Utah Valley University
Engagement Plan 2024-2028
Utah Valley University campus has a long-standing commitment to institutional initiatives. These initiatives have evolved, recognizing the importance of providing a welcoming and inclusive climate for both educational pursuits and professional undertakings, thereby facilitating the flourishing of individuals from all backgrounds and fostering a culture of excellence.
Our “come as you are” invitation stems from our institutional mission as an open-admissions regional teaching university (Utah System of Higher Education [USHE] Policy 5.3.1.8) with the mandate to serve our ever-growing and increasingly diverse community. The first strategy is to “provide accessible, flexible, and affordable education in an environment that is inclusive for all.” UVU’s Vision 2030 “include” strategy ensures that policies, practices, and opportunities are equitable and accessible to contribute to creating an environment where everyone can grow and thrive. By establishing such an inclusive, accessible environment, UVU can attract the most qualified and diverse faculty and staff and welcome students from all backgrounds and experiences.
UVU’s efforts to provide equitable and inclusive education for all individuals from various backgrounds are critical to our mandate to meet the region's and state's educational needs. The university has made tremendous efforts to make the campus a welcoming place for everyone. We are proud of our progress in promoting diversity and inclusivity in our student body. UVU has consistently adapted and served the community according to the ever-changing demographics of Utah county, where our success is evident from the increase in the percentage of non-white students from 17% in 2015 to 20% today, reflecting the diversity of UVU’s service region where 19.7% of residents identify as non-white. Female enrollment increased from 45% in 2015 to 50% in the fall of 2022. Additionally, our current first-generation enrollment is 41%.
We remain dedicated to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all students, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances. These efforts also respond to industry and community leaders calling for globally competent graduates and culturally aware and dynamic learners. At UVU, our mission is to equip every student for success in an ever-changing, diverse, and interconnected world, irrespective of their chosen field of study.
UVU’s Engagement Plan 2024-2028 is a roadmap designed to provide exceptional care to the UVU community. It identifies three cross-cutting goals integrated into all UVU’s programming and initiatives and includes four campus goals, focusing on different areas that lead to access and success of all students and employees.
Cross-cutting goals:
Specific goals:
The engagement plan was developed through a rigorous process that involved multiple discussions, environmental scans, and data analyses. We ensured that the plan incorporated feedback from a diverse range of stakeholders, with representation from all colleges and divisions of the campus community and student representatives. Through a rigorous process, we adopted a bottom-up approach to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement and create targeted interventions.
With the Office of Institutional Engagement and Effectiveness playing a vital role in facilitating coordination, collaboration, and cooperation, we are confident that our plan will drive meaningful progress toward a more engaged and inclusive campus and equitable practices to setting people up for success. The engagement plan's subsequent phases involve creating feasible, time-bound action plans, developing progress and success metrics, and establishing decision-making channels and responsibilities.
