From free speech to college costs: SUU launches president’s ‘Solutions for Higher Education’ podcast

L-R Dr. Steve Meredith and SUU president Scott Wyatt discuss important issues of the day in the newly launcehd president's podcast "Solutions for Higher Education," Cedar City, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Southern Utah University, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — With the stated goal of addressing critical issues facing colleges and universities, Southern Utah University recently launched the “Solutions for Higher Education” podcast. The podcast tackles topics in an easy to understand conversation between SUU President Scott L. Wyatt and Dr. Steve Meredith, assistant to the president for institutional effectiveness. The weekly podcast will feature their insight, as well as research and opinions from industry experts.

Upcoming podcast topics will include college rankings, free speech, the value of a college degree, project-based learning, integrated general education and faculty outcomes.

“Our micro news cycles and increasingly short attention spans make it difficult to critically think through some of our very important issues of the day,” Wyatt said. “This podcast is an attempt to engage in a deeper reflection of these issues. I’m happy to have Dr. Steve Meredith, who has so much experience, working with me on this project.”

Interested listeners can find the podcast here. So far, three episodes have been recorded for “Solutions for Higher Education”:

  • Episode 1: “College and University Rankings: Like most universities, Southern Utah University participates in annual college “rankings” by U.S. News and other agencies. While SUU inevitably scores well in these assessments, this podcast features a discussion about the criteria used for those rankings, and whether they are actually measuring the most important outcome for all universities: student success.
  • Episode 2: “Free Speech and the College Campus”: Free speech on college campuses is a popular topic that is being widely discussed in the media. This podcast features a conversation about the legal, philosophical and practical issues surrounding the First Amendment and when, if ever, it is permissible to curtail that right on campus.
  • Episode 3: “Is College Still Worth the Cost”: Is the time and financial investment in a college education still worth it? The podcast dives into this issue weighing the return on investment of a college degree, and the impact that it has for individuals, families and communities.

About Scott L. Wyatt

Wyatt is a leader in higher education specializing in creating transformative learning experiences and achieving high-quality outcomes. As the 16th president of Southern Utah University, he has led the university in student enrollment growth, launched the University of the Parks initiative, opened a new veterans center, started a center for diversity and inclusion and overseen the construction or acquisition of more than $60 million worth of capital improvement projects.

Prior to his appointment at SUU, Wyatt served as president of Snow College in Ephraim. He was also a member of the Utah House of Representatives and was a partner in the Loganlaw firm Daines, Wyatt & Jenkins, LLP. His legal work focused on prosecuting homicide, domestic violence and sexual violence cases, along with leading victim services and educational programs.

Wyatt earned a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University, with a dual major in philosophy and economics. His J.D. is from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.

Solutions for Higher Education is brought to you by Southern Utah University.  Listen to the podcast here.

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