A time capsule commemorating the partnership between the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College was placed on April 20, 2023, in the Juniper Building at the Herriman Campus. Representatives from both institutions, as well as from Herriman City, all added items to the capsule and attended a special event to mark the occasion. Mascots including the U’s Swoop, SLCC’s Brutus and the Herriman Yeti all played ceremonial roles during the placement event. Read the full article in @theU

The Utah Prison Education Project (UPEP) at the University of Utah and Dr. Erin Castro, associate dean of Communities Engagement and Access and associate professor in the College of Education, have received an award of $750,000 from Ascendium Education Group. The funds from this grant will support planning for the launch of a research center focused on postsecondary education in prisons. Read the full article in @theU

Thanks to the support of the Love Your Block (LYB) mini-grant from the SLC Mayor’s Office, the Glendale-Mt. View CLC was able expand its community garden. In addition to the LYB grant, the CLC also received $10,000 worth of tools, planting boxes, seating, mulch, and a shed from Home Depot Project Leaders. On April 27, members of the Glendale-Mt. View CLC, the SLC Mayor’s Office, Home Depot, and many community volunteers collaborated to improve the garden space. Mayor Erin Mendenhall was there working alongside our volunteers as we completed the project. Most importantly, the pre-kindergarteners were invited to participate in this project, with the intention of giving them a sense of ownership of their school and community. The Glendale-Mt. View CLC is looking forward to utilizing this space for community events and celebrations.

More than one-thousand of graduates from the class of 2023 are first-generation college students. In Undergraduate Studies, we are working to develop new ways to better serve these students. Accordingly, the Office of First-Generation Success, in partnership with the Office of Alumni Relations, has launched the 1850 Society, an organization wherein membership provides first-generation graduates from across the U with advice, support, mentorship, and opportunities for connections with first-generation faculty, peers, alumni, and friends of the U. Signature events will include: First Generation Celebration events annually in November and a Spring First-Gen Conference, keynote, and workshops. Over twenty-five percent of students at the U are first-generation and the Office of First-Generation Success is a supportive community dedicated to their success; the 1850 Society aspires to extend the community beyond the U through our first-generation U alums, faculty, staff, and friends of the U!

From academic integrity to developing better AI tools, U leadership explores what ChatGPT means for the university experience.