Trailblazer Nation

Preparing students for the careers of their dreams is the very essence of Dixie State University’s mission. Consequently, nothing motivates the University community more than working with our students as they achieve their educational goals. Now, to offer our students even more hands-on learning and career preparation opportunities, we are working toward becoming the only open, inclusive, comprehensive, polytechnic university in the entire United States.

Characterized by active learning that emphasizes career preparation and hands-on opportunities, a polytechnic education offers academic programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math while integrating liberal arts into the educational experience. This is accomplished by allowing students to learn by participating in real-world experiences through internships, industry partnerships, and other opportunities inside and outside of the classroom setting.

As an open-access institution, we have a 100 percent acceptance rate and offer our “active learning. active life.” educational experiences to anyone seeking an education. Because of this, we are well on our way to being an open university; however, being an open institution is more involved than offering open enrollment. An open education removes barriers that traditionally prevent prospective students from pursuing higher education by providing easy access to formal and non-formal learning opportunities. The ultimate goal is to make learning accessible, abundant, and customizable to each and every student.

In line with our effort to be an inclusive institution, we embrace an approach to teaching that caters to our students’ learning needs and preferences that are as numerous as the number of students we enroll. We strive to offer access to those who might otherwise have a hard time securing an education by eliminating a wide variety of barriers related to gender, age, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, neuro-cognitive-physical ability, and other unique circumstances.

Becoming an open, inclusive, comprehensive, polytechnic university will take a significant amount of time, effort, and dedication, but we are up to the challenge. As the only institution that offers a comprehensive polytechnic-focused education in an open and inclusive setting, we will continue to serve our community well and offer educational opportunities that are second to none. Working to fulfill this mission certainly makes every day a great day to be a Trailblazer.

Richard B. Williams, Dixie State University President