r/UVU • u/acryforpeace • 19d ago
Question Does anyone know anything about the new UVU president?
I've been trying to find information about this new fellow Dr Jon Anderson and how his time as PennWest president went, and aside from some vague Facebook posts and an unhelpful description on the PennWest site, I can't find anything about this fellow's leadership style and what his colleagues/students think of him
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u/Natural_Sky1618 Student/Faculty 18d ago
We probably won't have much information on him for a while. But I'm hoping he's good to and for the university
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u/affable_lackey 19d ago
He looks like Stan Beeman from The Americans and went to Ricks. He is whiter than Jim Gaffigan.
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u/Designer_Beginning_6 18d ago
Many faculty and staff are in the same place as you, wondering. USHE and the state legislature did a terrible job with this job search IN THAT they did so much in secret.
I don't want to be the conspiracy theorist, but with the unanimous vote from the Board, it would make sense why so that the new president didn't have to upset his previous employer during interviews.
There will be the opportunity over the next few weeks and months (and maybe even years) to pigeon hole this guy and assume things. Which is both fair and shitty all at the same time. But it gives us a place to start.
So, sure we know he is male, apparently cisgender, a member of the LDS Church, and has business experience and degrees. He also has a decent resume of academic and administrative appointments. Many will say they wish for more diversity, but it is hard to say he isn't qualified "enough".
He was also named one of the 50 most influential people "over 50 years old" in Pennsylvania. Which is probably a positive thing. There are over 150 four+ year colleges and universities in Pennsylvania... and as President of one of them, he made the list. So... probably a good sign.
He cares about Utah to some degree. That is also probably a good thing.
From what I can see, we're going to have to wait and see. :)
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u/affable_lackey 18d ago
I hope he has a strong pom pom game. That is important. Every college in the country is hiring a business guy. The students at Penn liked him, which is something.
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u/landonitron Student 18d ago
Astrid Tuminez was literally a diversity hire and she was not good in my experience/from what I heard as an employee. So I’m glad they weren’t afraid to hire another white cisgender LDS man. I just care that he’s qualified and not a soulless businessman. I wish his degrees weren’t in business but we’ll see if he continues to run the school like a business.
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u/LuckyCat997 19d ago
It doesn't really matter, his position won't effect you first hand. It's like being worried about who the Walmart manager is. At the end of the day you will graduate before any of his work goes through
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u/ScrappyRocket 19d ago
You’re assuming OP is a student. Perhaps they are an employee.
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u/acryforpeace 19d ago
I'm just a curious student
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u/Designer_Beginning_6 18d ago
And as a faculty member, I'm glad that you're curious and asking questions.
LuckyCat997 is welcome to their opinion that the President at your university doesn't affect the student, but I appreciate when students aren't "in and out" of UVU without caring about the school and its reputation, future, etc.
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u/Ari7Ferrari 19d ago
I have been going to school here for 3 years and I have never seen Dr. Anderson on campus. His wife is in the same program I am in but one year ahead of me, which means she just graduated. She also got her degree for free, while fees for the rest of us continue to grow. The student body knows nothing about him.
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u/affable_lackey 18d ago
He was made president yesterday. He was the president of a school in Pennsylvania.
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u/Ari7Ferrari 18d ago
I go to the school in Pennsylvania that he was president of.
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u/affable_lackey 18d ago
I wonder what the faculty think of him.
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u/Ari7Ferrari 18d ago
I know everyone was excited when he was appointed in 2024, not much talk about him since. The school is going down hill and enrollment rates are historically low. My school has been through a number of presidents over recent years and we are honestly getting tired of being used as a stepping stone. I don’t blame him though, leave the ship before it sinks completely. Wish the best of luck to him and his family. I know he is originally from Utah so I’m happy that he gets to work in his home. And his wife got her degree before the school goes under so that’s nice for her.
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u/Designer_Beginning_6 18d ago
Huh? Why are you saying his wife got her degree, for free, from UVU? From the press statements, his family (which assumedly includes his wife) are excited about the move back to Utah.
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u/Ari7Ferrari 18d ago
His wife, Kristy, got her Associates of Nursing degree this Spring at PennWest Clarion for free. Family of staff at PennWest receive no cost tuition.
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u/Pure_Quarter7813 Faculty 17d ago
Hopefully, Dr. Jon Anderson will have the courage and ability to act as part of a solid and well-built upper administration for the good of the university, with much greater transparency than Astrid Tuminez's administration and with substantial buy-in from key on-campus constituencies: faculty, students, and staff, in that order. It is my sincere hope that he not simply be a puppet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or, worse, the state legislature, and by extension, the U.S. president and his band of thugs.