President Williams to deliver annual State of the University Address
President Williams to deliver annual State of the University Address
In celebration of Dixie State University’s 107th birthday, President Richard B. Williams will share about the progress the institution is making on its strategic plan at his annual State of the University Address.
Taking place on Dixie State’s birthday, the address will detail the university’s recent successes and outline the vision for the upcoming year. The State of the University is open to the community to attend and is set to take place at 11 a.m. on Sept. 19 in the M.K. Cox Performing Arts Center on the Dixie State campus. Complimentary lunch and birthday cake will be served immediately following the address.
“The community has rallied around this great university time and again, and I’m excited to share about the milestones that Dixie State University has achieved thanks, in no small part, to this continued support,” Williams said. “The entire Dixie community has been committed to making progress on our strategic plan, Dixie 2020: Status to Stature, and Dixie’s birthday is the perfect time to celebrate all that hard work.”
Initiated in 2015 as a five-year map to guide the university in its growth from gaining university status to securing university stature by 2020, the six goals outlined in the strategic plan are quickly becoming reality.
For instance, Dixie State’s student population has grown by more than 7 percent each year for the past two years. As the university works to promote student success and increase retention, Williams will share about the plans in place and achievements already reached to help students stay and succeed at Dixie.
Williams also will share the university’s plans for continued expansion of its academic offerings. In line with the strategic goal to broaden and enhance its academic offerings, DSU has already met its goal to offer 42 baccalaureate degrees. Additionally, Dixie State began offering its first graduate program, a Master of Accountancy, this fall.
To accommodate the university’s student and academic growth, not only are construction and expansion projects in progress across campus, but others are in store as well. Specifically, Williams will talk about the amenities and features of the Human Performance Center, for which ground was broken last October, as well as the improvements taking place at Innovation Plaza, Trailblazer Stadium and other facilities.
Williams will discuss the strides Dixie State has made in its efforts to expand the Multicultural Inclusion Center, a resource center for anyone who feels underserved or underrepresented. He also will share about the new peer mentoring program for Dixie State’s large population of first-generation college students.
Rounding out his presentation, Williams will speak to the progress made on DSU’s goals to invest in faculty and staff, strengthen southern Utah’s civic, cultural, and economic climate, and build a strong identity for the university.
To further celebrate the institution’s 107-year history of offering quality education and community enrichment, pop-up birthday parties will be held after the State of the University Address from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at select Trailblazer Art in the City bison statues around St. George.
