Many of us were proud witnesses of a milestone in Weber State’s history: the opening of Weber State University’s Davis campus last August. The new campus continues our commitment to provide access to education that began many years ago.

WSU has had a presence in Davis County since 1940 when we taught aeronautics to pilots and trained civilians for the newly opened Hill Air Force Base. Our ties to Hill are still strong: Right now approximately 200 HAFB employees are in courses in leadership/supervision and communications. Many Hill employees and family members also enroll in our degree programs.

Throughout our history of offering educational opportunities in Davis, Weber State programs and curricula have adapted to meet the needs of students and the community. Each time we opened a center, demand quickly exceeded capacity, and another cycle of expansion began. We see this happening again with WSU-Davis.

The first year has been exciting.  The 100-acre campus is quickly becoming an integral part of Davis County. Student enrollment is nearly 3,300 instead of the anticipated 2,500.

The new building is more than just a brick-and-mortar milestone for WSU – it’s also an extension of the personal and individualized education that’s our trademark. Take Kami Spriggs, a junior in history, for example.

When she walked into the new WSU-Davis building for the first time last August, Kami says she was amazed at how beautiful it is. But even more impressive to her than the newness and technology, she says, are the support and encouragement she’s found.

“The Davis staff is incredible – they’re so student-friendly and helpful,” she says. “I thrive in this kind of atmosphere where you know the teachers well. And when they know you, they have higher expectations, and you just rise to the occasion.

“Plus, everything I need – counseling, registration, the bookstore, you name it – is right here. We’re like one big family.”

Many other students feel as Kami does. Bruce Davis, director of WSU-Davis, tells me that about the only complaint he hears from students is that they can’t take all of their classes there. One of the reasons is lack of space in the evenings. In fact, we’ve already added extra parking because our evening classes are in such high demand.

 “We simply don’t have enough classrooms in the evenings next fall,” Bruce says, “even with a new 106,000-square foot building and 31 classrooms. Where we can accommodate growth is during the day.”

These growing pains are positive because they demonstrate that our programs are needed in Davis County. At present, WSU-Davis offers a full schedule of general education classes; eight degree programs in areas such as business administration, the MBA, criminal justice, and information systems and technology; and a graduate certificate in health services administration.

Building on the successes of our first year, we’re discussing the directions the campus should take over the next 10 years. For example, what will it take for us to reach our goal of serving 10,000 to12,000 students as new facilities are added? Planning sessions with WSU’s academic leaders and research into community needs indicate we should focus on more professional course work in fields such as nursing, computer science and technical sales.

The answers to these and other questions are related to projected growth in Davis County. At present the county has approximately 250,000 residents compared to 200,000 in Weber County and is Utah’s third fastest-growing county. Davis also has 43 percent more 5- to 17-year-olds than Weber does – many of whom are potentially our future students. Because 35 percent of all WSU students are from Davis County – and that percentage is expected to increase – our presence there is essential.

Thanks to the dedication of a number of legislators and community members, WSU has broad support to continue its strong partnership with Davis County. The WSU-Davis Advisory Council, composed of key business, political and community leaders in Davis County, is playing a vital role in advising me on community needs and issues as they relate to our campus.

The Davis campus is important to the future of that county and to Weber State. I encourage you to share your thoughts with me as we chart a vibrant course for WSU Davis. 

Sincerely,

F. Ann Millner
President