Utah Tech University President Shane Smeed started his new role at the beginning of May. He takes over at a time when many faculty are distrustful of the school’s administration.
Smeed plans to address their frustration by making open communication a priority, he told KUER. A few weeks into his tenure, he feels optimistic about moving forward in a productive way.
“My commitment to them [faculty] is to meet regularly and often, to be transparent, to be communicative,” Smeed said. “I think they're going to see that, not only in my words, but in my actions.”
Last year, three employees alleged multiple instances of misconduct in a lawsuit filed against the St. George school and its leaders. It says the school’s last president, Richard “Biff” Williams, left a phallic gag gift at another school leader’s home and misattributed it to those employees. The employees told The Salt Lake Tribune they saw this as retaliation against their attempts to change the school’s toxic culture. Williams quietly resigned at the beginning of 2024 before the legal challenge.
The complaint reads, “Utah Tech has exhibited a culture of hostility in its highest administrative offices toward the protections of Title IX and Title VII.”
Several administrative leaders and staff who are still at the school were also named in addition to Williams. After the lawsuit was made public, the Faculty Senate passed a no-confidence resolution against senior leadership.
Some faculty have expressed lingering frustrations over how things were handled and with how the school dealt with state-mandated budget cuts.
Smeed said he can’t speak about what happened since he wasn’t there, but he can speak to his goals moving forward. Before moving to St. George, Smeed was president of Park University, a small private school in Missouri, and spent over 25 years working in higher education.
He’s already met with some faculty and told them he wants to listen. He wants staff to feel comfortable bringing up their challenges as well as their desires for the school, so he can advocate for them.
“That’s really going to be a big point of passion for me as I move forward in my presidency.”
If there isn’t a forum where staff can feel adequately heard, Smeed said he’s invited faculty to tell him so they can create something that works. Recently, he said he’s scheduled lunches with random faculty members so he can hear their concerns from across the college.
“We are going to be working on this together, that we're going to be arm in arm through this process,” he said. “In my first three weeks, there's this great sense of optimism. And I think everybody is really looking forward with hope about the future together.”
After Williams resigned, the school went for over a year without a permanent leader. Smeed is hopeful that he can help rebuild trust. After only a few weeks, he said he’s already received a positive response from staff and has seen a “spirit of ‘Let’s give each other the benefit of the doubt.’”
Nationally, including in Utah, college presidents are on the job for shorter tenures, and there’s a lot of turnover. Smeed is a Utah native and said he was eager to return to the state with his wife, 16-year-old son and their dog.
“I see this as my forever home. And so we are 100% committed to Utah Tech University,” Smeed said. “This is the first time in my career that I've ever been able to really say that.”
College president is a challenging job, but Smeed said his passion is higher education. After more than two decades in that space, he said he loves the role of leadership and crafting strategies for the future.
“Ultimately, my goal is to help the university thrive.”
In addition to faculty, Smeed also plans to work on building bridges with the community. He wants Washington County residents to see the school as a community asset. Some are still upset at the school for changing its name from Dixie State. Smeed said they are proud of the school’s history, and he wants to help them connect that to where the school is now, as well as where it is headed.
Meeting with people will be a big focus over the summer months as he prepares for his full semester at the helm this fall.
“I'm really taking the time to bridge some of the communication gap and opportunities with the community,” Smeed said. “And really just inviting them to come back and participate at the university.”
