USU forms agreement with Fort Valley State University

*Audio clip is the voice of USUSA President Clara Alder.

On Oct. 28, Utah State University President Noelle Cockett and USU Student Association President Clara Alder flew to Georgia to meet with Fort Valley State University to sign an agreement that would benefit both land-grant universities.   

The agreement, known as a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, lasts for five years and focuses on the two institutions’ agriculture and political science colleges, as well as student support and involvement services.  

The idea for this agreement sprung up with multiple collaborations taking place from late spring through summer of this year.   

Student leaders from both schools were able to travel to each other’s campuses and take part in research and leadership opportunities.  

Three students from FVSU also enrolled in USU’s summer semester for a research internship program at the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.  

At the signing, Cockett described her excitement about the change.  

“We anticipate this being a very fruitful and rewarding relationship, with both institutions reaping benefits,” Cockett said. “Most importantly, people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences will become true and lasting friends.”  

 Alder also shared what she was looking forward to about the agreement.  

 “One way that we’ll definitely collaborate is through an extension and through agriculture internships, as well as political science. We’ve got a strong agriculture and a strong political science department on both ends,” Alder said.  

Along with research and learning opportunities, Alder is looking forward to collaborating on a student leadership level after talking with FVSU President Aniyah Ragland.  

 “She’s ecstatic about the ways that we can collaborate,” Alder continued, “A lot of what a student may experience at FVSU is different than what they will experience at Utah State, and so creating these opportunities to have culture learning experiences and classroom learning experiences and just overall growth I think is so powerful.”  

USU student Mia Branson also shared a positive opinion on the MOU.  

“I think it’s a really good thing. I think it also makes people want to come to Utah State more if Utah State is doing deals like this,” she said.  

 Besides the MOU encouraging collaboration on a student level, it also has major benefits for faculty, according to Alder. 

 Some of these benefits include a larger pool of faculty support, more diversity and unique experiences when collaborating, and a series of lectures from researchers at FVSU and USU.  

 When asked about the future of Utah State collaborations with other universities, Alder said she’s optimistic.  

 “My perspective is that every university is wanting to expand and grow its abilities in working with other universities,” she said. “I definitely foresee other universities reaching out and likewise, Utah State University reaching out to create a stronger system, because truly what we’re doing with Fort Valley State University is empowering.”  

-Alivia.Hadfield@usu.edu

Featured photo from Clara Alder