UPSU? St. Georgians React To Proposed Dixie State University Name Change

ST. GEORGE — Dixie State University officials announced on June 14 that the committee in charge of recommending a new name for the university had selected “Utah Polytechnic State University” as their recommendation, or “Utah Tech” for short.

Although this recommendation is not the final decision for the university, many current students, alumni, and St. Georgians did not hesitate to make their opinions known. One Instagram meme page, @ups_university, started within a day of the announcement and quickly grew to more than 3,700 followers.

Many of the memes on the account poke fun at the fact that Utah Polytechnic State University (UPSU) shares an acronym with the United Parcel Service (UPS).

Not everyone is opposed to the new name. “It’s a phenomenal move. I think the school is way overdue to move away from the Dixie name,” says Riley Brown, a St. George native. “We aren’t this tiny town anymore, we’re now on a national stage and we need a name that reflects that.”

Brown says the Utah Tech name is more reflective of what the university stands for. “I think Utah Tech is nice and short and snappy and it really encompasses what the school is trying to grow into.”

A local event planning group Zion Live has planned a protest on Dixie State’s campus on the night of June 23rd to protest the proposed name change.

The committee’s name recommendation now goes to the university’s Board of Trustees for a vote.