DSU President's Report 2015-2020

TRAILBLAZER NATION

Five years ago, we collectively committed to growing Dixie State University into the remarkable institution it is today, guided by our strategic plan, Dixie 2020: Status to Stature. This plan was ambitious, built on a sense of hope and determination, and centered on offering the best possible educational experience to our students.

As a result of our joint efforts and dedication to this plan, DSU has realized our strategic goals over the past five years. We’ve experienced unprecedented growth in student enrollment, academic offerings, and degree completion. We’ve also significantly invested in faculty and staff, enhanced our support for inclusion and equity, contributed to our valued community, and established a strong brand.

I’m excited to share some of our key accomplishments as we’ve grown from status to stature as an institution. This report will highlight just a few of our many achievements from each of the six goal areas of our strategic plan.

Overall, this work represents the immeasurable hours, energy, talent, and perseverance required to continue to grow and excel, even through unforeseen challenges. I am proud of all of you — our students, faculty, staff, and stakeholders — for all we have accomplished together. It’s an honor to work among such dedicated Trailblazers. Thank you for contributing to DSU’s remarkable growth and success. We couldn’t have done it without your talent, commitment, and support.

I’m also excited to unveil our next strategic plan, Trailblazing Distinction, which will help guide our continued growth and success. I’m confident that we can achieve our future goals and make a difference in the lives of our extraordinary students as we blaze trails together well into the future.

Again, thank you for your commitment to our strategic plan, our University, and most importantly, our students.

Sincerely,

Richard B. Williams Dixie State University President

GOAL 1 ENRICHING OUR STUDENTS

PROMOTE STUDENT SUCCESS AND INCREASE RETENTION AND COMPLETION RATES AT ALL DEGREE LEVELS

INCREASED ENROLLMENT BY 41%

2015 – 8,503 students

2020 – 12,000+ students

EXPANDED INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADMISSIONS BY 34%

GREW CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT BY 257%

2015 – 840 students

2020 – 3,000+ students

IMPROVED RETENTION RATES

Campus-wide retention initiatives resulted in a 4.3% increase in freshman fall-to-fall retention – from 52.2% to 56.5%

Retained 100% of international students from 2018 to 2019 with the support of meritbased scholarships

Established the Parent & Family Program to support students and bolster retention

Created the Trailblazer Connections course to prepare first year students for an optimal college experience

STUDENT SUCCESSES

RECORD DEGREES AWARDED

2015 – 1,827 degrees, 1,720 graduates

2020 – 2,388 degrees, 2,021 graduates

95% of DSU graduates are employed, entering graduate school, or joining the military within six months of graduation

DSU’s Academic Performance and Writing centers earned International Tutor Training Program Certification from the College Reading & Learning Association

Dixie State accounting students’ average score on the CPA credentialing exam outranks the scores of students from all other public universities in Utah

Created the Peer Coach Program to offer students additional support and resources

Remodeled Trailblazer Cafe and opened Chickfil-A, Subway, and Pizza Hut

ADDED STUDENT RESOURCES

NEARLY DOUBLED THE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS AWARDED TO DSU STUDENTS

2014-2015: $10.4 million

2019-2020: $19.8 million

Constructed Campus View Suites I — the first new housing facility on campus in 50 years — and began building Campus View Suites II

Partnered with the City of St. George and UDOT to create a pedestrian tunnel under I-15 for easier access to student housing

Established Brooks’ Stop convenience store

Created the Student Success Center to help students build a strong foundation for academic success

DSU Police Department earned accreditation through the Utah Chiefs of Police Association and ranked third on the 2020 Safe Campus Top 25 list for outstanding achievements in encouraging a safe university environment

Expanded the Booth Wellness Center

GOAL 2

Launched the first four fully online programs

BS, Nursing RN-BSN

BAS, Health Administration

AS, Early Childhood Education Certificate, General Education

Began a Master’s Physician Assistant Studies program in partnership with the University of Utah

Opened ACE ACADEMY, a pipeline for computer and engineering students, at Atwood Innovation Plaza

Added 50+ new online courses, bringing the total to nearly 200

ENHANCING ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

DSU IS RANKED:

#6 Best Public Regional Colleges in the West

#25 Best Overall Regional Colleges in the West

GREW DSU’S ACADEMIC AFFAIRS LEADERSHIP TEAM

Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost

Associate Provost for Academic Success

Associate Provost for Community & Global Engagement

Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs

Associate Provost for Academic & Budget Planning

Elementary Education Program

was named one of the top 15 programs in the country for reading instruction by the National Council on Teacher Quality

Established the Graduate Council and its governing policies

Implemented the Booth Honors Program

Developed an active learning classroom model

Expanded pre-college STEM pipeline programs to serve 10,000 students annually

100% of the Surgical Technology, Dental Hygiene, Respiratory Therapy, and Medical Radiography graduates pass their national credentialing exams on the first attempt

QUADRUPLED ANNUAL STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCES

2015: 4 programs, 5 faculty, 20 students

2020: 16 programs, 11 faculty, *102 students

(*Numbers reflect pre-COVID-19 travel restrictions)

Established new partnerships in Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Japan, China, Colombia, and South Korea

Created the Institute of Politics and Public Affairs

Published DSU’s first Academic Report

Developed Curiosity: Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Innovation

Added the Lyman Southwest Geosciences Center

Added the Analytics and Modeling Center

FACILITATING GROWTH

OPENED ATWOOD INNOVATION PLAZA

123 patent applications filed, 48 granted 14 copyrights issued 51 trademarks registered 62 businesses started

Constructing the Science, Engineering & Technology building

INVESTING IN OUR FACULTY AND STAFF

GOAL 3

INVEST IN FACULTY AND STAFF RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

Invested $2.2 million in employee salaries

348 employees received salary market equity raises All full-time employee salaries are 100% of market benchmark

ADDED 42 FULL-TIME FACULTY POSITIONS

21 tenure track positions

21 nontenure track positions

ADDED 100 NEW FULL-TIME STAFF POSITIONS

RECIEVED POSITIVE RESULTS FROM THE GREAT COLLEGES TO WORK FOR SURVEY 100% DSU’s scores improved or stayed the same in all 15 benchmarks between 2017 and 2020

93% in 14 out of the 15 benchmarks, DSU scored equal to or above the Public Carnegie comparison group

Scores in 11 of the 15 benchmarks increased, including:

Job Satisfaction/Support: 8% increase

Teaching Environment: 7% increase

Professional Development: 7% increase

Compensation, Benefits & Work/Life Balance: 6% increase

Policies, Resources & Efficiency: 7% increase

Senior Leadership: 9% increase

Faculty, Administration & Staff Relations: 8% increase

Communication: 7% increase

Collaboration: 9% increase

Respect & Appreciation: 11% increase

Pride: 6% increase

Awarded more than 850 Mini Trailblazers to staff and faculty since 2016

Built 65 new offices in the North Burns addition to house Athletics, the department of Computer Information Technology, Campus Police, Advancement, and Human Resources

Designed and remodeled the old Automotive Building to house Facilities Management and Event Services & Risk Management

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Created the Trailblazer Leadership Development program –21 participants graduated in the first cohort

Offered Dixie Development Day —

780 staff members attended over four years

Created the Center for Teaching & Learning

Implemented the mentorship program –100 percent of new employees were assigned a mentor

Awarded Professional Development funds to staff – $90,490 has been distributed to more than 170 staff members since 2017

Awarded $150,000 annually in faculty professional development funds

GOAL 4

PROMOTE THE SUCCESS OF UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS BY ENHANCING SUPPORT FOR INCLUSION & EQUITY

INCREASE IN DIVERSITY

2015 – Diverse students equaled 19% of enrollment

2020 – Diverse students equaled 23% of enrollment

Held more than 15 culturally diverse programs annually, drawing in more than 16,000 participants

Created the Multicultural Inclusion Center –a hub for equity and inclusion efforts

CREATED A DIVERSITY COMMITTEE

HIRED A CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER AND TEAM

MIC Director

LGBTQIA Director

Latino Student Coordinator

Pacific Islander Coordinator

Conducted the first-ever Campus Climate Survey to set a baseline for future assessments and inform plans for an inclusive and supportive environment

Exceeded benchmarks for hiring diverse faculty and staff

Created Diversity Advocate program

Offered training on diversity competencies

Enhanced the hiring experience

Offered Safe Zone training for LBGTQ populations to DSU professional staff and faculty

Offered Dreamers training for understanding and supporting undocumented/DACA/Dreamer students

Recognized as a Top Diversity Employer by DiversityJobs.com

DSU’s Chapter of Utah Women in Higher Education Network provided professional development opportunities to support women in their careers

Women in leadership positions increased from 25% to 39%

Swati Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, visited campus and presented to multiple audiences

Dedicated a new veterans memorial on campus

Held an annual program and Day of Service to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY

GOAL 5

ENGAGE WITH THE SOUTHERN UTAH REGION TO STRENGTHEN CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND CIVIC LIFE

Faculty, staff, students, and community members dedicated 1,195,954 hours of community service from 2015 to 2020 with continued growth each year

2015 – 125,000 hours

2020 – 376,471hours

Created the Trailblazer Engagement Center, a central resource for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to learn about opportunities for community and global engagement

Dixie Serves – DSU’s volunteer program – earned the Utah Nonprofits Association’s credential badge for Volunteer Management

HELD 10 CAMPUS TO COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS

1,640 volunteers provided 5,500 hours of service since fall 2015

CREATED THE COMMUNITY & GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT DIVISION AND HIRED ASSOCIATE PROVOST AND KEY TEAM MEMBERS

Revitalized the Institute for Continued Learning with a new focus on wellness and longevity with the Live Long. Live Well. initiative and grew membership to 1,200

Concurrent Enrollment Director Community Engaged Learning Director Hurricane Education Center Director Institute for Continued Learning Director

EVENTS

Engaged more than 300,000 community members through a variety of events over the past five years

Estimated attendees:

Homecoming/D-Week: 101,900

Kite Festival: 92,000

4th of July celebration: 56,000

DOCUTAH: 47,000

Huntsman World Senior Games: 21,500

Pioneer Legacy Event 24th of July celebration: 9,500

GOAL 6

ESTABLISH A STRONG BRAND AND IDENTITY FOR THE UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHING

WE ARE TRAILBLAZERS

Debuted the new Trailblazer Athletic identity and the accompanying Brooks the Bison mascot and completely rebranded campus

Added University branding throughout St. George, Santa Clara, and Washington cities

Gave the “D” on the Hill a fullcolor makeover with a new color-changing light system

Launched Trailblazer Art in the City project, placing 19 painted bison at local businesses

Won numerous national marketing and communication awards

Created award-winning branded video content that has a total of 2.5+ million views

A Million Dreams You Will be Found You Make My Dreams Come True

CONDUCTED A PERCEPTION STUDY WITH 1,300 PARTICIPANTS

Based on study findings, created a statewide marketing campaign that resulted in more than 115 million impressions through billboards, bus ads, television ads, digital media, and more

Broadened reach through public relations campaigns, exceeding all benchmarks

EARNED MEDIA

Mentions: 15,298

Reach: 7,938,254,889

Ad value equivalency: $73,428,859

SOCIAL MEDIA

Impressions: 48,105,284

Engagements: 2,007,350

Followers: 64,470

Expanded photography and videography talent and offerings

STRENGTHENED ATHLETIC PROGRAMS

Successfully transitioned Dixie State Athletics to NCAA Division I in the Western Athletic Conference

Athletes earned a record high 3.525 cumulative grade-point average among its 15 varsity sports for the 2020 Spring Semester

Added women’s track and women’s swimming teams

Athletic Department completed 13,693 hours of community service

Adding women’s indoor track in spring 2021

Secured a $1 million donation for a softball stadium

Completed Greater Zion Stadium East Grandstand, adding an additional 5,000 seats, guest locker rooms, and training facilities

Completed construction on the newly designed tennis court venue

Created the new Directors Club in the Burns Arena thanks to Schofield Wealth Management

Added video boards to Greater Zion Stadium and Burns Arena thanks to the partnership with Mountain America

SUPPORT FROM ALUMNI AND PARTNERS

ADVANCEMENT TEAM SET NEW GIVING RECORDS

Set a record for the most money raised in one year, by recieving $10 million in monetary gifts in 2019

Recieved the largest in-kind gift in Dixie State’s history, a statue of Abraham Lincoln, that is worth $4 million

Expanded DSU employee giving with a 100% increase in donors and 187% increase in the amount donated within a year of launching a campaign

Completed the first Dixie Day of Giving, raising $40,286 from 294 donors

Expanded fundraising events, resulting in record-breaking donations

Fire & Ice: $1,400,702

Dixie Classic: $768,213

THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Launched the Alumni Legacy Scholarship program, honoring 33 students whose family members attended Dixie, with awards

Reached over 20,000 alumni monthly via newsletters, social media engagement, phone calls, and in person

Hosted more than 60 events annually, engaging over 10,000 alumni, students, and friends of DSU

GREATER ZION PARTNERSHIP

ENTERED INTO A 20-YEAR, $10 MILLION STRATEGIC MARKETING

AGREEMENT WITH THE GREATER ZION CONVENTION & TOURISM OFFICE RESULTING IN THE NAMING OF GREATER ZION STADIUM

INSPIRE GREATER. EXPERIENCE GREATER. LIVE GREATER.

To read the complete 2020-2025 strategic plan, please visit strategicplanning.dixie.edu.

B. Williams, President