President’s Letter

Dear Weber State Family,

My first months serving as the 13th president of Weber State University have humbled me. I have witnessed many examples where students deploy their dedication and determination to reach the summit of their educational mountain.

In our 2018–19 Annual Report, you’ll meet many of these students, such as Cristian Gutierrez, a first-generation Wildcat who was instrumental in planning our first Latinx/Raza graduate ceremony; Naheed Davis, who left Weber State when her eyesight started to fail, only to return years later to find success in our accounting major; and Alissa Van Tassell, a non-traditional student who thought college may not be for her before graduating with honors as a double major in botany and archaeology.

Stories like these are not new for Weber State. On January 7, we celebrated our 130-year history of inspiring students of all backgrounds to pursue their dreams.

Our outstanding faculty, supportive staff and academic infrastructure support our students as they make this climb. Nicola Corbin, a communication professor whose passion and commitment to student success earned her the 2019 Crystal Crest Master Teacher award, is just one of the amazing faculty you’ll meet in our Annual Report.

We are excited to share this report with each of you to not only share in our success, but also to express our thanks for your partnership. As alumni, donors, policymakers, supporters and friends, your impact makes dreams happen.

Weber State is the proud, pioneering example of a dual-mission university. We meet today’s challenges in higher education with optimism. Whether we are addressing critical workforce needs, like instituting our new Doctor of Nursing Practice program, or building pathways for students who are the first in their family to attend college, including two new programs to help improve graduation rates for underrepresented and low-income students in physical sciences, we know the difference Weber State makes.

We hear stories over and over from employers and alumni about the value of our degrees. Aspiring to ascend to even greater heights, we’re looking forward to proving that value again and again for the next generations of students in the years ahead.

You are a critical part of that journey — helping us to create a student-centered environment where faculty and staff connect with, challenge and teach students to thrive and fully realize their potential. I appreciate your support and invite you to stay engaged with Weber State as we go ever upward toward becoming Utah’s choice in higher education for access, learning and community.

Best,

Brad