott Library
1745 MAC

STEMCAP Art Show Gallery Stroll
We Are All Water

6:00-9:00 PM

Mestizo Gallery
631 W North Temple
SLC, UT

Undergraduate Studies
Summer Party

1:00-2:00 PM

Sill Center Patio

SLCC + U of U Herriman Campus Community Open House

3:30-8:30 PM

14551 S Sentinel Ridge Blvd.
Herriman, UT 84096

State of Undergraduate Studies

10:30 AM

CTIHB 109

Fall classes begin

Program Manager, Complete U

Christine Chapman is an Oklahoma native, having just arrived in Utah in May. She earned a B.A. in English Education from the University of Central Oklahoma, and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum at the University of Oklahoma. Christine joins First-Year Utah as the Complete U Program Manager, where she will facilitate programs geared toward creating successful university experiences—beginning with the Strong Start Summer Bridge Program. She is excited about partnering with other faculty and staff at the U!

Assistant Dean, College Access Initiatives

Danielle Susi-Dittmore serves as the assistant dean of College Access Initiatives, in which she supports multiple programs that provide education pathways for pre-college students, as well as improve access for college students from marginalized backgrounds. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science and creative writing from Quinnipiac University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Danielle is currently a Ph.D. student in the Educational Leadership & Policy program here at the U, with research interests in transfer and access for community college students with disabilities.

Program Manager, Engage U

Mia Yang is originally from China and has been living in Salt Lake City for a solid 10 years now. She graduated from Westminster College with a B.S. in Public Health, and is now hustling her way through an M.B.A. program. Mia is the Engage U manager and is based at the Herriman campus. As part of her role, she teams up with University Neighborhood Partners (UNP) and Workforce Inclusion and Successful Employment (WISE) in West Valley to rock those Health Science Pathways. 

Coordinator for State Authorization and Reciprocity, Curriculum Administration

Beau Bayless joins us as the coordinator for State Authorization and Reciprocity.  This role is crucial in maintaining the institution's compliance with federal mandates regarding out of state learning.  We are excited to have him on the team!

He graduated from UVU in 2020 with a BS in University Studies and graduated from the U with an MPA in 2022. When not working, he likes to spend time teaching marching band and color guard, watching movies with roommates, and playing board games with family.

Program Manger, Connect2Health

Lacee Embleton is the program manager for the student-led program Connect2Health, based out of the Office of Undergraduate Studies. She graduated in Fall 2022 from the University of Utah with a bachelor's degree in health, society, and policy. She lives in North Ogden with her husband and four children. In her free time she likes to snowboard, crochet, and read books. She is passionate about serving our community and is always looking for ways to make everyone around her smile. 

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