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Dixie State College's board has voted to request a name change to Dixie State University, but not to abandon the "Dixie" portion of its name. The institution is located in a part of Utah settled by immigrants from the South who embraced the Dixie name and Confederate imagery. As the college debating becoming a university, some affiliated with the university said that it would be a good time to change its name entirely, and to end associations that some saw as exclusionary.
Steven G. Caplin, the board chair, issued a statement: "As with stakeholders at large, the trustees saw the merits of several different naming options, and the majority preferred 'Dixie State University.' In the end the board chose to unite as one body. We unanimously stand behind the Dixie State University name and encourage all stakeholders to do the same. This is the time to combine our resources, make our best contributions, and rally around this great institution."
Roi Wilkins, a senior at the college who is African-American, told The Salt Lake Tribune that the college was ignoring the extent to which its name is associated with oppression. "I feel like they’re still trying to sweep it under the rug," he said.
