Nearly four years after Dixie State University in St. George, Utah, officially changed its name to Utah Tech University, the institution’s former name has started to reappear on campus.
According to a report from The Salt Lake Tribune, the Utah Tech bookstore now sells merchandise featuring the old Dixie name.
“We are not running from the term [Dixie],” Utah Tech University President Shane Smeed told The Salt Lake Tribune. “We are embracing Utah Tech University and inviting members of the community from the past, present, and future to unify. It’s important to me that we build unity with our community.”
The decision to rename Dixie State University to Utah Tech University arose several years ago after a survey found that recent graduates had potential employers express concerns with the term Dixie appearing on their resumes. Additionally, the survey also revealed that over four-in-ten respondents from the university’s recruiting region said the Dixie State name deterred them from attending the university.
Dixie State University was founded in an area settled by members of the Church of Latter-day Saints who were originally from the South. It used to have a Rebel as a mascot, and in 2012, a statue of Confederate soldiers was removed from campus. Today, African Americans make up just 1 percent of the 13,000-member undergraduate student body.
