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At a long-ago dinner for Westminster College donors and students, Stephen Morgan held the attention of both groups.

The school administrator of more than three decades shared anecdotes about the young scholars, and told the rest of the table how their contributions would help the school.

The moment was characteristic of Morgan, who oversaw an endowment that has swelled to $70 million, said former boss and friend Michael Bassis. Beyond his diligent work in the development office, Morgan also is fixated on student growth, said Bassis, who was school president during Morgan's tenures as chief financial officer and chief fundraiser.

"It's a very powerful set of leadership capabilities," Bassis said.

And it will come in handy as Morgan settles in to his role as president. He is set to be inaugurated Saturday at an event at the Salt Lake City campus that will include remarks from Mayor Ralph Becker.

An avid runner who rises at 4:30 a.m. to train for what will be his 21st St. George Marathon, Morgan also faces an uphill course as leader of the school.

"The challenges," observed Bassis, "are pretty clear."

There are many. Enrollment has dipped in recent years. Just half of students graduate in a six-year window — a rate Morgan plans to increase to 70 percent. Meantime, federal officers are investigating whether administrators properly handled a 2013 report of sexual assault.

And the place of liberal arts in modern education is a sustained source of debate — a polemic that Westminster has helped define with its $30 million Meldrum Science Center, opened in 2010. Science and the humanities both are key to Westminster's long-term success, Morgan said.

The new leader acknowledges the school of roughly 3,000 — Utah's only private college that is not religiously affiliated — has room to grow.

"Creating a campus that's inclusive and diverse in Salt Lake City, Utah," he said "is a challenge."

Morgan brings his own dose of diversity to the 140-year-old school founded by Presbyterians. He is the college's first leader who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Morgan stresses that he has respect for the college's roots, even though it is no longer affiliated with any one religion.

"One of the things I love about this school is that it's a safe place for lots of points of view," Morgan said. "We have kids from all faiths here."

He knows many such students by name.

Maintaining a focus on faculty mentoring tailored for each student and for instructors will be one of Morgan's main priorities, he said in advance of his inauguration.

"We don't make widgets at Westminster."

Morgan became president in July after the retirement of his predecessor, Brian Levin-Stankevich. His path to executive leadership of a liberal arts college was unconventional. Many of his counterparts nationwide join first as faculty members, then move to administrative roles.

He graduated from University of Utah's certified public accountant program, but his 34 years overseeing finances at Westminster — most recently as vice president for institutional advancement, executive vice president and treasurer — give him intimate knowledge of the school, he said.

Morgan also knows Westminster on another personal level. His wife, Sandy, and their children Amanda, Danny and Alex all are alumni.

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