In just some weeks, Dixie State College will now not exist.
The college in St. George will transfer ahead beneath the brand new identify Utah Tech College. The transition comes after greater than a 12 months — stuffed with rallies and debates and questions from lawmakers — of supporters pushing to drop the title that had grown tied to slavery and the Confederacy of the Civil Conflict South.
[READ MORE: Dixie State University has a deeply racist past. Will a name change help it heal?]
Now, after getting ultimate approval for the change and after graduating its final class this spring beneath the Dixie identify, the rebranding is lastly underway. Right here’s what it is advisable know in regards to the new tech-savvy identify, together with a primary take a look at logos and timing.
1. The emblem for Utah Tech College is stuffed with symbolism.
The college launched the brand new logos on Sunday. The pictures are cut up in half by shade — with blue on the highest and pink on the underside.
President Richard Williams mentioned in an editorial board assembly with The Salt Lake Tribune that it represents the blue skies of southern Utah and the pink sandstone cliffs.
(Dixie State College) On July 1, Dixie State College will transition to a brand new identify as Utah Tech College. This will probably be its new emblem.
The college famous in a information launch that it is also seen as a nod to the cooler temperatures in northern Utah and the hotter climate round St. George. The college mentioned a part of the transition can be taking a much bigger position in being an establishment that represents your entire state.
Additionally embedded within the emblem is the form of the state of Utah. In case you take a look at the “U” firstly, you possibly can see the define for the state.
Equally, the entrance of the “U” contains the define of the No. 1. That could be a nod to the varsity’s Division I athletics, but additionally being on the forefront of the innovation and analysis, Williams mentioned.
The design can be meant to look fashionable to showcase the varsity’s know-how focus.
2. The official rollout comes this summer season.
The college agreed to have the category of 2022 graduate beneath the Dixie identify. So the transition to the brand new identify comes this summer season.
“Dixie” will formally be dropped on July 1.
It has been an in depth course of to get up to now, together with many surveys, hearings and a few protests.
“This course of was one of the vital seen, notable and complete rebrands the state has ever skilled,” mentioned Julie Beck, chair of the Title Suggestion Committee, in an announcement.
The group Defending Southwestern Utah Heritage Coalition has been the primary driver of opposition to the identify change. Members have mentioned “Dixie” isn’t tied to slavery or racism, however moderately the pioneering spirit of the area.
Nonetheless, some Nineteenth-century pioneers within the southwest a part of Utah had been rising cotton, and some of the world’s early settlers owned slaves.
3. The Trailblazers nickname and bison mascot will keep. And the campus will maintain some nods to “Dixie.”
Nonetheless, the varsity has promised to honor that heritage and maintain some parts of “Dixie” round.
The identify will seem on the varsity’s marquee on its most important campus. It is going to be up to date to say Utah Tech College, with “Dixie Campus” showing under that, Williams mentioned.
The president mentioned, moreover, that the varsity will spotlight the complete heritage of the world, together with the Native American peoples who had been there first. It’ll accomplish that with shows and collections.
The college has employed an individual, as an illustration, to work for 2 years to drag collectively a memorial for “why this neighborhood is so keen on the identify Dixie,” Williams famous.
“We’re making an attempt to do what we will,” he mentioned. “We really feel like our neighborhood helps us, however there’ll nonetheless be just a few opposed.”
The college had already dropped its use of the Accomplice flag in 1993 and Rodney the Insurgent mascot in 2007. It eliminated a statue of a Accomplice soldier in 2012. And the slave auctions and minstrel reveals and blackface that college students did up till the Nineteen Nineties — which fill the pages of the yearbooks there — ended, too.
Its board voted to alter the college identify after conducting a examine that discovered 64% of respondents outdoors of Utah associated the time period “Dixie” to racism. Williams additionally mentioned a number of college students advised him that was hurting their possibilities in job interviews and graduate faculty functions. And college students of shade have mentioned that the identify made them uncomfortable.
However the faculty will maintain the Trailblazers nickname that refers back to the Latter-day Saint pioneers who got here to the area. And it’ll proceed with the bison mascot.
“That actually suits into that pioneer spirit of grit and resilience,” Williams mentioned.
(Dixie State College) On July 1, Dixie State College will transition to a brand new identify as Utah Tech College. This will probably be its new emblem, featured on a hat and T-shirt.
4. The identify change is already having a optimistic affect.
Williams mentioned he’s seen, anecdotally, that the brand new identify helps the varsity succeed.
He mentioned enrollment will improve throughout each class this fall, together with freshmen, switch college students and common retention.
The college had about 12,200 college students final 12 months and expects to develop to greater than 13,000 this 12 months. (As such, the varsity is breaking floor on a brand new dorm constructing in January that can present 500 extra beds.)
Donations to the college have additionally shot up, Williams mentioned. And he famous that they’ve been in a position to rent extra high college. He mentioned a number of new workers members have personally advised him that they wouldn’t have come to the varsity if it the “Dixie” identify was staying.
“We’re making an attempt to lift the college all of sudden,” Williams added. “We are able to all excel on the similar time.”
Williams mentioned the brand new identify higher suits the mission and the way forward for the varsity.
5. The transition will price $3 million.
The college has modified its identify eight occasions earlier than this. It began in 1911 as St. George Academy and has since transitioned into a school and a college (in 2013).
The most recent change, famous Jordon Sharp, the vice chairman of marking for the varsity, is “type of the final piece of the story.”
The college sits in one of many quickest rising cities in America, and directors need to benefit from the momentum.
The price to rename the varsity will sit at about $3 million, Williams mentioned. And the cash for that was offered by the Utah Legislature.
That can cowl all rebranding for issues like the primary campus marquee and stadium indicators.
The opposite prices are already line objects that the varsity commonly pays for, together with stationary, enterprise playing cards and the banners throughout campus (which are commonly light by the solar). The college’s electronic mail addresses may even change. And its web site has already been up to date.
Extra data will be discovered at utahtech.edu/model.
(Dixie State College) On July 1, Dixie State College will transition to a brand new identify as Utah Tech College. This will probably be its new emblem, featured on a banner on this mockup.