ST. GEORGE, Utah — The Utah Board of Higher Education unanimously voted on Friday to recommend a name change for Dixie State University to the Utah Legislature.
“Mr. Chair, I would like to make that motion on behalf of the board,” Vice Chair Aaron Osmond said regarding the motion to change the name of the University. Board member Alan Hall seconded.
The recommendation comes after the Dixie State Board of Trustees recommended the name change to the Board of Higher Education earlier in the week. Both DSU’s trustees and the Board of Higher Ed used an impact study on the word/name ‘Dixie’ completed by Cicero Group to make the recommendation.
“This is heavy,” said Higher Education Board member Shawn Newell. “For a lot of people outside of the state of Utah, this is really heavy, that really understand what all of this means and what that word means, Dixie.”
The name change has been discussed for a few years, but really picked up steam in 2020.
“It really does come back to how it affects students,” said Utah Board of Higher Education student representative Candyce Damron. “I think community members and people in the state of Utah we have a dear love for Dixie State and the University is not changing, it’s simply a rebrand of it in benefit of students and their futures and that’s what it all comes down to.”
