Statewide Administrators Receive Innovative Program Award

LOGAN, Utah — Utah State University Statewide Campus administrators Andrea Hunt and Priscilla Arungwa have been honored with the Innovative Program Award. The recognition was awarded during the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Western Regional Conference, which took place Nov. 15-18 in Palm Springs, California.

Hunt, assistant vice president for Statewide Campuses, and Arungwa, director of students at USU Blanding, were presented the award for their pilot professional development training series that was launched in 2024 and ran from June 2024-March 2025. At the conference, Hunt and Arungwa presented on the series, showcasing the 5-step design model they developed to help leaders create similar competency-based trainings within their own institutions.

“We are honored to receive this recognition,” Arungwa said. “The award reflects the dedication of our directors and the strength of USU’s commitment to leadership development.”

At the conference, the series was celebrated for its creativity, structure and replicability. The NASPA committee highlighted the program’s ability to blend theory with practical application, its focus on director-level leadership and its success in building a sustainable model of professional development across a multi-campus system.

The 10-month training series was created to strengthen professional practice and build a shared foundation of excellence among Statewide directors and other student affairs leaders. The program centers on the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators, a nationally recognized framework outlining the knowledge, skills and abilities essential for student affairs professionals.

Over the course of the program, directors engaged in self-assessment, collaborative learning, case studies and structured reflection, all aimed at elevating both individual and institutional impact. Participants were able to engage deeply with ten professional competency areas, including leadership, law and policy, organizational and human resources, student learning and development, assessment and evaluation and more. The series had guest presenters from across USU and from across the Western Region, guided activities and ways to apply concepts at a campus-level.

“Professional competencies ground us to the value and purpose of our roles as higher education professionals,” Hunt said. “They provide a roadmap for continuous learning, but they also help us bring clarity, consistency and purpose to the work we do every day on behalf of students.

The trainings, which were conducted via Zoom video conferencing, allowed participants to collaborate and share unique insights and perspectives from across the state. In all, 23 directors were among the inaugural cohort. Participants reported increased confidence in applying the competency framework, deeper cross-campus relationships, and a renewed sense of clarity about the purpose and expectations of their professional roles.

“Directors come with different strengths, histories, and campus perspectives,” Arungwa said. “What makes this series impactful is that we learn from one another — our expertise, our challenges and our shared commitment to student success.”

Senior leadership at the university has expressed strong support for expanding the model, including future cohorts and opportunities to adapt the series for additional professional groups across the university.

“The dedication that Andrea and Priscilla have demonstrated to increasing professional development for our statewide staff is outstanding,” said Kris Winter, senior vice president of Undergraduate Affairs. “The time, energy and effort they have put in to developing staff will ultimately benefit our students for years to come. I am thrilled that their innovative work on the development and implementation of USU's Statewide Professional Development Training Program has received such prestigious national recognition.”

The Directors’ Professional Competencies Series stands as a testament to USU’s statewide identity: connected, collaborative and committed to empowering leaders who make a difference in the lives of students across Utah.

Utah State University’s Statewide Campuses create impact by bettering the lives of the people and places they serve. From career and technical certificates to doctorate degrees, USU offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. With multiple locations across 85,000 square miles, USU can be the hometown university to anyone, no matter where they live. Learn more at statewide.usu.edu.