May 2024

Institutional Update

Last month I participated in the annual Staff Development Day. It was a wonderful day full of meaningful training, fun activities, and delicious food. Thanks to our Staff Association leaders for their work on this event! What I loved most was seeing colleagues socializing and just having fun together. Taking this time to reconnect and recharge is important for our well-being.

Speaking of well-being, I want to thank our Employee Experience subcommittee of the College Council for composing and distributing their recent employee survey, a survey that was vetted by faculty- and staff-elected leadership. A few months ago, I gave the subcommittee a charge to research and examine the top concerns of our employees and then make recommendations about how to address those top concerns. The survey has closed, and the subcommittee has gathered the results and will soon start identifying themes from responses. Last week, the subcommittee provided your feedback to me, and we are all very committed to finding ways to reduce pressure and hardship from your work. I appreciate the subcommittee members and look forward to working together on their recommendations. Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond.

We’re thrilled to announce what we’re calling the TechConnect program, a clear pathway to an associate degree for technical college students. No one does general education better than Snow College, and it’s been a privilege to share our GE excellence with statewide partners. This innovative work has been an enormous team effort by our academic affairs, student affairs, marketing, and technical education professionals.

You probably know that we will have thousands of guests on our campuses during the summer months. Thank you for helping them have a positive experience with Snow College by taking a few minutes to connect with them. Say hello, walk them to their classroom, happily welcome them into our facilities, assure worried family members this is a safe place to leave their child, or answer their questions. Interacting with you will be a highlight of their visit!

We are excited to see you all and be back together for Fall Assembly on August 21. Until then, enjoy a fantastic summer with family and friends, and take some time for yourself!

Stacee

Finance and Administrative Services

Amid the vacations and staycations, we will be closing out this fiscal year and starting a new one. There are many very important processes that we require to make this transition. Those items were detailed in an email sent on April 17 with the subject “2024 Fiscal Year End Finance Procedures”. Please refer to that email for the specifics, but I will highlight a few things here.

• Any deposits received on or prior to June 28th need to be to the cashier’s office before 2pm on Friday, June 28th.
• Purchase requisitions need to be completed before June 17th.
• Please DO NOT use your pcard the last week of June. Pcard transactions need to be completed, submitted, and approved before June 30th.
• Please send any invoices, services, or reimbursements to Accounts Payable ASAP.
• Please submit any budget transfers using this form before August 9th. Any inter-office billings need to be done and submitted before July 10th.

Thank you for your help with these processes.

Technical Education and Industry Connections

We don’t even recognize that welding is part of each of our lives, it is used to manufacture home appliances, bicycles, automobiles, any and all RV’s, even buildings we live in and use, and many items in our sports equipment locker. Welders are in high demand in Central Utah or anyplace with a large manufacturing industry base. Welding is a fabrication process whereby two or more parts are fused together by means of heat, pressure, molten metal or all three forming a joint as the parts cool.

Snow College’s Welding program covers all welding techniques and processes from, Arc to Gas Tungsten to Flux Core to fabricating metal into useable items, and welding inspection and testing. Modern day welding also includes robotic welding using any form of a welding process.

The welding program leads students through a basic knowledge of welding to certificates of completion in specialized welding. Students earn a certificate of completion that is stackable into an A.A.S. in Welding Technology.

Students who complete the program are getting jobs with businesses throughout Central Utah along the Wasatch front and Southwestern Utah. It is not uncommon to have a student start at $25 to $30 dollars per hour with full benefits at many welding and metal fabrication businesses.

Student Affairs

Nothing is more rewarding than celebrating our student’s Commencement day and honoring them as they receive their diploma or certificate. For those of us who attended the event, it would be difficult not to notice the student’s excitement as they got to the finish line to receive that precious document that will take them to the next level in their lives. Friday, May 3rd was that day. The day when students forgot about their anxiety, the stress, the long hours of study, and the degree of difficulty of the courses taken that was there prior to getting to that special moment. The challenges faced by the students turned into smiling faces, irradiating happiness and joy; feelings that were shared by their parents and family members who joined their graduates.

What a wonderful feeling it was to see the multitude of students from all backgrounds, genders and nationalities coming together for the same purpose; their graduation! I feel safe to say that every institution employee and those in attendance felt the same joy the students experienced. The student’s graduation reminds us of our own graduation and how we see ourselves in them; their success is our success and their reward is ours as well. This year’s commencement was especial because of the great number of students who received certificates and diplomas (1,335), but it was also especial because of the number of students of color who graduated, which, according to Snow College data, it was +-330 students. This is great news for our beloved institution and for all of us. Let us celebrate our student’s success, let us keep up the good work. Congratulations to all!

Fernando Montano

The Richfield Light Festival was a glowing success, with the community coming together to celebrate and enjoy the festivities. The event, held April 12 at the Sevier County fairgrounds, saw a remarkable turnout, with nearly 1,500 attendees, 600 lanterns sold and 350 intense laser tag games played. It was a night to remember, with families and friends creating unforgettable memories under the twinkling lights.

The cooperation among Snow College, Richfield City, Sevier County, and the Richfield Area Chamber of Commerce was crucial in bringing the festival to life. The efforts of local fire officials and their team of volunteers ensured that the lighting went off without a hitch, keeping everyone safe. Additionally, the dedication of numerous volunteers from all organizations played a key role in organizing a range of entertaining activities throughout the evening. Despite worries about the weather at first, the night ultimately turned out to be perfect, setting a magical tone for all attendees.

Lessons were learned from the experience, and plans are already in the works to enhance and expand the festival for future years. The Richfield Light Festival truly brought the community together in a heartwarming and unforgettable way, showcasing the spirit of unity and joy among all who participated.