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Utah Valley University President Matthew S. Holland. (Photo Courtesy of Utah Valley University)

President Matthew S. Holland

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Students work on pieces of the Roots of Knowledge art installation that is coming out later this month Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 at Thanksgiving Point. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald

Dominic Valente, Daily Herald

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Students work on pieces of the Roots of Knowledge art installation that is coming out later this month Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 at Thanksgiving Point. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald

Dominic Valente, Daily Herald

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When Utah Valley University began 75 years ago as Central Utah Vocational School, it was little more than an assemblage of run-down barracks connected by some dirt roads and a desire to boost the wartime effort with skilled craftsmen.

Located at the old site of the Provo Fairgrounds, the buildings were in disrepair. But with winter as a deadline, the newly established student body and their instructors got to work replacing windows, rewiring buildings, welding stoves, and repairing and building furniture. Much of this work was performed out of necessity, but it also was part of the students’ course instruction.

Long after the dirt roads and crumbling buildings disappeared — and thankfully, freedom was preserved for much of the world following the war — UVU has built upon that simple philosophy of learning by doing. This “engaged learning” model, one of UVU’s four core themes, immerses students in real world contexts outside of the classroom.

On Friday, UVU’s 75th anniversary, we will be unveiling what we believe is the ultimate embodiment of our engaged learning philosophy. “Roots of Knowledge” is a 200-foot-long stained glass window that depicts humanity’s quest for knowledge, from the beginning of time as we know it to the present day. In 80 multi-colored window panes, “Roots of Knowledge” spans thousands of years’ time and multiple continents and cultures, taking visitors on a journey through Ancient Egypt and Greece, to Buddhist temples in China, a Japanese Noh play, the invention of the printing press and the Harlem Renaissance.

It’s a beautiful piece of art conceived by Tom Holdman, but it also presents multiple learning opportunities — a chance for students to be engaged with art, with history, and with humanity. And yet, while we expect “Roots of Knowledge” to be central to our campus, we also see this as a gift to the community that has so often supported UVU.

“Roots of Knowledge” would not exist today were it not for members of the Utah Valley community that have so generously donated to this amazing work of public art. In fact, Utah Valley University itself would not exist had it not been for the many men and women who lead the efforts to move UVU from a community college to a university, through public and private funding that ensured we also got buildings and budgets required. This year alone, we have broken ground or will soon break ground on the Nellesen Autism Center, the NUVI Basketball Practice Facility and a magnificent new building for the arts.

This is an immensely exciting and innovative time for UVU, and it’s a response to the aggressive growth forecast for this institution — growth that speaks not just to the natural demographics of the region, but also to the surging thirst students around the region, state, and nation have for the educational product and environment we are creating at UVU with the help of the community. Since 2009, we have added 40 bachelor’s degrees and seven master’s degrees, while preserving and even adding to our associate’s degrees and certificates.

The nation is taking notice: UVU is making a name for itself because we have stayed relentlessly committed to keeping our students and their success at the heart of all we do, pushing them forward with an education that is serious, inclusive and engaged. We are increasing enrollment, keeping tuition costs down and producing exceptionally trained graduates.

In so many respects, the courses and programs that drove the creation of this institution and remain vital to its existence are those of the trades and technical education. Again and again, these programs have lifted and transformed the opportunities of citizens who might otherwise have been lost in more traditional programs of public and higher education.

One of the things we are most proud of at UVU is our dual model — which provides a vocational, community college education alongside an advanced, four-year education. This is one of the reasons UVU is now the largest public university in the state. As proud as we are of these accomplishments and our remarkable history, we are more excited about what lies ahead. As we count down to the “Roots of Knowledge” unveiling on Nov. 18, we look forward to seeing what this remarkable work of art and history will bring to our campus — and, as the windows themselves illustrate, it shows that our best days and finest accomplishments are ahead of us, not behind us.