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Starting July 1, she will be vice president of academic affairs at Utah Valley State College in Orem, a city of 89,000 about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.
While her two daughters — who both live in Salt Lake City — were “dancing in the streets” at the news, Hitch said it was a hard decision.
“UW-L is the finest institution I’ve been associated with,” she said. “Under some really difficult circumstances, it just shines.”
In a news release, UVSC administrators cited Hitch’s leadership experience and commitment to quality as reasons she was chosen. UVSC enrolls about 23,000 students in 51 undergraduate programs.
One of 10 in the Utah System of Higher Education, UVSC is applying for approval to offer master’s degrees, which would give it university status. Cameron Martin, assistant to the UVSC president, said Hitch will present proposed new degrees for the school.
“Dr. Hitch will be UVSC’s key spokesperson to the program review committee (of the Board of Regents),” he said. “She will play an integral role in presenting our case for university status.”
The staff and students at UVSC reminded her of the people at UW-L, Hitch said.
“All of those elements that I cherish so much about UW-L, I also saw there in their approach to higher education,” she said. “I like working in that type of student-centered environment.”
Hitch, 57, started as UW-L’s provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs in 2002 and served as interim chancellor from June through January. As UW-L’s provost, she oversees about 9,000 students enrolled in 85 undergraduate and 20 graduate programs and more than 300 faculty.
“I told her I was happy for her, because it was a position she wanted in a part of the country she wanted, but we certainly are going to miss her at UW-L,” said local attorney Brent Smith, who serves on the UW Board of Regents.
He believes the timing of the announcement — two weeks after Chancellor Joe Gow started — doesn’t reflect any unhappiness Hitch has with UW-L.
Gow said he knew Hitch had applied for the Utah job and is sorry to see her leave.
“As soon as I heard she was up for consideration for a provost position, I knew she would be a very strong candidate,” he said. “She has certainly proved herself in that role over and over here at UW-L.”
UW-L search begins
Joe Gow, chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, said Thursday the school will start searches soon for several open administrative positions.
Jobs currently filled on an interim basis include the vice president for administration and finance, as well as the deans for the colleges of Science and Health, and Business Administration.
Both of those colleges also have interim associate deans, and a new provost will be needed once Elizabeth Hitch leaves for a new job in Utah.
Gow said he will seek input from the campus community on how to fill the vacancies. A national search will be held for a provost but probably won’t start until fall.
Kate Schott can be reached at Kate.Schott@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8226. Kate McNeil, a reporter at the Daily Herald in Provo, Utah, contributed to this report.
