The Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) is pleased to announce Dr. Julie Hartley, former Director of the Utah State University Tooele Campus and of USU’s programs in Wendover, Delta and Nephi, has been appointed as the Assistant Commissioner of Outreach and Access. This position is responsible for developing and executing the Utah State Board of Regents strategic goals, programs, and strategies
to increase postsecondary participation and completion, under the direction of the Commissioner of Higher Education. Dr. Hartley will start at USHE on Monday, July 6.
About Dr. Hartley
Dr. Hartley has bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and French from Brigham Young University, a master’s in American Studies from Utah State University, and a Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University. She taught composition and writing at USU and at Lansing Community College in Michigan, coordinated ethnographic special projects for Michigan State University, and was an anthropology professor at BYU for nine years.
She was the Dean of College Readiness at Elgin Community College in Illinois before returning to Utah, where she has been serving as the director of the Utah State University Tooele Campus and of USU’s programs in Wendover, Delta, and Nephi. Her focus at Elgin and USU has been on outreach and access initiatives to try to improve local college going and completion rates.
Role of the Assistant Commissioner for Outreach and Access
As Assistant Commissioner for Outreach and Access, Dr. Hartley will help USHE fulfill its mission by ensuring fiscal oversight and leadership to the many outreach and access initiatives, including:
- New Century and Regents’ Scholarship programs
- College Access Challenge Grant
- StepUP to Higher Education campaign
- USHE statewide counselor and administrator conference
- Utah College and Career Counselor Initiative
- Utah Scholars Initiative
- Utah College Application Week
- StepUP READY grants
- College Access Network of Utah (CANU), and
- USHE completion initiative.
Dr. Hartley will be working alongside USHE institutions, the Utah State Office of Education, district superintendents and personnel, school principals and counselors, as well as business and community partners to increase the number of Utah students who access and successfully complete college. Dr. Hartley will represent the system office to organizations such as the National College Access Network (NCAN), Southern Regional Board (SREB), U.S. Department of Education, and various community-based organizations.
