“What do you want to do when you grow up?”

Jai’auna Jefferson recalled being asked that question in elementary school and realizing even then she would need a college degree, whether she pursued her childhood love of animals and became a veterinarian or worked in psychology

Now a sophomore at Weber State, Jefferson is on her way toward earning that degree, and one thing she doesn’t have to worry about is how to pay for college.

She is one of four Weber State students, and 30 statewide, who were part of an inaugural cohort that received a full-ride scholarship, courtesy of the Utah Jazz. Salt Lake City’s NBA franchise established the scholarship in 2020 as a way to help students from traditionally underrepresented groups pursue their educational goals.

At Weber State, Jefferson is exploring her interest in social relationships and institutions as a sociology major, and plans to eventually become a professor. Based on her love of animals, she’s also interested in becoming a dog breeder. Her two favorite breeds are poodles and havaneses.

Ironically, Jefferson has never been a Jazz fan. By her own admission, she’s more of a “football girl.” Beginning in eighth grade, she served as the team manager for her high school football team. “I’m not much of a sports girl, but I do like attending games in person.”

Ultimately, Jefferson hopes her education will allow her to help people.

“The idea of helping others makes me happy,” she said. “Plus, if there’s dogs along the way, that never hurts.”

In spring 2022, Garrett Potokar, a professional sales student, made history as Weber State’s first LGBTQ+ student senator, filling the inaugural role as an advocate for previously unrepresented students.

“A lot of other groups have senators, which is amazing,” Potokar said. “I think every group should be represented in the senate and that every student deserves a voice. LGBT students didn’t have a voice before now.”

While working as a graphic designer for the Weber State University Student Association (WSUSA), Potokar realized there was little LGBTQ+ representation in the group.

“I saw there were changes that needed to be made, and I’ve had past leadership positions,” Potokar said. “As part of the student senate, I wanted to help pass legislation, get things going and make campus a safer space for everyone.”

In order to move forward quickly for spring 2022, Potokar was selected through an interview process. During his semster in the role, Potokar passed several pieces of legislation, making it easier for students to change their names and identifying pronouns, providing easier access to LGBTQ+ resources and supporting transgender athletes.

“It’s been amazing being in close collaboration with constituents and senators alike. It’s truly been a labor of love from not just me, but also from everyone I’ve worked with,” Potokar said. “I really hit the ground running, and it was exhilarating to pass such large legislation in such a short time.”

In fall 2022, Potokar will serve as the executive VP for WSUSA. He plans to focus on increasing awareness of the student senate and continuing his mission to ensure all students have a voice on campus. He will also serve as the acting parliamentarian, a role that oversees the student senate and ensures that proper parliamentary procedure is followed.

Jazmyne Olson, a public relations and advertising major, will serve as LGBTQ+ senator for the 2022–23 academic year.

Weber State University is on its way to becoming an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution.

After receiving a $500,000 commitment from Ally Financial Inc. in the fall of 2021, divisions across the university have been working toward the goal, which is part of the university’s strategic plan, Weber State Amplified, a 5-year plan for growth.

In the plan, Weber State committed to increasing the percentage of students who identify as Hispanic or Latino to 15% by fall 2025. Achieving this goal will position Weber State to work toward increasing its Hispanic or Latino population to 25% and achieving the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) federal designation. Eventually becoming an HSI will benefit all Weber State students by increasing access, retention, student support services and faculty development.

To help reach this goal, the university has hired an executive director of HSI Initiatives using the resources provided by Ally.

Yudi Lewis, who came to Weber State in September after 25 years of experience at Utah Valley University, works to develop effective strategies, relationships and communications with faculty, staff, students, community groups, educational entities and funding agencies.

Adrienne Andrews, vice president of WSU’s newly created Equity, Diversity and Inclusion division, said Weber State needs to be more intentional to meet northern Utah’s workforce needs, and becoming an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution is a big part of that.

Data from the 2020 Census show that 26.5% of Utah’s population growth between 2010 and 2020 was driven by the Hispanic and Latino population. By becoming an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution, WSU’s Hispanic and Latino enrollment can keep pace with this growing population.

In fall 2021, about 12% of WSU’s enrolled full-time equivalent students (those taking 15 credit hours) identified as Hispanic or Latino, and enrollments have hovered in that range for the last five years with a slight upward trend.

“We know it’s meaningful for students, faculty, staff and the future of Weber State University,” Andrews said. “This will help us be ready and available to all students who seek to come here.”

Through the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), WSU is providing two training opportunities, Inclusive Teaching for Equitable Learning (ITEL) and Effective Teaching Practices (ETP), for faculty to learn more about inclusive teaching techniques. The programs were first suggested by Provost Ravi Krovi, who then tasked Marsteller Kowalewski and Corbin with implementing the courses.

“I think our faculty are interested in becoming inclusive teachers, but they need more confidence to do that,” Corbin said. “It’s a fraught world, so doing this work can be scary. But I think we have great teachers, so hopefully this provides them with more confidence to bring this important work into the classroom.”

The ITEL course was offered to two cohorts of faculty in summer 2022, with a third cohort made up of new faculty starting in fall 2022. Faculty who teach influential lower-division courses will participate in the 25-week ETP course during the fall 2022 semester.