President Cantwell Holds Listening Sessions at USU Eastern

PRICE, Utah — As part of her promise to hold listening sessions for different segments of the Utah State University community, USU President Elizabeth Cantwell traveled to USU Eastern to host listening sessions and roundtable discussions with various campus and community members on November 16.

President Cantwell spent the morning hosting various sessions, each for different audiences and stakeholders. As part of these listening sessions and roundtable discussions, President Cantwell focused on the three questions she posed to the USU community when she initially announced her listening tour in August:

1. What’s the greatest untapped opportunity that you think we have?
2. What are the greatest risks that you worry will put us off course?
3. What is the one thing you worry no one has had the confidence to tell me as your new president that you think I need to know?

Cantwell first held a listening session for USU Eastern faculty and staff. In this session, participants discussed issues such as promoting USU Eastern more in the region and its unique attributes, advertising technical education, better utilizing resources, engaging with the community, student housing, and working towards the future, among many other topics.

“Thank you for doing this,” Cantwell told USU Eastern faculty and staff. “It serves me as a new president in helping me get my focus areas. In five years, my goal is I’d like to be able to say to students that if they are a student anywhere in the USU system, you are better served than you will be if you are a student at any other institution. I’d like to be able to say that in five years and you have my commitment to be able to say that.”

After this session, the president then met with USU Eastern students to gain further insights and impressions. During the session, Cantwell and students discussed topics like housing, scholarship opportunities, the stigma Price and USU Eastern sometimes face, the need for better awareness of USU Eastern regionally, mental health resources, academic advising hurdles, tuition policies and more.

Cantwell heard several students mentioning how much they love the atmosphere and experience at USU Eastern and how some do not realize the value USU Eastern can provide. Cantwell encouraged students to help define this experience so that it could potentially be used in marketing efforts.

“I encourage you to work together on defining what the Price experience and the Eastern experience is,” Cantwell told students. “That in itself can draw students here that want that experience. If you can help us find ways to market that, we will do that.”

Cantwell also highlighted that those who were not in attendance, or who did not ask their questions publicly, could still submit their answers and concerns online. This can be done by visiting www.usu.edu/president/transition.

Located in picturesque Price, Utah State University Eastern provides the best of both worlds for students­– the personalized attention and small student-to-faculty ratio of a small-town college, with the educational opportunities and resources of a large university. USU Eastern boasts student government opportunities, clubs and programs like theater, choir, and the award-winning student newspaper “The Eagle”, as well as its own athletic program. USU Eastern provides personal or professional development training, technical education in Health Professions, Technical Careers and Business, as well as associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees and certificates of proficiency. Learn more at eastern.usu.edu.