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ST. GEORGE — Dixie State University has opened up a survey to the public to provide input to the university's Name Recommendation Committee, said Dixie State University officials.
The survey comes after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox recently signed the Dixie State name change bill after the Legislature passed it with some reluctance. Some legislators worried that the name change amounted to 'cancel culture' while others pointed to the negative connotation of the term "Dixie" could hold. The Utah Senate voted 26-3 in favor of the first substitute HB278, and the House of Representatives re-voted after the substitution with a 48-23 vote.
The bill requesting the name change was petitioned by the university after growing concerns from students and alumni over the name. Dixie State University President Richard Williams said the name "Dixie" is in reference to Utah's southern Utah region but also has ties to the Confederacy.
Due to the concerns, the university issued an outside study which found that about 1 in 5 recent out-of-state graduates of Dixie State reported that their employer either expressed concerns or likely would express concerns over the school's name.
Dixie State University released an official statement after the bill passed, reiterating statements previously made by the board.
The statement read in part:
"We acknowledge this has been a difficult yet important process, but we look forward to the opportunity to continue this dialogue. We are eager to work with Governor Cox as this legislation awaits his signature. We are confident that we can identify a name that enables our institution to move forward in the very best interest of our students and community."
It continued, "Conversations regarding the Dixie State name and identity are not new. Similar discussions have occurred for more than 30 years. The love, respect, and understanding of the local term Dixie was never in question. The recent Cicero study only confirmed the local affinity for our name. Heritage is deeply important to our school and community, and we are profoundly appreciative of the long-lasting support we have received from our partners. Continuous discussions involving the name have not stemmed from the local meaning of Dixie but are due to the unalterable national meaning tied to the Confederate South, Civil War, and slavery."
The survey was created and is being managed by the Salt Lake City-based firm, Love Communications. The partnering communications firm and the university will conduct the survey from April 1 to April 13.
"As a DSU alumna and descendent of some of the very first pioneers to settle in this region, I profoundly understand the desire to preserve and share Southern Utah's revered heritage," said Julie Beck, a DSU Board of Trustee member and chair of the Name Recommendation Committee, in a press release. "That is why it is so important that the Name Recommendation Committee hears input from the community throughout the entire name recommendation process."
The committee is made up of 19 members who are community members, industry leaders, students, and university employees. Each member of the committee was approved by the DSU Board of Trustees. The committee's members, charge and timeline were established in consultation with the Utah Board of Higher Education, according to the university.
According to a press release from the university, the survey will have participants rank the importance of various themes and will provide a space for a name recommendation. After the survey closes, the committee will review the results and analyze the different name themes. The committee will consider things such as trademark, website availability, compatibility with the university's history and focus, and abbreviations or connotations. Following the analysis and focus groups, Love Communications will present a final name to the DSU Board of Trustees.
Following the presentation, if the Board of Trustees votes in favor of the name recommended it will be forwarded to the Utah Board of Higher Education for a vote, which has the potential to pass it on to the Utah State Legislature for a final vote.
To participate in the survey and learn more about the university's name recommendation process, visit dixie.edu/nameprocess.
