Adding familiar faces to the Student Affairs leadership team, Dixie State University has named a new Vice President of Student Affairs and Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students.
Del Beatty, who has served as the university’s Dean of Students since 2008 and most recently as the Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students, was recently named Vice President of Student Affairs. With the Assistant Vice President/Dean position open, Ali Threet, the institution’s Executive Director of Career Services and Interim Dean of Students this past fall, has been selected to fill the role starting July 1.
“We are excited for Del to step into this role as Vice President of Student Affairs,” Richard B. Williams, President of Dixie State, said. “He has been serving for most of the last year in an interim role and has done an excellent job. Del connects with people and is a strong student advocate.”
With a higher education career spanning more than 25 years, Beatty has served in a variety of capacities and administrative roles at the community college, state college and university levels. Prior to coming to Dixie, he served as Dean of Students for Utah State University-Eastern and Director of Student Involvement and Leadership at Southern Utah University.
Shortly after beginning his employment at DSU, Beatty created the Student Food Pantry, established the Struggling Student Fund, re-structured the Student Association to give greater voice to students and worked to bring the first comprehensive Health and Wellness Center to campus.
Additionally, Beatty has been a board member for Family Healthcare, the Reach For Hope Coalition, and he was instrumental in developing curriculum for the first-ever HOPE Squad on a college or university campus in the U.S. He also worked with DSU student leaders to pass the first smoke-and tobacco-free policy at a public college or university in Utah, and he was presented the Healthy Dixie Award in 2014 for his dedication to the mental and medical needs of students.
Beatty holds a master’s degree in Education, and is completing his doctoral dissertation in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration through Northcentral University.
“I am excited for the opportunity to serve as the Vice President of Student Affairs at Dixie State,” Beatty said. “It’s crazy to think that my exposure to the field of student affairs actually began at this institution and I dreamed for so long of being in this position somewhere. To actually be named Vice President at Dixie is a dream come true for me. I’m also really excited because my staff is just amazing and we are looking forward to focusing on the active life portion of the experience available to our Trailblazers.”
In his new role, Beatty will work closely with Threet to ensure students have the support they need to succeed in and out of the classroom.
“I am excited for the students of Dixie State University to have their first female Dean of Students,” Beatty said. “After a national search, Ali emerged as a top candidate, and with her love of students and tremendous background in student affairs, she will hit the ground running and help our students to become even more engaged.”
In addition to her role as Executive Director of the university’s Career Services, Threet served as DSU Staff Association president for the 2019-20 academic year, was on the Staff Association Board for four years and served as a goal leader in both of the university’s last two strategic plans — Dixie 2020: Status to Stature and Trailblazing Distinction, 2020-2025.
As a member of the university’s Student Affairs Leadership Team, Threet has served as a direct supervisor for Peer Coaching, Structured Enrollment, Family Programs, and Orientation and served on the Student Conduct Hearing Committee for two years, including one year as co-chair.
Prior to working at Dixie State, Threet was the program director for a residential treatment facility, worked at a court-ordered program at an intervention group home and led counseling for responsive services for high school students.
Threet has a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and is working on earning a doctorate in Adult Organization and Leadership through the University of Idaho.
“I am extremely honored to be named the Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students at DSU,” Threet said. “Our university is growing and changing rapidly. We have a new polytechnic focus and we embody ‘active learning. active life.’ I am excited to interact at this level with students, faculty and staff. I cannot wait to work with the departments across Student Affairs as we help our students thrive in the classroom as well as in life. I absolutely love Dixie State and can’t wait to share this love and commitment with every student who attends.”
To learn more about Student Affairs at Dixie State University, visit studentaffairs.utahtech.edu.
