Dixie State University breaks ground on new Science, Engineering and Technology building

Dixie State University has started construction on a new Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) building. Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature appropriated $50 million worth of funds to the university for the SET building and an additional $4.4 million toward the completion of the Human Performance Center. The SET building is expected to be complete for the fall 2021 semester. The facility will be a total of 120,000-square-foot and is being created by Jacobsen Construction and VCBO Architecture. The building will include 26 laboratories, three levels of outdoor patios, classrooms and an astronomy deck. St George News

A look at upcoming school projects across Washington County

Over the next few years in Washington County, there are numerous school projects and upgrades scheduled to help improve the quality of education across Southern Utah. Mostly due to a school bond initiative that was passed last November, the Washington County School District has the funds to add necessities to schools in the area. Roughly $125 million was set aside and the initiative was tax-neutral, meaning it did not increase taxes for county residents.


Just south of the new Crimson Cliffs High School, South Mesa Elementary is under construction with plans to open in August 2020 and the county will also be adding both a vocational building and race track in Hildale for Water Canyon High School.


There is also a major remodel scheduled in 2021 for both Enterprise Elementary and Enterprise High School that, according to Dunham, will be a multi-million dollar project to add classrooms and update facilities.


In addition, 2021 will also likely see the building of a new career technical high school that will work in tandem with Dixie State University and Dixie Technical College to help students receive a high school diploma and a certificate for their industry once they graduate. The Spectrum

SUU secures final funding for child, family development center

Additional funding has been secured for Southern Utah University’s Sorenson Legacy Child and Family Development Center, allowing renovation construction to begin this July, with plans for the center to be completed and operational by August 2020.

The center, a much-anticipated project, is committed to the retention and graduation of SUU students by providing a high-quality facility offering on-campus child care, a preschool lab and parent and family support, according to a press release from the university.

SUU has now secured gifts, pledges and capital improvement funding for a total of $2.9 million. The most recent funds come from an additional $1.5 million in capital development funding and $300,000 pledged by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation. The foundation’s pledge was motivated by SUU’s decision to repurpose the university president’s home to serve the needs of students and their children. St George News

Dixie State board OKs two more master’s degrees

Dixie State University's board of trustees have unanimously approved the addition of new master's and baccalaureate degrees, as well as minor and certificate programs to its academic offerings.


Contingent on receiving approval from the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities, the university plans to begin offering a master's in athletic training, a master's in technical writing and digital rhetoric, a bachelor's in marketing, a minor in nonprofit management and a certificate in biotechnology starting during in the fall. Deseret News

Utah graduation rates on the rise

According to the Utah State Board of Education's "2018 Graduation Rates" report, Iron County School District (ICSD) has seen an 8 percent increase in graduates over the past two years. Washington County School District (WCSD) didn't see as sharp of an increase by percentage, with a 1 percent improvement over the same timeframe, but both WCSD and ICSD finished the last school year at almost equal graduation rates — 89 percent and 90 percent, respectively. The Spectrum

Southern Utah University ranks 4th in nation for applications, enrollment growth

USA Today has ranked Southern Utah University fourth in the nation for applications and enrollment growth, one of only three Utah schools to place in the national ranking.

Over the last five years, the university has seen the number of applications submitted increase by more than 150 percent, while enrollment has risen by nearly 35 percent, according to a press release issued by SUU.

By the end of the Fall 2017 semester, SUU crossed the 10,000 threshold, topping out at 10,245 students, marking three years of enrollment growth for the institution. The number of degrees awarded in 2016-2017 soared to an all-time high of 2,175, and over a ten-year period, the number of graduates increased by 61 percent, higher than any other four-year public institution in Utah. St.George News

Washington County School District Projects

The Crimson Cliffs Middle school, located in Washington City, has been under construction since summer of 2016 at a cost of $25 million, a price that includes all the school’s amenities, from furniture to lockers. It will be ready for occupancy when the school year begins in August. On the same campus as the middle school is Crimson Cliffs High School, which is set to open in fall 2019.

Coming up in November, the school district will be asking voters to approve a “tax neutral bond” for additional projects. As the school pays off old debt, property tax will decrease, so it only has to tax the amount it needs to pay off old debt. The district is proposing that the bond will allow it to fund $125 million worth of projects without raising taxes.

Among those projects is a career and technical high school inspired by a high school in Houston, Texas. Career and technical high schools are formatted to each student depending on their desired career. St. George News

Dixie State University Innovation Plaza gets $1.75 million in funding

Dixie State University recently received more than $1.75 million in federal grants and donations, which it plans to use for high-tech equipment in its Innovation Plaza. The funding is the latest boost to the university's effort to further cutting-edge research, expand entrepreneurship and bring more high-paying jobs to the region. The new funds will enable the St. George university to buy items such as 3D printers and woodworking machines for its entrepreneurial makerspace and its biotech, medical and environmental testing lab.

Both facilities will be part of the plaza, a hub of resources for startups and others looking to innovate. The plaza occupies the former East Elementary, where building renovations are underway. It will be available to all area residents once those are complete.

 The makerspace will be a 6,000-square-foot center for skill training focused on increasing tech initiatives in the area. As part of that effort, Wayne Provost, director of innovation guidance and solutions at Dixie State, helps students and community members grow their ideas from concepts to patented products and viable business propositions. The 10,000-square-foot research lab will be in the plaza's Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TIE) Center. It will be home to Soft Cell Biological Research. The company, the first of its kind to culture L-form bacteria, works with DSU interns to develop antibiotics to treat autoimmune diseases. The Spectrum

Southwest Technical College receives $100K grant

Southwest Technical College has announced that the Sorenson Legacy Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to assist the college with a major remodel project at its facility in Cedar City. The Southwest Tech Business and Technology Building requires extensive remodeling in order to relocate its automotive technician and professional truck driving programs. These two programs are currently taught off-campus at a leased facility. The remodel project is set to commence this summer. Last October, the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation pledged a $400,000 matching last-in grant to assist the college with the remodel project. The Miller commitment will match any community donation dollar for dollar up to $400,000. St. George News

Dixie to offer first master’s degree, 2 new bachelor’s degrees

Dixie State University’s board of trustees on Friday unanimously approved the institution’s first graduate degree program, a master of accountancy. In addition, the trustees approved two new baccalaureate degrees — a bachelor of music in performance and Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. All three programs are expected to be offered starting this fall.

The board also approved two certificate programs —a certificate of proficiency in social research methods and a certificate of completion in retail management. Both programs will start in the fall of 2019. All new academic programs must receive approval from the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities, which is expected to occur by this spring, before they can be fully implemented. Deseret News

Dixie State to break ground on Human Performance Center

Dixie State University broke ground on a Human Performance Center. The Utah Legislature appropriated $25 million over two years for the 155,000-square-foot building, which will house academic programs in exercise science, sports and recreation management, health administration, and population health. The facility will also be equipped to host local, regional and state high school games, the Huntsman World Senior Games and community-sponsored sports events. It will also feature basketball courts that convert to indoor soccer venues, a fitness center, a track, a climbing wall and a 50-meter swimming pool with deck space. Deseret News

Dixie State tops enrollment increases

The Utah System of Higher Education (USHE), for the second consecutive year, has reported that the St. George university has the highest enrollment percentage increase in the Beehive State. DSU broke its total headcount record this fall with 9,673 students and welcomed its largest-ever freshman class, according to a school-issued news release. In addition, USHE’s Thirdweek Headcount Enrollment Report showed a 7.56 percent increase in total headcount and a 7.74 percent increase in full-time equivalent students from 2016. The Spectrum

SUU breaks ground on sports performance center

Officials at Southern Utah University broke ground on the George S. Eccles Sports Performance Center, the future home for SUU Athletics sports performance operations. The center will be located west of the J.D. & Alice C. Harris Center and Eccles Coliseum. It will feature more than 9,000 square feet of functional sports performance space, including weight-training equipment, dedicated areas for agility and cardiovascular training, and a full nutrition station where student-athletes can replenish and recharge with proper nutrients following workouts and throughout the day. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2018. Deseret News

Large new DSU health facility's building plans set

Dixie State University announced the contractor who will build the school’s new Human Performance Center. Layton Construction, based in Sandy with satellite operations in Arizona, Idaho, California, Florida, Tennessee and Hawaii, will break ground on the 155,000-square-foot educational and athletic facility in October.

The $50 million building project is funded by a $25 million appropriation that will be finalized by the Utah Legislature next year, $4 million in cash raised by students through annual fees, and a $16 million bond based on future student fees. The Washington County Commission also donated $1 million. The Spectrum

Regents approve new degrees at Dixie

The Utah State Board of Regents board unanimously approved two degrees for Dixie State University, including a Bachelor of Science in population health, with emphases in health care administration and public health. Deseret News

Dixie State University gets OK to add 3 bachelor’s degrees, 3 certificates

The Utah State Board of Regents gave Dixie State University approval to add three bachelor's degrees and three certificates. Starting as soon as this fall, Dixie State will offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art, a Bachelor of Science in information systems and analytics, and a Bachelor of Science in nursing programs, as well as certificates of proficiency in multimedia journalism, social media and strategic communication.

The three baccalaureate degree programs must receive approval from the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities, which is expected this summer, before they are final, while the certificate programs have completed the approval process. Deseret News

Understanding Utah’s Future Skill and Knowledge Needs

The Utah Department of Workforce Services releases Skill and Knowledge-based Projections

By Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

“It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill.” Wilbur Wright

The following skill and knowledge projections suggest that the foundation for future workforce preparation relies on those old favorites “readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic.” Technical skills and knowledge areas are also important, but rely on an excellent foundation in basic skill and knowledge areas.

• Utah occupational projections and the Occupational Information Network (O*Net) provide the foundation for these skills and knowledge estimates.

• “Basic Skills” dominate the top 10 in-demand skills, suggesting a need to ensure training on “the basics” for all prospective workers.

• Basic skills needs cross occupational and educational boundaries. • Basic skills make changing occupations possible as the labor market changes.

• Communication skills and reading rank highest on the top skills list, followed by critical thinking. • The top five skill and knowledge areas are the same for every region of the state.

• The top 10 in-demand skills change very little regardless of the occupational training level.

• Customer Service ranks, by far, as the knowledge area with the highest projected demand.

• For occupations requiring formal training past the high school level, competence in English, computers/electronics, and mathematics becomes increasingly important — although these skills are in demand for employment at all training levels.

• Short-term shortages for certain technical skills may seem to displace the overarching need for all workers to have a strong foundation in basic skills in training discussions.

SUU breaks ground on new business building

Southern Utah University broke ground for its new 42,000-square-foot business Thursday. But the start of the construction for the long anticipated $16 million project wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the community. Obtaining the necessary funding required a unique partnership between SUU officials and both local and statewide legislators.

The new two-story open floor plan building will be constructed in the parking lot north of the Sharwan Smith Center on Center Street. It will feature 15 classrooms rooms, breakout/study rooms, advanced computer labs, advising suites, faculty offices and a flight simulator. Preliminary plans also include an entrepreneurship center where students and community members can “envision, design, create and launch” a new business. The Spectrum

SUU sees unexpectedly large student exodus

Southern Utah University’s enrollment drop from last fall to this spring was more than twice as steep—11.3 percent—than the decline in either of the previous two years. Some of the dip is being attributed to 286 students graduating early, administrators said, and current enrollment numbers may not account for students who register for classes throughout the year "pursuing individual professional development plans." Salt Lake Tribune

Dixie State wins funding for Human Performance Center

The just-concluded legislative session provided the approval needed for a major upgrade to the school’s sports stadium and a new Human Performance Center that will anchor the school’s health and fitness education pathway. DSU will probably begin breaking ground on the stadium project Aug. 1 with an expected completion date in March or April, making it available by the time students begin the new school year in the fall of 2018. The legislature appropriated $8 million for the Human Performance Center during the recent session.

The remainder of a total $25 million appropriation is expected next year. The building will facilitate exercise science and health-related studies for students seeking careers in those fields, but will also include locker rooms, an Olympic-sized pool for the women’s swim team, multiple basketball courts and other facilities that will be available to the public for recreation during the morning hours before classes and in the evenings until midnight, Williams told state Regents in September. The Spectrum