Author: Makenzie Christensen
On October 5, 2023, 510 teachers from Utah came together at Utah Valley University for the Concurrent Enrollment Professional Development Conference. Every year, these teachers gather at UVU to receive further training about the current Concurrent Enrollment courses they teach at their high schools. Though this conference happens yearly, this year was momentous due to the speaker who joined the event for the first time: President Astrid Tuminez.
Spencer Childs, Senior Director of Concurrent Enrollment, introduced the university’s president before turning the time over to her. Her message focused on her personal journey to UVU, the university's achievements, and upcoming projects.
“Our Concurrent Enrollment program, with over 15,000 students, is not just about size and scale; it's about quality and the transformative possibilities", said President Tuminez, “I had the privilege of speaking to hundreds of high school instructors who teach UVU courses.”
President Tuminez spoke of the large growth of UVU’s student body, highlighting the notable surge in enrollment, particularly among Concurrent Enrollment students. As of Fall 2023, Concurrent Enrollment learners have grown to 15,571 students — a number she expects to increase in the coming years. As UVU’s population continues to increase, Tuminez affirmed the focus and vision of UVU will continue to grow as well, with a particular emphasis on the three concepts of “include, engage, and achieve.”
Following President Tuminez’s remarks, the instructors had the opportunity to attend breakout training sessions that were specific to the classes they currently teach. In total, there were 54 breakout rooms, with topics ranging from Biology to Spanish. This year, the teachers were given commemorative UVU coins for every five years they have been UVU Concurrent Enrollment instructors. Teachers obtained their initial coin at the five-year mark, with additional coins awarded at ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, and thirty years of service.
Though Concurrent Enrollment hosted over five hundred teachers who came for this conference, not all departments gathered at UVU’s main campus in Orem. The Aviation department convenes at Provo Airport campus, Culinary Arts opts for on-site interactive sessions, and the digital media department varies its location yearly. In recent years, the latter has fostered connections through dinner outings with instructors.
While this conference is focused on educating and training the instructors, it is also a great time for teachers to gather together, build relationships, and network with each other and the UVU liaisons. As a multi-district event, it facilitates communication and networking among teachers who may have not had the chance to interact before.
UVU Concurrent Enrollment greatly appreciates the high school instructors who willingly chose to take on this challenge and work with UVU to help so many great students take a step forward and ahead in their futures. They may not have started as Wolverines, but we hope they all bleed green now!
