St. George • As expected, Courtney White has been named interim head of Utah Tech University as a nationwide search gets underway to find a permanent replacement for outgoing president Richard “Biff” Williams, who is leaving office Friday to pursue other opportunities.
Members of the Utah Board of Higher Education’s executive committee announced White’s selection Wednesday, which takes effect on Williams’ last day at the university he has presided over for nearly a decade.
“Utah Tech University has made an incredible impact on our students and community over the last decade,” White stated in a news release. “I’m excited to work with our dedicated faculty, staff, alumni and community members as we continue to prepare our students for success.”
White brings a varied résumé to the job. He is currently president of Utah Tech’s executive affairs, Williams’ chief of staff and secretary to the board of trustees at the university, where he advises the president and oversees the implementation of the institution’s strategic plan for student success and access, according to the release.
Since 2014, White has also been an adjunct faculty member at Southern Utah University’s master of public administration program. Before coming to Utah Tech in 2015, White served as a lobbyist for the University of Oregon and in a similar capacity with the Utah Education Association. His professional experience also includes work with the Nevada, Oregon and Utah systems of higher education, the latter as assistant commissioner over planning and policy.
White holds an associate degree from Snow College, a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University, a master’s degree from the University of Utah and a law degree from the University of Oregon.
In announcing White’s selection, Amanda Covington, chair of the Utah Board of Higher Education, expressed confidence in his breadth of experience.
“White has considerable experience within higher education, and we are confident he will successfully lead Utah Tech during this transition,” she said. “We look forward to working with him in this capacity.”
White assumes the role of interim president during a time of unprecedented growth at the university. Over the past decade, master’s degree programs have gone from zero to seven. Bachelor’s degree programs have more than doubled over the same time frame, from 23 to 57. The same goes for associate degree programs, which have jumped from 10 to 23.
Student enrollment has also been on the upswing over the last 10 years. It currently stands at 12,567, up 51% from the 2014 fall semester, when the institution welcomed 8,341 new students. Moreover, the number of buildings on the 110-acre St. George campus has gone from 49 to 60, with two more under construction, and now covers 1.75 million square feet, according to university officials.
