Meet the leader behind student success at USU Eastern, Kevin Hurst

Every educational institution has teams that help the organization run smoothly. For USU Eastern, one of those individuals is the Director of Student Services, Kevin Hurst.

Hurst’s educational background includes a wide variety of degrees and paths that have shaped the man he is today. His most prominent degree is a Master’s degree in the College of Student Personnel Administration. Along with this Master’s degree, he also obtained an associate degree from Weber State University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah. Hurst also spent some time at Utah State University in Logan, attending their flight program. In the future, Hurst wants to continue learning and growing, but hasn’t decided whether to do so personally or at the college level.

When asked why he chose Utah State University Eastern, he said he fell in love with the campus. Hurst loved the tight-knit feeling that both the campus and the community gave off. He also enjoys the facilities that are available to students and staff, such as the BDAC.

Hurst began his career at USU Eastern as a recruiter for the school. He was then offered a director-level position at Zane State in Ohio. He accepted the job and resided in Ohio for several years, but always missed Utah State University Eastern. When the Director of Student Services position opened, Hurst jumped at the opportunity to apply. He loves what this campus has to offer in terms of educational services, residence life, and athletics.

When asked what the most valuable piece of advice that Hurst had received was, he had two answers. The first was, “people support what they help to create,” Hurst says. He believes that when he is involved in the decision-making process, he feels more passionate about the topic. He thinks that students should be involved in decision-making at USU Eastern and wants to ensure their voices are heard.

The second piece of advice is closely related to the first. “Don’t have conversations about us that don’t include us,” Hurst says. He wants to make sure that students feel they are kept up to date on decisions and events on campus, while also hearing what they have to say about them.

Hurst has to make many decisions regarding students on the USU Eastern campus, and he values collecting students’ ideas and concerns about a situation to make the most informed decision possible.

Hurst values the diversity and independence that his job provides. He loves that he never has the same day twice and that every day brings something new.

He enjoys attending meetings where he can participate in the strategic side of things, as well as attending eastern games and activities on campus. Hurst finds meetings about mission goals and visions for this school fascinating and enjoys being a part of those important conversations.

He wants students to have a positive experience here on campus, and he takes pride in being involved in that positivity.

Hurst also has a passion for making the USU Eastern campus a memorable place, in hopes of attracting more students each year. He believes that while we need students on campus, providing a high-quality product for them is also a priority.

Hurst believes that while it is crucial to align with the USU campus in Logan, making decisions based on students at USU Eastern is equally a priority.

Hurst is always striving to make our campus a safer, friendlier, and more compelling place to be. Hurst feels that renovating the resident halls is essential to our campus’s growth. He believes that we are slightly behind on this project, but are taking steps in the right direction.

Along with the renovation of the residence halls, Hurst hopes to bring more in-person learning opportunities to students. During 2020, online and connect classes took priority for the safety and efficiency they offered, but now that we have gotten past that adversity, Hurst believes we haven’t fully returned to the number of in-person classes we had before. This is an issue that he strives to help resolve in the coming years.

Hurst says that there are three main parts to his job in higher education. One of these parts is recruitment, which is attracting students to our campus. “Students are the lifeblood of our campus.”

The second is retaining students once they are here. Hurst wants to ensure that students believe their “time, effort, and energy” are worth it to attend USU Eastern.

The third part is completion, meaning that students ultimately graduate from our school. He wants students to learn the required skills and knowledge necessary to take the next steps in their lives, whatever those may be.

When asked if he had one piece of advice for students, Hurst said, “You get out of college what you put into it.” He believes that students’ experiences are based on what they put into them. Sometimes students have to push themselves and step out of their comfort zone to achieve growth and positive experiences. Hurst says that a mindset and experimental thinking are key to success and positive experiences in college.