Utah Valley University President Mathew Holland has just been called to serve as a mission president for the LDS Church. He will preside over an English-speaking mission but the location has yet to be announced.
KSL news reported that Holland will continue to serve as President of UVU until June of 2018 upon which time he will step down and pave the way for the seventh President of UVU (who is yet to be selected) to begin the next phase of UVU’s future.
Holland has served as the President of UVU for nine years and came on during the college’s transition into achieving University status. Since then, Holland has succeed in making UVU the largest university in the state and made steps to ensure UVU’s continued growth by purchasing approximately 225 acres of land.
Holland said in a statement: “Serving at UVU during the past nine years has been a signal honor and daily joy…At the same time, I absolutely cherish my faith and am so honored and grateful for this unexpected privilege to serve in this new ecclesiastical role.”
Holland’s focus on engaged learning, which has practically become UVU’s motto (just look at all their billboards), has gained the University national and international recognition.
Holland even spent time teaching abroad at Oxford University this past summer and spoke to parliament about “UVU’s place as the rare American university with a dual model, offering robust vocational education alongside liberal arts,” as reported by Deseret News.
Even Governor Gary Herbert had a few words to say concerning President Holland’s time spent at UVU:
“Over the last nine years, the Hollands have led Utah Valley University to extraordinary heights. We are grateful for their wholehearted and visionary service in improving higher education here in Utah and send them our best wishes as they dedicate the next few years of their lives to serving the LDS Church.”
The school will begin its national search for Holland’s successor and hopes to have one selected by June of 2018. In the mean time, Holland doesn’t plan on slowing down his work toward ensuring UVU’s success and has reportedly stated, “Anybody who knows me knows they’re going to have to drag me out the door ’til the last day I’m here.”
No worries President Holland, based off of UVU’s press release we know that Elaine Dalton, Chair of UVU’s Board of Trustees, doesn’t plan on letting his legacy be forgotten: “As a board of trustees, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to President Holland for his leadership that has helped all of us see and work for UVU’s true potential. We will remain committed to the upward trajectory President Holland has envisioned and established.”
