Duckworth appointed as transition director
William Sederburg, commissioner of higher education, enlisted the expertise of Cory L. Duckworth, vice president of student affairs at Utah Valley University, to oversee the transition of the College of Eastern Utah in becoming a comprehensive regional college of Utah State University.
At its July 17 meeting, the Utah Board of Regents endorsed a proposal to establish a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines the detailed requirements for establishing CEU as a comprehensive regional college in Southeastern Utah.
William Sederburg, commissioner of higher education, enlisted the expertise of Cory L. Duckworth, vice president of student affairs at Utah Valley University, to oversee the transition of the College of Eastern Utah in becoming a comprehensive regional college of Utah State University.
At its July 17 meeting, the Utah Board of Regents endorsed a proposal to establish a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines the detailed requirements for establishing CEU as a comprehensive regional college in Southeastern Utah.
“Having worked closely with Cory, I am confident he has the right skills and demeanor to lead the discussions as USU and CEU work through the many details of this transition,” Sederburg said. “When I served as President at Ferris State University in Michigan, we faced a similar situation when Kendall College of Art and Design merged with our institution. Cory played a major role in working out the thorny merger issues.”
“He understands the important business drivers behind this transition,” Sederburg continued, “He reflects the Board’s commitment to not only devise an efficient operational model, but also build upon the higher education services in southwestern Utah.”
Duckworth will maintain his duties at UVU while serving as transition director. He has served as the vice president of student affairs at UVU since 2003. He has also held several executive positions at Ferris State University (Michigan), St. Cloud State University (Minnesota), Minot State University (North Dakota), and Southern Utah University in Cedar City. He earned a juris doctorate and master’s degree in political science from the University of Utah. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology from Utah State University.
The MOU is the next step in an exhaustive process in further defining how this new model for CEU will be established. It will also help identify what legislative actions must be taken to facilitate this transition. It is anticipated this MOU will be presented to the Board of Regents later this year.
