USU holds public forum for presidential candidates
The three finalists to become Utah State University’s 17th president took part in separate public
forums on Wednesday afternoon. More than 100 people attended the meetings at the Eccles
Conference Center to hear candidates answer questions from the USU community.
forums on Wednesday afternoon. More than 100 people attended the meetings at the Eccles
Conference Center to hear candidates answer questions from the USU community.
USU senior CJ Wayland, who is studying mechanical engineering, said attending the forum was
crucial for his voice to be heard. He asked the candidates about how they would support student
organizations and give Aggies opportunities to explore their interests.
“Your president is in charge of everything,” Wayland said. “You’ve got to be informed about
who’s running, what you’re doing… If you’re not making your voice heard, then nobody else is
going to care about the things you care about.”
The first session featured Rodney D. Bennett, who holds a doctorate of education and was the
president of the University of Southern Mississippi from April 2013 to July 2022. One question
asked of Bennett was about his opinion of the Aggie Action 2028 university strategic plan and
what his role would be in tending to its tenets of inclusivity and creating a vibrant campus
community. Bennett said it was important for him to have “intentional inclusiveness of bringing
voices together” at Southern Mississippi.
“I pride myself on making sure that the right and important voices are there at the table when
decisions are being made,” Bennett said.
decisions are being made,” Bennett said.
Bennett also talked about his excitement for forming partnerships with organizations to improve
the campus, such as with Aggie Blue Bikes, which he mentioned when one of their employees
asked about what Bennett could do to support campus “bikeability.” However, when asked about
his commitment to sustainability, Bennett said he “has some work to do,” citing that he drives a
Ford F–150.
Elizabeth “Betsy” R. Cantwell headlined the second meeting. She holds a Ph.D. and is currently
the senior vice president for research & innovation at the University of Arizona. When asked
about USU’s role in preparing Utah’s workforce with certifications, Cantwell said USU needs to
make it easy for students to transfer in and out of the institution to find the programs they want.
She mentioned working with technical and community colleges at Arizona to do that.
“Make it easy to cross the entire panorama of what we offer,” Cantwell said. “It’s got to be
seamless.”
Cantwell also explained that keeping tuition costs low requires an “all of the above approach”
when asked about what she could do to address the affordability of attending USU. She
mentioned USU should diversify its revenues to support its students better.
The final forum showcased Kenneth “Ken” L. White, who holds a Ph.D. He is currently USU’s
vice president of extension, dean of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and director
of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station.
vice president of extension, dean of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and director
of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station.
When he was asked about how he would deal with disagreement as president, White said it’s
important to understanding that faculty and staff are passionate and may sometimes say things in
the heat of the moment.
“You can’t take a job like this if you have thin skin,” White said.
White thanked the crowd at the end of his session by expressing his gratitude to the messages of
support he’s received from fellow USU faculty. He said regardless of whether he gets the job,
their encouragement has made the process worth it and that he will stick with Utah State.
“I’m 100% committed to our mission and what we’re trying to do,” White said.
Cantwell and White were both asked about their plans around mental health for students.
Cantwell said “bringing student voices to the table is the most important thing we can do.” She
talked about how Arizona has tried different pilot programs and that students have and will tell
them what is working.
White said the university owes it to its students to provide access. He talked about how college
students face the pressures of academics, social life, health and financial needs when they go to
school.
students face the pressures of academics, social life, health and financial needs when they go to
school.
“It’s an area where we need to provide more resources,” White said.
Avery Edenfield, an associate professor in the USU Department of English as well as the director
of the Center for Intersectional Gender Studies and Research, asked each finalist about their
plans to address sexual misconduct on campus.
White said he had dealt with one instance of sexual misconduct in CAAS that resulted in a
termination.
“Same philosophy exists — there’s no room for sexual misconduct in this environment,” White
said.
Bennett said the issue of sexual misconduct is “complicated and so difficult.”
“When those boundaries are crossed, we’re not going to put up with it,” Bennett said.
Cantwell emphasized that definitions for sexual misconduct must be in “plain English” so they
are easy to interpret. She also said students need more places to report misconduct.
Additionally, USU alumnus Ralph Binns asked each candidate about their views on how NIL
and the transfer portal have and will affect USU Athletics.
and the transfer portal have and will affect USU Athletics.
Bennett, who represented Conference USA as a founding member of the College Football
Playoff Board of Managers, said every institution is dealing with the same issue, even
powerhouses like the University of Georgia. He advised that fans “be a little patient” and “see
how the dust settles” with NCAA and legal decisions.
Bennett also added that he is “not sure that conference realignment has come to an end” and
mentioned that this new landscape “could provide an opportunity” for Utah State, while
clarifying that he wasn’t saying anything against USU’s current Mountain West Conference.
White, who served as the USU Faculty Athletics Representative for 15 years in national NCAA
leadership positions, said “NIL is a very powerful opportunity for student–athletes, but it has also
created some interesting inequities.”
leadership positions, said “NIL is a very powerful opportunity for student–athletes, but it has also
created some interesting inequities.”
He said he views collectives to be too “pay–for–play” for his taste and supports the kind of NIL
that allows universities to help facilitate local deals for their student–athletes. White also said
athletics are “a valuable part of the student experience on campus” and that he intends to “honor
(the) obligation” of fielding competitive teams that USU made when they joined the Mountain
West.
Cantwell said USU “cannot afford to have student–athletes who don’t understand it.” She
mentioned a program she helps with at Arizona that facilitates opportunities for student–athletes
to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities in NIL. However, Cantwell added that there is a “little bit
of craziness in the possibility of turning student–athletes into professionals.” She wants to focus
on making Aggie players effective students, athletes and entrepreneurs.
mentioned a program she helps with at Arizona that facilitates opportunities for student–athletes
to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities in NIL. However, Cantwell added that there is a “little bit
of craziness in the possibility of turning student–athletes into professionals.” She wants to focus
on making Aggie players effective students, athletes and entrepreneurs.
Cantwell also said athletics are “a huge piece of our front door” and help people who don’t
attend USU “become a part of our community through athletics.”
Binns liked what Cantwell said about athletics being “a door, a window to the community of the
university.”
“I liked their concerns about the economic ramifications of NIL and transfer portal,” Binns said.
“I think that we’re losing the opportunity to bring freshman student–athletes into the campus, into
the university, and help give them an opportunity to be educated and also to participate in their
chosen sport and prepare themselves for their future.”
The Utah Board of Higher Education will interview the candidates in a closed session on Friday
and may announce the new president that day at 4:30 p.m. in the Taggart Student Center
ballroom if the decision has been made. If not, the meeting will convene at another time.