USU Eastern Welcomes a Multitude of Changes in 2019

In 2010, the College of Eastern Utah merged with Utah State University to create USU Eastern. This gave the opportunity for the university to add the Price campus to its outposts located throughout the state, which are currently numbered at 33.

“We are the face of Utah education through outreach,” stated former USU Eastern Interim Chancellor Gary Straquadine, praising the many unique aspects that highlight the outpost, such as athletics, CTE courses and more.

For the past nine years, the campus has worked in a model that the legislature gave through the past university president. The model had a chancellor in place that was an assuming body on the campus as well as within the community. For some time, the interim chancellor has been Gary Straquadine. However, while working within the transition, new roles and titles were brought to USU Eastern with the new year.

No longer boasting a chancellor, USU Eastern will now have an Associate Vice President. This role will be assumed by former USU Eastern Vice Chancellor Greg Dart, who has worked diligently in student’s affairs and academia for quite some time and is well-trained in his new position.

Dart served as the vice chancellor for the past five years and is well-versed in the role. He is now moving from just student affairs, enrollment and similar responsibilities to bigger and higher situations within the university. He will be focusing greatly on how to take the institution to the next level.

However, this new position does not see the campus bidding farewell to Straquadine. On the contrary, Straquadine will now assist in reinventing and invigorating the technical educations programs as the Vice Provost and Associate Vice President for Career and Technical Education (CTE). Straquadine will work statewide to bring CTE opportunities to students.

Another change coming to the school is that, going into the legislative session, the Price and Blanding campuses will be separated. These two campuses have always been tied together and this change will see many new updates and opportunities for each outpost. Rather than one chancellor for the two campuses, there will be one individual to oversee each.

“The changes allow us to do some pretty exciting things, I think, on campus,” Dart stated.

More open entry and exit programs will also be on the class roster. As always, the campus will strive to work in conjunction with local school districts and charter schools to ensure that CTE reaches the high schools. Dart and Straquadine stressed that these changes are really the next step of the full merger. The campus reports a 32% increase in enrollment with four-year programs on the campus with fall enrollment alone rising nearly 8%. The Price campus boasts 24 bachelor degrees in four-year programs and will be adding more schooling opportunities.

Alongside the medical fields already provided (certified nursing assistant, medical assistant and phlebotomy), the campus has welcomed pharmacy technician, surgery tech and medical lab technology courses. Also coming to the school in September is aviation in conjunction with the county airport.

Dart and Straquadine will be joined by a full staff of highly-qualified and well-trained professionals. Dave Woolstenhulme, stationed in Salt Lake City, will administer the campus with bi-monthly or weekly visits as the USU Vice President for Regional Campuses. These visits will ensure that the campus is receiving the opportunities needed to bring a high and enjoyable education to those enrolled.

Furthermore, Dart will pass his USU Eastern Interim Athletic Director duties to Scott Madsen, who was recently announced as the new interim director. Madsen will continue to be the USU Eastern head baseball coach as he serves as interim athletic director.

A nationwide search for the next USU Eastern Athletic Director will begin this spring with more details to be announced at a later date.