A veteran in distance education for Utah State University has been selected to lead the university's southeast region in a role that forges a unique alliance between the College of Eastern Utah and USU, school officials said.

    Guy Denton has been named associate vice president for the College of Eastern Utah, San Juan Campus in Blanding and executive director of the southeast region of USU. He served as executive director of the USU Uintah Basin campus for the past seven years.

    The new joint assignment, a result of legislative funding provided to USU, CEU and Snow College, is the beginning of new partnerships designed to bolster higher education offerings in the rural areas of the state. As a result, new degrees will be offered in fields such as education, business, engineering, computer science, natural resources, social work, liberal arts and family, consumer and human development, among others, said Ronda Menlove, USU vice provost for regional campuses and distance education.

    USU President Stan L. Albrecht said the appointment signals a new era of partnerships for USU with its sister institutions.

    "I can't tell you how excited I am that we have reached this point," he said. "We are creating stronger regional campuses by building partnerships with CEU as well as with Snow College."

    The result will be an increase in higher education opportunities for students who otherwise would not have access, he said.

    This new appointment and partnership with CEU strengthens educational opportunities for students living in rural southeast Utah by allowing them to use their CEU degree to springboard into four-year and graduate programs offered by USU, Menlove said.

     "Guy Denton is a proven leader who has helped transform the USU Uintah Basin campus into a vibrant educational program with a focus on research and teaching," she said. "We will miss him in the [Uintah] Basin, but we are thrilled he will be a key member of the leadership team of our regional campus and distance education program."

    Denton said he looks forward to the new opportunities to expand educational access for those living in southeast Utah, but he will also miss his work and the close ties he developed with residents in the Uintah Basin, the public school systems and with the Uintah Basin Applied Technology College (UBATC).

    "I have total respect for the citizens of the [Uintah] Basin and the way in which they support higher education," he said. "Much credit goes to the citizens of that area who have worked so hard and to the community leaders who have been so visionary."

    In his new role as an employee of both USU and CEU, Denton said he will work to forge similar alliances. He praised the Utah legislature for providing essential funding to make higher education expansion possible in southeast Utah.

    Denton said  it is important that CEU's community college mission be strengthened, but that four-year and graduate level programs also grow to allow students to seamlessly move from two-year to four-year educational opportunities. This new funding will make this possible, he said.

    CEU President Ryan Thomas said Denton and the new alliance formed between the schools is a perfect match.

    "I'm thrilled," he said. "This opportunity to work with Utah State really is a fulfillment of a vision Stan Albrecht and I have spoken about for years. This is really a coming together of many wonderful people, making incredible opportunities possible for those living in our rural areas," he said. "I couldn't possibly overstate the importance of this partnership because it will fundamentally change so many lives."

    Denton will bring to the southeast Utah region what he brought to the Uintah Basin: new alliances and stronger education programs and opportunities, Menlove said.

    Denton said he plans to start by bringing in programs offered in conjunction with USU's College of Natural Resources ‒ programs that would serve an area of the state so rich in natural resources.

    During the transition period, Dave Woolstenhume, student relations coordinator at the USU Uintah Basin campus, will serve as interim director. He will remain in the position until a national search for a new executive director is completed in the month's ahead, Menlove said.

    Denton said students and staff will benefit from Woolstenhume's understanding and experience.

    "Dave's willingness to be involved and his years serving as a member of the USU Uintah Basin Management Team have prepared him well to serve in this capacity," he said.

    While in the Uintah Basin, Denton oversaw enrollment growth from 1,000 to 3,000 students. He worked closely with the local school districts and the Ute Tribe to bring external funding to support expanded educational programs.

    The number of students graduating from the Uintah Basin campus has grown from 60 students to more than 250 over the past seven years. As a result of concurrent enrollment, more than 100 high school students will graduate with an associate's degree in the upcoming April 28 commencement ceremony.

    Denton oversaw the hiring of more than 20 faculty and professional staff who significantly helped to increase the number of face-to-face courses offered in the Basin. He also assisted in bringing to the Basin a $5 million land donation of 137 acres of prime property close to the Vernal business district and across from Uintah High School. This new property will jointly house facilities for USU and UBATC.