December 2022
Institutional Update
President McIff
The past month I have watched our students, and I’ve been reminded again and again of their excellence.
I felt the emotion of our fine arts students as they performed on stage and the excitement of our student-athletes as they played the sport they love. I saw the eager anticipation of students defending their research projects and the self-satisfaction of others presenting models for our community fashion show. I’ve witnessed student employee satisfaction that comes from knowing they’ve been a part of a great team, and I heard the sincere appreciation of diligent students who spoke to scholarship donors. While varied in content and venues, one thing was constant: the pride I felt for all students individually as they worked hard to reach their goals.
Students are the reason we are here, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to work with you as we serve them. A former commencement speaker said, “Students who are lucky enough to find Snow College will find themselves.” That life-changing experience happens for students because of you. Thank you for all you do. I hope you have a very happy holiday season!
Stacee
Academic Affairs
Snow College is proud of its students and their academic engagement!
You may be interested to know that the typical student enrolled in 12 credit hours fall semester spent an estimated 36 hours a week engaged in academic coursework. In addition, many students participate in academic activities outside the classroom that are incredibly impactful and time consumptive. Here are some semester highlights (this list is in no way comprehensive):
- 80+ students tutored (through labs and TA positions) other students in various academic disciplines
- 20 creative writing students participated in Snowrimo (month-long creative writing activity)
- 30+ STEM students led various STEM Fest activities
- 500 students enrolled in Service Learning designated courses, and the bulk of them chose to complete service learning projects
- 80+ students participated in theater productions
- 300+ students showcased their musical talents
- 60+ students participated in dance performances
- 40+ students showcased their art in gallery shows
- 6 Ethics Bowl students competed (and placed) in regional and national competitions
- Students throughout campus participated in field trips, undergraduate research, internships, and experiential learning opportunities that are too numerous to count
Additionally, this semester there are 288 international students at Snow College, representing 48 different countries.
Enrollment Management
Academic Advising has had a great fall semester and is currently busy helping students register for Spring 2023. Advisors are working diligently to contact all their students that have not yet registered for Spring.
The Advising Office is undergoing some great changes! Advisors are leveraging data insights to better serve the students that need the most support. They are also implementing Appreciative Advising, a new framework rooted in behavioral science theories that helps students optimize their educational experience.
We anticipate these changes will make a big impact on the student experience and will help students persist and graduate at higher rates. Happy Holidays!
Auxiliary Services & Student Life
Our new Student Life team has been hard at work this semester. Here are just a few of the highlights from fall semester:
- 44 activities
- $58,000 spent (from student fees)
- Activities had as many as 1,500 students in attendance
- Built leadership micro-credentials
- Supported club and departmental activities across campus
- Working to make the GSC a place where students want to hang out
The team isn't done yet! Watch for more changes and fun activities coming our way. A huge thanks to Jill, Caden, Angie, and Sam for their dedication to helping our students have a well-rounded (and fun!) Snow College experience!
Entrepreneurship Week
In the culmination of Snow’s annual Entrepreneurship Week, Snow College hosted the Opportunity Quest finals, sponsored by the GRIT Center and Zions Bank. This competition gives Snow College students an opportunity to design, test, write, and pitch their business model. 83 Snow College students from across every division entered and were coached in their presentation by GRIT Center director and associate director, Russ Tanner and TaraLee Cook. Volunteer judges narrowed the field to the top five business model summaries.
- $2,000 GRIT Prize: Julia Selman, SelMeat Company
- $1,500 Most Innovative: Sariah and Justin Summers, Budget Buds
- $1,000 Most Resourceful: Brayden Thurman, Burnish Window Wells
- $750 Most Grassroots: Whitley Cox, WeWearAg
- $500 Most Tenacious + $1,000 in Audience Choice prizes: Josh Thomas, Cardinal Bloom
- $500 Engineering Prototype Champion: Griffin Rossberg, Put it Together Pictures
- $500 People's Choice Video Award: Lydielle Carr, Jessica Davis, Lauryn Thalman, Nature Nails
Feedback and support from judges, plus the cash won, will help these students continue building their businesses. Many will compete for $60,000 plus other prizes in the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge which is open to all college students across Utah.
Congratulations to each entrepreneurial student who showed real grit by persevering to turn ideas into reality!
Follow the GRIT Center on Instagram and LinkedIn and visit their website at thegritcenter.com to learn how they can help your students.
In the News
On December 1, former Snow College President Michael T. Benson was inducted into the Horne School of Music Hall of Fame. President Benson attended the ceremony and was joined by the administrative team from his tenure at the school.
“This is truly an honor to be recognized by a college we came to love so much,” said Benson. “I am very pleased to be joining my fellow hall of fame members who have done a great deal to promote and enhance the arts at Snow College and in Sanpete County.”
Who's New?
We welcome the following individuals to Snow College:
| Sara Thurgood | Social and Behavioral Science Division Administrative Assistant |
| Jill Carey | Admissions Office Administrative Assistant |
| Randy Allred | Electrician, Ephraim Campus |
| Caden Birch | Deputy Head Student Life and Leadership |
We sadly announce the passing of former employee Jim Case, who worked on our Richfield Campus for 24 years. Jim retired in January 2021. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Richfield Update
Connecting with Central Region School Counselors
Elementary to high school counselors and mental health professionals from the area’s six-county region were welcomed by Interim President McIff for the 2022 Central Region Counselor Conference Tuesday, November 15. In partnership with the college’s K-16 Alliance, Snow College hosted this year’s event on the Richfield campus.
In all, 56 district partners participated in the conference and represented almost every school in the region. Highlights from the conference included breakout sessions facilitated by various Snow College departments, including a campus tour, a current student panel, a technical education program and industry partner panel, an advising discussion, concurrent enrollment inclusion and ADA topics, and continuity of care matters.
A participant commented, “It was helpful talking to the technical education panel and learning about their programs and connections to industries.” Another stated, “I'm really excited about where the Richfield campus is going.” To end, an attendee remarked, “…a big thank you. This was a very helpful and inspiring conference.”
Plans are already in place to host a similar conference next year on the Ephraim campus. We’re especially thankful for every Snow College employee that supported and participated in hosting this significant event.
Staff Report
Representing all part-time and full-time staff the Snow College Staff Association creates a unified voice to advance collaboration, equity, professional development, recognition, service, legislative support, health & wellbeing, and more for our colleagues.
With staff activities winding down for Fall semester, Staff Association officers encourage you to support the Snow Fit committee with a walk around campus to enjoy the department-sponsored holiday trees on display in campus offices and in the Greenwood Student Center.
With the holiday season, find and congratulate your fellow Snow College colleagues who earned “Unsung Hero” awards for Fall. Managed by members of the Awards & Recognition Committee, they strive to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of all staff. Results are posted on the Staff Association website. Use the “stack menu” to go to view our recent Heroes or even nominate one of your staff colleagues for the award.
We invite staff colleagues to serve on this or one of the other six committees to enhance our work/life balance and satisfaction. While you are visiting the website use the stack menu to explore each committee. Staffers may also view rules and apply for an association-sponsored SCSA Professional Development Grant – January 1 is coming fast for the Summer 2023 deadline!
Faculty Report
Congratulations to the Snow College Ethics Bowl team. In the month of November, they competed at the Rocky Mountain Regional Ethics Bowl in Colorado Springs and took first place. This win earned them a bid to go to the National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl competition this spring in Portland, Oregon. The team is part of the philosophy program at Snow and has been coached this year primarily by Greg Wright and Mike Salitrynski.
The Division of Natural Science and Mathematics held Stem Fest on Nov 12. People from the surrounding area were invited to come and explore science. Various groups displayed and demonstrated subjects such as drones, genetics, making slime, viewing pond water through microscopes, and more. It was a great day introducing many to the wonders of Science.
Science Nights will resume in January. Science Faculty present hands-on activities for school-aged participants to engage in science. These are scheduled for January 17, February 14, and March 14 from 6:30-8:00 pm.
The faculty (and staff) participated in Campus Exchanges in October and November.
Becoming aware of what each campus has to offer can be an important recruitment tool
as we look to grow our enrollment.
Athletics Update
All of our fall sports have concluded. Football was the last team in action. They culminated their season with a convincing 30-7 victory over No. 7 Lackawanna College Nov. 19. They finished the season with an 8-2 overall record and as the fifth-ranked team in the nation, barely missing out on the NJCAA Division I Playoffs.
Skye Kennedy of the women’s soccer team was named to the NJCAA Division I Women’s Soccer All-American First Team. During the season, Kennedy scored a total of 26 goals, which was good enough to finish third in the country.
Ethan Boyd of the men’s soccer team was named to the United Soccer Coaches Junior College Division I Men’s All-West Region Team.
Men’s basketball has started the season with a 10-2 overall record including a thrilling victory over No. 2 Florida SouthWestern State Nov. 12.
Women’s basketball is 5-7 overall and 2-1 within Scenic West Athletic Conference play.
The wrestling programs have gotten out to a tremendous start. The men’s team had three placers at their most recent open including Kasey Curtis, who finished in fourth place at the Battle of the Rockies. Women’s wrestling had nine placers at the Battle of the Rockies, including Lexus Bertagnolli, who finished third.
All sports this year have a combined record of 54-24-1.
Good News
I would like to congratulate and acknowledge Kevin Sorensen and Jonathan Bodrero for their efforts promoting science and mathematics education. Snow College partnered with UVU in 2016 providing a vital pathway for students seeking to become secondary science and mathematics teachers. This partnership was awarded $1,050,000 from the National Science Foundation through the Robert Noyce Scholarship program with the charge to recruit, prepare, and support STEM majors to become K-12 teachers. As this round of funding is concluding, I would like to share a couple highlights:
- Of the $680,000 in scholarships awarded, $110,000 was awarded to Snow College graduates.
- 100% acceptance rate for eligible Snow College applicants.
The success of this partnership is continuing to catch the attention of the National Science Foundation. In 2021, the NSF awarded another $1,200,000 to our Noyce Scholars program. Countless students throughout the State of Utah benefit from teachers who started at Snow College and completed their degrees at UVU as Noyce Scholars. Many of these Noyce scholars and are now serving in schools where the majority of students come from underprivileged backgrounds. This latest award assures that we will continue to provide highly qualified and committed science and mathematics teachers to serve in these schools for years to come.
Thanks again to Kevin and Jonathan!
Mark Wathen, Ph.D.
Director Noyce Scholars Program
Utah Valley University