New Interim Provost Wants to Grow SL Tech and Health Sciences

This summer, Jason Pickavance, PhD, stepped into the role of interim provost for Academic Affairs at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). Jason has been with SLCC for 20 years, having served as an associate professor in English, faculty senate president, director of Educational Initiatives, director of Faculty Development, and most recently as the associate provost for Academic Operations.

Throughout his career here, Jason has been engaged in key initiatives including SLCC Pathways, Open Education Resources, the Herriman campus partnership, and the alignment of Salt Lake Technical College with other technical colleges throughout the state.

Jason is looking forward to growing and increasing awareness around Salt Lake Technical College and SLCC’s School of Health Sciences—both of which feed into high-demand fields integral to Utah’s economic development. “These are two areas I’m excited to expand and make more visible,” says Jason. “These areas provide affordable pathways to many underserved, nontraditional adult learners.”

Jason’s experience at SLCC has prepared him with the depth and breadth of skills and knowledge necessary in his new role. His role as tenured faculty roots him to the core of what SLCC is about—teaching students. His leadership roles on the faculty side as well as the administrative side provide him with perspectives that are helping inform and guide him in his new role as interim provost.

“Trying to manage and lead academic programs, and articulating a vision for higher education is more challenging than ever before,” says Jason, referencing the questioning around the value of college and the cultural conflicts in our society. “I think it is important for us to communicate and show how a post-secondary education is linked not just to improved economic outcomes but also to things like democracy and justice.”

Jason received his master’s degree in English Language and Literature from Western Washington University and his doctorate in American Studies from the University of Utah.

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