Dear Colleagues, 

As we reflect on the success of the Undergraduate Studies Summer Retreat held in May, I am filled with immense gratitude, joy, and appreciation. The time we spent together not only celebrated our collective efforts in enhancing undergraduate education to date but also served as a powerful reminder of our shared commitment to the joy of student success and its future at the University of Utah.

Your insights, enthusiasm, and collaboration were truly inspiring and reaffirmed the impact of our work. The retreat's sessions delved into reflective and forward-thinking discussions, sparking new ideas and initiatives that promise to drive us forward. I am grateful for the unique perspectives each of you brought to the experience. These contributions enriched our conversations and paved the way for continued innovation and excellence.

The materials from the retreat are available here, and I encourage you to revisit them as we implement the strategies we developed together. A forthcoming Conversations with Chase will unpack the results of the "Sticky-Note Exercise" + our forthcoming "Activate Sessions" for Navigate U. 

The strengthened connections and increased commitment to collaboration resulting from the retreat will significantly contribute to our mission of providing an exceptional educational experience for every student at the University of Utah.

Thank you for your dedication and for being part of this incredible journey. Together, we will continue to make a profound difference in the lives of our students and each other.

And as always, Go Utah! 

Chase

The Student: A Short History 

Michael S. Roth

Inside Higher Ed: The Key Podcast

Ep. 114: Generative AI's Potential Influence on Teaching and Learning

The 1850 Society, an organization of first-gen graduates from the U, hosted its inaugural graduation celebration this month. With over 160 first-gen graduates in attendance, the event was a success. Guests were able to hear from T. Chase Hagood as well as meet with Provost Mitzi Montoya. If you want to read more about the occasion, click here. 

You are invited to join the selection committee for Undergraduate Studies scholarships! This is a great way to hear more from undergraduate students across campus. The review process will occur between May and July. Specific timelines are determined based on the number of applications and member availability, but the standard review period is typically 2-6 weeks. Most committees will not require in-person meetings and schedules can be accommodated. 

Sign up to volunteer. 

Congratulations to the Crimson Transfer Honors Society (CTHS) on winning the Giving Day Student Organization Gold Award and the 2024 Most Creative Social Media Award! Over $2,000 was raised for transfer student scholarships in Undergraduate Studies. 

More information can be found here. 

In May, the Community Engaged Learning and Scholarship Unit celebrated 7 students graduating from the Bennion Scholars Program and/or with the Community Engagement Certificate. Among those amazingly talented students, are Emma Taylor and Xitlally Garcia-Barajas.

With a strong desire to center the lived realities of marginalized communities, Emma developed and administered a survey to better understand how victims of sexual violence with minoritized identities experienced the services available to them at the University of Utah. Based on the results, she identified key recommendations and advocated resource centers to implement them on campus.

Xitlally, a true force for community change, created a workshop series with Professor Kilo Zamora and Kaitlyn Mahoney, the founder of Under the Umbrella Bookstore. The workshop explores intersectionality, systems of oppression, and the disruption and dismantling of systems. Congratulations to all our graduates!

Every summer, the Office of Undergraduate Research hosts a nationally competitive program that provides undergraduate students with an intensive 10-week summer research experience under the mentorship of a University of Utah faculty member: Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR). Students participating in SPUR gain research experience in a variety of disciplines with 37 disciplines being represented this year. SPUR scholars from 15 different universities will be on campus May 23-August 1, 2024. Congratulations!

Click here to learn more.

LEAP has repeatedly helped new students transition into college with small classes, campus engagement, and access to scholarships and employment opportunities. Each student receives help from a personal librarian from the J. Willard Marriott Library and the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences. The LEAP classes are taught on topics like Health Inequities, Community Engaged Learning, and Engineering for Minoritized Students in STEM. Each April, students present their capstone projects at the LEAP Symposium, where the librarians serve as judges.

Read more about the symposium. 

Elizabeth Montoya is the inaugural recipient of the Togetherness Award! After thoroughly deliberating and reviewing numerous applicants, a dedicated committee selected Elizabeth as the winner.

The evaluation criteria included: How does the nominee work to address education and communication gaps? How does the nominee serve as a model or advocate of policy and infrastructure that supports effective, high-quality family engagement? How does the nominee advocate for and model building community and family resiliency, protective factors, and strengths?

Congratulations, Elizabeth! 

The Navigate U platform is now available to all undergraduate students. Additionally, the platform has facilitated over 20,000 appointments since its launch. 

This summer, Navigate U will be featured at the New Student Orientation, guiding newcomers on how to leverage its full potential.

During the Spring 2024 semester, the Navigate U Implementation Team ensured all academic units were trained, their settings were configured, and all AASC guidelines were reflected in the software. Over the summer, the team will continue to build out the forthcoming features, including caseloads, Academic Planning, and Predictive Analytics.

Read about the achievements of the U's exceptional faculty members in teaching, research, mentorship and service in @theU. 

Academic Program Manager, Campus-wide Advising Training & Development 

Emily joins the Academic Advising Center team from Utah Valley University where she last served as an advisor, success coach, and learning specialist in the Department of Academic Standards. She earned a post-master’s degree from Brooklyn College (CUNY) in Educational Psychology. All of Emily’s work is underscored by a dedication to student advocacy, inclusion, and equity in environments and curriculums. She currently sits on the executive board and chairs the DEI Committee for the Coaching in Higher Education Consortium (CHEC). As an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Emily has honed her expertise in guiding individuals to academic, personal, and professional success. Emily holds additional certifications in Gallup Strengths Coaching, ADHD Coaching, Meyers Briggs Type Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory and is excited to collaborate with the advising community at the U to foster an environment of growth, support, and empowerment for both advisors and students! Off duty, Emily is probably in the garden or trying new recipes. 

Undergraduate Studies Computer Technician

Nathan has successfully completed his studies at Mountainland Technical College, demonstrating a solid foundation in technology.  This fall semester, he will continue his educational journey at the U, focusing on computer engineering. Nathan’s always been interested in computers, hardware and software.  He’s built desktop computers and recently put together a server for his father's business.  He's going to fit right in with the rest of the IT Team!

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