Holland takes UVU helm, isn't worried about future

Utah Valley University's newest president isn't at all worried about the future of the state's second-largest university.

Matthew S. Holland took hold of the leadership medallion on Friday and said he "cannot imagine a more noble, essential and thrilling work," vowing not to lead alone.

"There are those today who are somewhat pessimistic about UVU," Holland said during his formal inauguration speech at the university on Friday. "I understand this. We just moved to university status. Our student head count has increased 20 percent in the last two years. And, on top of this, we suffered a 17 percent budget cut last year and have been told by our state leaders to prepare for additional cuts this year. This combination of growth and cuts does cast some threatening clouds over our institutional mission of rising up to be an extraordinary university. But I am not worried."

From its roots as the Central Utah Vocational School in 1941 through several name and mission changes to its new status as a university, Holland said, the school is "hard-wired to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles with pluck and ingenuity. It's in our genes."

As the institution's sixth president, Holland was formally charged on Friday with seven areas of emphasis, including providing a quality education at the teaching-centered university, remembering that it was founded on principles of career and technical education, to encourage academic excellence, build partnerships with the surrounding business community, direct the school's finances and fundraise in an accountable way, maintain a student-focused campus and work collectively with other schools in the state.

"This institution, as great as it is, cannot operate in a vacuum," said State Board of Regents Chairman Jed Pitcher, noting that that responsibility also falls upon neighboring institutions, such as Brigham Young University and the Mountainland Applied Technology College.

Holland, who began his tenure as UVU president on July 1, has already impressed many of the school's nearly 29,000 students with his efforts to make them a primary focus, said student body president Trevor Tooke.

"He's very heartfelt and caring. He truly cares about the students, he loves us and wants us to succeed," he said. Tooke helped to interview candidates for the presidency and said Holland has already lived up to his commitments to value student input on all grounds.