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USU president Stan Albrecht to retire, employees share experiences

After serving 11 years as university president, Stan Albrecht announced his retirement on Wednesday morning.

73-year-old Albrecht made the announcement at the end of his executive committee meeting, which is composed of vice presidents and deans.

“Everybody breathed a collective sigh of sadness,” said James Morales, Vice President of Student Affairs. “At the same time there is this feeling of deep respect, honor, pride in his legacy. There are a lot of mixed emotions. We’re happy that he’s taking that next step in his life, but sad to see him go.”

Stan: The Man

When Trevor Sean Olsen had his first meeting with Albrecht as student body president, they discussed his initiatives and their backgrounds.

“He had a notepad out on his lap, but he never wrote anything down,” Olsen said. “I was little offended, like, nothing was important enough for him to write down.”

Olsen and Albrecht didn’t again meet for another month, but Albrecht followed up on everything they discussed.

“I remember feeling that I was valued and he cared about the success of students,” Olsen said. “It was important enough for him to remember not only the things I was doing, but also my background.”

Morales said Albrecht is genuine and connects with lots of students, but he connects especially well with first-generation college students or students from rural communities. Albrecht’s parents were unable to receive a college degree, but through their labors he and his five siblings all had that opportunity. His background plays an important role in keeping tuition and fees low, Morales said.

“One of the things he will go down in history at Utah State for is that he always had put our students’ interests first. Whether it be policy decisions, discussions about tuition and fees increases — he always put students first,” said Kenneth White, vice president for Extension and Agriculture and Dean for the College of Agriculture.

Before assuming his administrative role, White was the faculty athletic representative and saw Albrecht interact with students as provost. He said Albrecht’s roots didn’t guarantee him a college education, and he kept that in mind. Albrecht continues to make time in his schedule to meet with students and hear their concerns.

“Those conversations with students are what make his day,” said Tim Vitale, the Executive PR and Marketing Director for Utah State. “And he’s a busy guy, as you can imagine … He always makes time for students because he believes in that.”

Olsen said he once caught a glimpse at Albrecht’s schedule, and he was overwhelmed by the number of meetings and appointments he had. The fact that he took the time to meet with students one-on-one was all the more meaningful.

“There’s no crown on his head. He’s very much of the people,” Vitale said. “That farm boy part of him is still very much core to his being. There’s no power component to this job.”

Albrecht believes firmly in the land-grant university ideal, Vitale said, because it is all about providing access and opportunities to students.

The Highlights

As part of his 10-year plan, Albrecht managed to help raise $513 million for the university. He also oversaw the construction of several buildings and lobbied for university interests in the state legislature.

“He is totally committed to USU, its students and faculty, and trying to make it a better place,” said Ross Peterson, who worked with Albrecht as the VP of Advancement from 2007 to 2011. “He worked tirelessly with legislators, donors, alumni and students to achieve the goals we established.”

Albrecht is very well-respected on the collegiate level, but also in the state, Vitale said, and he has demonstrated his trustworthiness to legislators on countless occasions.

“All of the people he worked with trust his judgment,” White said. “He exhibited the honest ability to inspire trust in those who chose to support the university at all levels.”

In his time at the university, Albrecht also fulfilled a long-time dream of creating the Caine College of the Arts. The infrastructure for the regional campuses was also a priority of his.

“I think the most successful that leave a legacy are the ones that deflect the limelight from them,” Morales said. “There’s not a lot of fanfare. They do it quietly, but they do it incredibly well.”

The Future of Utah State

The search for a new president has already begun. A committee will be appointed to assist the Board of Trustees and Board of Regents in conducting a thorough and complete search.

“President searches can take some time, but he’s here to allow that process to take whatever time it needs,” Vitale said.

In the mean time, Albrecht is working to minimize or even eliminate tuition increases for next year. He is also advocating for USU in the current legislative session.

“Let me guarantee one thing — he’s not going to be sleeping in, I promise,” Vitale said. “This retirement thing hasn’t started for him, and it’s not going to until we get somebody to replace him. He’s a worker.”

Peterson suggested the new president take time to appreciate Albrecht’s efforts.

“Don’t fix what is not broken, but don’t think USU is perfect,” he said.

White also advised the new president take a similar philosophical approach by putting people first.

“Don’t try to fill his shoes because I don’t think that’s possible,” White said. “They’re too big and significant.”

Albrecht’s successor will hopeful build on the past 11 years, White said, and take the university even farther. He said Albrecht has left a tremendous legacy.

“His legacy is going to be hard to define because he has deflected so much of the limelight,” Olsen said.

His legacy may be how deeply he cares, Olsen said.

“I don’t think there’s anyone that could care as deeply as President Albrecht,” he said.

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