Former names | St. George Stake Academy (1911–1913) Dixie Academy (1913–1916) Dixie Normal College (1916–1923) Dixie Junior College (1923–1970) Dixie College (1970–2000) Dixie State College (2000–2013) Dixie State University (2013–2022) |
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Motto | Active Learning, Active Life |
Type | Public university[1] |
Established | September 19, 1911 |
Parent institution | Utah System of Higher Education State of Utah |
Accreditation | Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) |
President | Richard ("Biff") Williams (since July 2014)[2] |
Academic staff | 423 |
Students | 12,556 (Fall 2022)[3] |
Undergraduates | 12,481 (Fall 2022)[3] |
Postgraduates | 75 (Fall 2022)[3] |
Location | , , U.S.A. 37°06′16.1″N 113°33′54.7″W / 37.104472°N 113.565194°W |
Campus | Urban * Dixie (main) campus: 100.11 acres (41 ha) * Off-campus property: 97.1 acres (39 ha) |
Colors | Red, navy blue, and white[4] |
Nickname | Trailblazers (previously "The Rebels") |
Sporting affiliations | National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Western Athletic Conference (WAC) |
Mascot | "Brooks the Bison" |
Website | www |
Utah Tech University (UT), and formerly known as the Dixie State University (DSU), is a polytechnic 4-year public university in St. George, Utah, in southwest Utah (also known by the longtime nickname of "Utah's Dixie" region).[1] UT offers doctoral degrees, master's degrees, bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and certifications.[5] As of fall 2022, there are 12,556 students enrolled at UT.[6]
The institution began as the St. George Stake Academy, founded in 1911 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and sponsored by its local stake. In 1935, it became a state school of the Utah System of Higher Education.[7] Until 2000, it was a two-year junior college, named Dixie College since 1970 and earlier Dixie Junior College (since 1923).[7] In 2021, after continued controversy over the use of the term "Dixie" in the school's name, the Utah State Legislature and the Governor of Utah approved the bill that allowed the school to first become DSU, then renamed shortly thereafter as the current UT.[8]
UT's 16 athletic teams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and have been known since 2016 as the Trailblazers. UT was reclassified from Division II to Division I in 2019[9] and joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in the 2020–2021 season.[10] When the Trailblazers were in NCAA Division II, the football team had been part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference since 2014,[11] while the Women's Swimming team competed in the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference,[12] and the school's 14 other athletic teams competed in the PacWest Conference.[13]