Dixie State University Name Process

Trailblazing Distinction, Dixie State’s strategic plan that is guiding the University’s growth from 2020 to 2025, outlines the institution’s plan for becoming the nation’s first and only open, inclusive, comprehensive, polytechnic university.

The Dixie Name Impact Study was conducted by Cicero Group during the Fall 2020 semester to understand interpretations of Dixie, quantify the reception of perspectives, and measure impacts and implications.

The Name Exploration Survey was administered by Love Communications to 14,449 community members during the Spring 2021 semester to identify the most important considerations in selecting a name and determine common patterns among name themes.

Focus Group Findings share the results from the 47 focus group discussions with more than 300 key stakeholders that Love Communications conducted.

House Bill 278, Name Change Process for Dixie State University outlines the criteria the Name Recommendation Committee should follow to recommend an institutional name.

During the summer of 2020, many institutions around the world announce changes to their brands due to direct or implied connections with the Confederate South or other symbols of racial inequality. DSU decides to not make any changes at that time, but announces in July 2020 they will be “closely monitoring the situation, actively gathering information and assessing all viable options to ensure the campus is a welcoming environment to all.”

Following the July announcement, the DSU administration meets personally with hundreds of community members to better understand the impacts of the name “Dixie” as part of the institutional name. From these discussions, DSU announces in September 2020 it will be “partnering with Cicero Group, an independent research firm headquartered in Salt Lake City, to conduct comprehensive research to help the institution and its governing bodies understand the positive and negative impacts of continuing to include ‘Dixie’ in the University’s name.” The Cicero study continues for three months and includes thousands of participants.

Based on the results of the comprehensive impact study, the DSU Board of Trustees and the Utah Board of Higher Education unanimously recommend a name process to the Utah State Legislature. Additionally, the recommendations are supported by DSU’s Cabinet, University Council, Student Executive Council, Staff Association Board, and Faculty Senate.

Following the unanimous recommendation from the DSU Board of Trustees and the Utah Board of Higher Education to review DSU’s name, in March 2020 the Utah legislature passes House Bill 278S01 in support of a name recommendation process. The legislation tasks the DSU Board of Trustees in collaboration with the Utah Board of Higher Education with creating a committee to identify a name for the university that “reflects the institution’s mission and significance to the surrounding region and state and enables the institution to compete and be recognized nationally.” DSU Board of Trustees identifies Love Communications as the third-party consultant to assist with the process.

The Dixie State University Board of Trustees votes to approve the Name Recommendation Committee membership, instructions, timeline, and process, laying the foundation for the committee to start its work.

The chair and other members of the Name Recommendation Committee hold town hall listening meetings, consulting with stakeholders from across the community including the Defending Southwestern Utah Heritage Coalition, Chamber of Commerce, local business leaders, various student groups, and University faculty and staff.

At the direction of the Name Recommendation Committee, in April 2021 Love Communications creates a name survey to distribute to all interested parties resulting in nearly 15,000 responses. The survey allows the Name Recommendation Committee to narrow the field to six overarching name themes.

The NRC reviews Love Communications’ survey results along with DSU’s Strategic Plan, the DSU Name Impact Study, and DSU Perception Study to identify name themes that will be presented to focus groups.

Hundreds of community members are presented with the data collected during Love’s survey as well as positive and negative potential impacts of names within each theme group. Factors focus groups will be asked to take into consideration include trademarks, acronyms, other meanings, similarly named institutions, etc.

During a committee meeting, Love Communications shares insights gathered from focus group participants, including remarks sharing support and concerns about each theme. Love’s report is available here.

After carefully considering the feedback provided from the focus groups, the NRC goes through a rigorous process of narrowing down the name themes to the academic mission and Utah themes. The committee deeply considers all factors of name possibilities within these two themes and presents the name ideas to stakeholders through another round of focus groups.

Heavily weighing the information gathered in all previous steps, the NRC narrows the specific name ideas to one name recommendation. The committee presents the recommendation to the DSU Board of Trustees in an open public meeting, where the board chooses whether to approve the new name. The board must ensure the name recommendation reflects the institution’s mission and significance to the surrounding region and state and enables the institution to compete and be recognized nationally, per the requirements of House Bill 278.

The Utah Board of Higher Education is presented with the name recommendation and chooses whether to forward the recommendation to the Utah State Legislature’s Legislative Management Committee.

Legislators will vote on whether to formalize the new name after being presented with the considerations that went into the recommendation. The recommendation must receive a majority vote from both the House and Senate as well as the governor’s approval in order to become law.

When the House of Representatives and Senate passed name change legislation in March, the Legislature charged the Dixie State University Board of Trustees to form a name recommendation committee in consultation with the Utah Board of Higher Education. The committee will collaborate with residents of southwestern Utah, institutional partners, and university faculty, staff, students, and alumni to identify a name for the university that reflects the institution’s mission and significance to the surrounding region and state and enables the institution to compete and be recognized nationally.

The committee is working with an external communication partner to seek name recommendations from thousands of Utahans through an open survey. The committee and partner will review the survey’s data, narrow the search to name themes and present them to hundreds of students, alumni, community members, industry leaders and university employees via numerous focus groups. After collecting the focus groups’ feedback, the name exploration committee will choose a final name theme, present it to additional focus groups and put forth a final name recommendation to the DSU Board of Trustees.

If the Board of Trustees approves the committee’s name recommendation, the trustees will then be charged with forwarding it on to the Utah Board of Higher Education. That body then votes whether or not to recommend the name to the Utah Legislative Management Committee by Nov. 1.

Yes. House Bill 278S01, Name Change Process for Dixie State University, charges the University’s Board of Trustees with forming a name change committee comprised of community members and industry leaders in addition to students and university personnel. Additionally, the committee will collaborate with residents of southwestern Utah, institutional partners, and university faculty, staff, students, and alumni in the recommendation process. The committee will open a survey to all Utah residents to receive their feedback in addition to involving hundreds of individuals in town hall meetings and focus groups.

The Community Survey was designed to understand potential names for the University from a broad scope of understanding, meaning that while specific names are required to be selected throughout the survey, the general goal of the study is to understand what naming patterns and general themes emerge as the most important to people in a name. We understand that this entails some questions’ wordings and response requirements that don’t completely align with how some individuals may wish to respond to the survey, but please note that when the data is analyzed, the results will only be relayed in a fashion that focuses on thematic takeaways and not on the prevalence of specific naming choices or opinions therein. In order to come upon these broad conclusions, we need individuals to answer with multiple names they prefer from a broader pool to avoid a scenario in which we don’t receive a broad understanding of potential names to utilize from too people only selecting one favorite name and ignoring all others. Again, this is because naming themes are the focus of the study, otherwise, too much attention will be paid to singular names.

In addition, please understand that this survey data will be combined with qualitative data from numerous focus groups that will be held in the coming weeks.

The Dixie State University Board of Trustees, in consultation with the Utah Board of Higher Education, selected a variety of students, university personnel, community members, and industry leaders who represent a wide variety of the University’s stakeholders. Each member of the committee represents at least one stakeholder group, including, but not limited to, those groups statutorily mandated to be represented, mentioned above.

Name Recommendation Committee members and the stakeholder group(s) they represent are:

• Chair Julie Beck (DSU Board of Trustees; industry leader; alumni)
• Vice Chair Shawn Newell (Utah System of Higher Education; industry leader)
• Bruce Hurst (industry leader; alumni)
• Danny Ipson (community; industry leader; alumni)
• Michael Lacourse (university administration)
• Susan Ertel (faculty representative)
• Deven Macdonald (DSU Board of Trustees; industry leader)
• Patricia Jones (Utah System of Higher Education; industry leader)
• Penny Mills (student)
• Deven Osborne (student)
• Megan Church (staff representative; alumni)
• Chip Childs (community; industry leader)
• Jordon Sharp (university marketing)
• Darcy Stewart (community; industry leader)
• Terri Draper (community; industry leader; alumni)
• Randy Wilkinson (community; industry leader; alumni)
• Ralph Atkin (community; industry leader; alumni)
• Patsy Lamb (community; alumni)
• Connor Shakespeare (community; industry leader; alumni)

If the Dixie name wasn’t negatively affecting students’ success or the University’s ability to continue to recruit students, the University wouldn’t pursue a name change. We fully understand how rebrands can be arduous, expensive, and can wage a toll on campus communities. However, Cicero Group’s study indicated that 22% of recent graduates looking for jobs outside of Utah have had an employer express concern that Dixie is on their résumé. Additionally, we learned that 42% of respondents from our recruiting region and 27% of alumni indicated that the Dixie name has a negative impact on their willingness to attend DSU or encourage a student to do so. Data such as this made it impossible for us to ignore.

As a community college that primarily served Utah students, the Dixie name was linked to our geography and served as a description of where in Utah the institution is located. Now that we recruit students and faculty from all across the nation — and have an expanding national presence — the name is confusing, leading many to believe we are located in the South.

As the University continues to grow and gain attention on a national level by competing in NCAA Division I athletics, recruiting students, faculty, and staff from all over the country, and participating in national conferences and symposiums, the institution will only receive increased attention on the name. In fact, 45% of faculty and staff indicate that when they meet others in the academic field, they assume DSU is in the South. Attention on the University name rather than the University itself only detracts from the University’s mission, offerings, and accomplishments.

From a branding perspective, the University faces a significant problem. A brand’s most powerful conduit is its own people. Of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff — those who are most familiar with the institution and consequently should be the proudest of it — 28% are uncomfortable wearing the name Dixie on apparel when outside of Utah. Understanding that a strong brand name is typically embraced by nearly 100% of stakeholders, having over a quarter of our people purposely shy away from sharing our brand is a major red flag that needs immediate attention. Additionally, a national retail store and longtime licensing partner recently told DSU they will no longer sell our merchandise due to the Dixie name.

Cicero Group used a multi-directional approach to conduct more than 100 in-depth interviews and focus groups across various populations in addition to administering a survey to more than 3,000 respondents. Through these efforts, Cicero discovered a number of key findings. The results indicate that at least a quarter of each population identified has concerns with the name Dixie for a four-year institution of higher learning in today’s world. In addition to racial implications, the name leads to confusion and uncertainty about the University’s location. Overall, the Dixie name is affecting the University’s ability to recruit students and employees, graduates’ ability to secure a job, and faculty and staff’s ability to secure external funding. Additionally, 30% of those surveyed from Utah and 39% of those surveyed from outside of Utah believe that keeping Dixie in the name will have a negative impact on the University’s reputation. The study measured a number of metrics that led University administration to recommend a name change to the Utah Board of Higher Education. Review the study in its entirety here.

Cicero Group is one the nation’s premier data collection and consulting firms specializing in data-driven strategies for a broad mix of private, public, and social sector organizations. Cicero Group is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Cicero assists clients in 49 countries including brands such as Boeing, Intermountain Health Care, Cisco, George W. Bush Institute, Hitachi, Rio Tinto, Symantec, and many more. Cicero was named the “No. 43 Fastest Growing Firm in North America” in 2018 by Consulting magazine, ranked as a “Top 50 Consulting Firm,” the “No. 12 Boutique Consulting Firm”, and the “No. 40 Overall Consulting Firm” by Vault in 2018, and has received eight consecutive Utah “Best of State” awards.

In addition, the well-respected, locally owned and operated Dan Jones & Associates firm, a political polling and market research firm based in Salt Lake City, became a subsidiary of Cicero Group in 2010.

At first glance, the data seem to provide a compelling reason to retain the Dixie name, with a majority of the Southern Utah community (75%) and 55% of all study respondents in favor of keeping it. However, branding decisions are not made on a majority-rules system, as a strong brand name should be accepted by nearly 100% of stakeholders. It’s important to realize that 16% of our community, 29% of current students, 48% of faculty and staff, 24% of alumni, and 30% of prospective students feel the name will negatively impact the brand of the institution. A brand name should not be a problem at all. Rather, a good brand name will only lift an organization’s reputation and exposure. This study asked nothing about our academic reputation or any other component of the educational experience offered at Dixie. For these populations, the University’s name alone deters them from the institution.

The Cicero study indicates that 22% of recent graduates looking for jobs outside of Utah have had an employer express concern that Dixie is on their résumé. As preparing students for the careers of their dreams is at the very core of the University’s mission, retaining a name that has negatively impacted the job search process for more than 1 in every 5 of our alumni would be doing them an incredible disservice. In competitive job markets, it’s crucial that a DSU education gives graduates a competitive advantage rather than present an obstacle they must overcome.

Data also shows the name will hinder our ability to get students on campus to participate in DSU’s unique “active learning. active life.” experience. In fact, 41% of out-of-state prospective students think keeping the name Dixie will have a negative impact on recruiting.

The strength of the education offered at DSU is dependent on the quality of faculty we employ. Due to the nature of specialized credentials needed to work in a university setting, there is a limited pool of qualified job candidates in the region, so it is necessary to recruit faculty and staff from all across the nation. If the name precluded candidates from out of state from applying for DSU jobs, then the University struggles to fill positions as we continue to grow and the teaching and learning experience will suffer, which will lead to decreased enrollment. Almost half (49%) of current faculty and staff think keeping the name Dixie will have a negative impact on recruiting new faculty and staff.

Additionally, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, our accrediting body, recently added a heavy emphasis on inclusion and diversity to their accrediting process, which could affect our score in the future. Although the NWCCU recently granted DSU’s accreditation for seven more years, of the four major commendations for the University, looking into changing our name was among them.

In addition to gaining University status, the incredible growth DSU has experienced over the last five years — adding 111 academic programs and increasing the student body by 41 percent, for example — is the reason why a name change is being recommended. As DSU continues to grow and serve both our local community as well as students from other areas, it is important to have a name that is not only inclusive but also avoids any confusion about the location of the institution. By continuing to grow, more opportunities will become available at the University, offering local and national students alike optimal learning experiences, career preparation, and the skills necessary to meet workforce demands particularly as large companies look to move to this region.

In addition, the number of students graduating from high schools nationwide will drop considerably during the coming years. All institutions of higher learning are carefully working to eliminate any competitive disadvantages in preparation for this highly competitive recruiting environment.

The University is committed to ensuring all individuals are welcomed, safe, and valued members of Trailblazer Nation. Because the institution has used Confederate language and symbols in the past, it is important the University makes a clear declaration that we do not stand for what these symbols represent. Furthermore, the word Dixie still is synonymous to the Confederacy to many. According to Cicero findings, 33% of Southern Utah residents, 41% of Utahns, and 64% of respondents from our recruiting region indicated that Dixie means the South/Confederacy to them.

As we grow into an open, inclusive, comprehensive polytechnic university that recruits students, faculty, and staff from all over the nation, it is important we have a brand that represents who we are and where we’re going.

Dixie State University is a product of the remarkable Southern Utah community. While the University understands that the local meaning of Dixie embodies the region’s pioneering heritage of grit, service, and sacrifice, we also acknowledge that the term evokes negative connotations associated with discrimination and intolerance to others around the nation. As much as we all love our community and heritage, we should not ask students to use a name that could potentially hurt them in the future. Student success is our number one priority, just as it has always been.

The local use of Dixie, included in the name of 150 businesses in the area, has always honored the region’s pioneers without tying to the Confederate South. However, Dixie State hurt the local meaning when it introduced Confederate symbols in the 1950s. While local, private businesses with Dixie in their names can declare that their brand identity is not connected to Confederate ideology and never has been, the University, a public institution, unfortunately, cannot make the same assertions. Furthermore, most local companies serve a local audience who understand and embrace the local meaning of the name Dixie. DSU’s students come from all over the country and then graduate and work all over the country. While private businesses typically have a niche customer base, Dixie State University is a public institution with a responsibility to serve the broader public.

Currently, DSU owns and maintains the D on the Hill and the City of St. George owns and maintains the Dixie Sugarloaf at Pioneer Park. DSU has no desire to take-away or alter the D on the Hill, and the city has no plans to remove Dixie from the large sugarloaf rock. As has been shared, we honor and respect the local meaning of Dixie. In that spirit, and with the support of the City of St. George, we are in the process of applying to have the D on the Hill and the Dixie Sugarloaf be included on the National Register of Historic Places. Our goal is to ensure these landmarks remain  honored symbols for our entire community. We plan to use the D-light capabilities to celebrate not only DSU accomplishments, but also feature local high schools’ colors when they win state championships in addition to recognizing holidays, traditions, initiatives, and more. For example, when Dixie High School wins a championship, we will change the D blue, and when Snow Canyon wins, the D will proudly shine gold and green.

The lasting contributions our community and founders have continuously made since the institution’s founding in 1911 are not lost on us. The success we are experiencing today is possible due to the countless sacrifices and achievements of those who have supported our University throughout the years. In recognition of this, our recent athletic rebrand from the Red Storm to the Trailblazers was specifically designed to better honor our heritage. We will remain the Trailblazers on the court and field as well in the classroom, community, and workplace. We will keep the Trailblazing spirit at the center of everything we do. Nearly every tradition, story, and feeling regarding our heritage can be enjoyed under the Trailblazer identity. Songs and other traditions that honor Dixie as the nickname of Southern Utah will continue to be sung and recognized on campus. As discussed, we will continue to maintain and honor the D on the Hill, and we will continue to share our history during our first-year experience classes, Freshman Friday, and other traditional events.

We respect, understand, and love the regional meaning of Dixie that refers to the cotton mission and means pioneer heritage, camaraderie, grit, sacrifice, and service. However, beyond our regional borders, the term Dixie means something different and often stirs negative connotations associated with discrimination and intolerance. In fact, 33% of Southern Utah residents, 41% of Utahns, and 64% of respondents from our recruiting region indicated that to them, Dixie means the South/Confederacy and what it stands for.

Although several meanings of Dixie exist, throughout our nation, today the term Dixie is most commonly associated with the old South and Confederate states – the eleven Southern states that seceded from the United States in 1860 to form the new Confederate States of America. Dixie was essentially considered the land south of the Mason-Dixon line, where slavery was legal. Because slavery was at the center of the Civil War and a deep fracture in our country’s history, for some, the term Dixie stirs up derogatory connotations of discrimination and intolerance. As a public, open-enrollment institution, it is in our mission and values to be welcoming and accepting of our students.

We acknowledge that the institution used symbols and terms related to the Confederacy in the past. We apologize for this and recognize that such use was insensitive.

As Dixie State has gone through the process of growing from a community college to a comprehensive university, the athletic and institutional brands have had to grow along with the institution. As a result, it was necessary for DSU to study our brand and ensure it accurately represented the institution and its planned growth at that time. Because the Red Storm athletic identity did not resonate with the campus community or pay homage to our history and founders, it was necessary to rebrand the athletic identity to accomplish this important goal. Previous rebrands were conducted with the goal of retaining the Dixie name because of the importance it holds to the community and University. However, now that Cicero’s impact study has indicated that 48% of faculty and staff, 30% of prospective students, 29% of students, 24% of alumni, and 16% of community members feel the name will negatively impact the brand of the institution, it is clear that the name will continue to be problematic and needs to be directly addressed.

Discussions surrounding whether the University should retain the Dixie name have been taking place long before the “cancel culture” mentality rose to prevalence. In fact, in 2013, when the institution gained university status, questions about the name were raised, and the University commissioned an impact study at that time. Then, the results indicated that it was not the right time for a change, but the study did suggest that if the University were to obtain a more national presence, it would need to highly consider a name change. With the institution’s continued growth since that time and increase in recruiting students, faculty, and staff from across the country, we need our name to accurately represent our vision for the future.

While DSU was still working through our 2015-2020 strategic plan, which guided the university from university status to university stature, the administration began formulating the next plan. Our latest strategic plan is highly focused on creating an academic direction that will set us apart from the 5,300 other institutions of higher education in the U.S. As the University’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee began looking into becoming an open, inclusive, comprehensive polytechnic university, it became clear that working toward this mission certainly would set Dixie State apart, as there currently are no other institutions in the country that satisfy all four elements of the mission.

Of all 3,255 respondents, when asked what factors are the most important to the future success of the University, the top four responses were academic reputation of the University, making the University a welcoming/inclusive place for all, enabling students to obtain jobs after graduation, and growing its reputation as a STEM-focused polytechnic institution.

As DSU begins adopting its new polytechnic academic focus, it is important the University’s name is befitting of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-focused institution. With our polytechnic mission focused on preparing students for careers of the future, the institution needs a name that will help us attract, recruit, maintain, and graduate the best and brightest students.

This last year alone, the University has received hundreds of calls, emails, and social media posts and messages from students, parents, employees, community members, donors, and other stakeholders in favor of both keeping and changing our name. In July 2020, DSU publicly announced that it would review the impacts of the Dixie name. The administration then began meeting with more than 150 community members to gather their feedback and opinions. In November 2020, DSU contracted with the Cicero Group to conduct further in-depth research. Any information that DSU received since July 2020, was turned over to Cicero Group. Additionally, Cicero interviewed more than 100 key stakeholders and surveyed 3,000+ members of the public. DSU’s decision is based on this data and other relevant data that has been collected over the years. Although collegiate rebranding is difficult, it is a positive sign to know that so many stakeholders are concerned with the institution and want what is best for its future.

A polytechnic education is characterized by active and applied learning opportunities in the classroom and through industry partnerships, career development, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)-focused academic programs integrated with liberal arts and sciences.

In preparation for our 2020-2025 strategic plan, DSU has been working for the last five years on building the infrastructure necessary to become a polytechnic university. As part of this, we have added 111 new academic programs, emphasized the “active learning. active life.” approach to education, and opened Atwood Innovation Plaza, Southern Utah’s hub for entrepreneurism and innovation.

As an open, inclusive, comprehensive polytechnic university, Dixie State will be committed to expanding our capacity to offer affordable, active, and meaningful educational opportunities and preparing a highly skilled workforce for our growing region and state. Even as we implement new cutting-edge polytechnic programs, Dixie State will remain a comprehensive university and continue to offer a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate programs that integrate a liberal arts education and engage the community.

In line with our mission to be an inclusive university, Dixie State will help diverse individuals learn and succeed by offering a variety of inclusive teaching methods that resonate with all students. As an open institution, we will continue to remove any obstacles that traditionally block students from earning an education while making our resources available to anyone who seeks them.

Learn more about Dixie State University’s polytechnic accomplishments and our comprehensive plan for the future.

A name recommendation has not been identified yet, but the process is underway. Generally, there are three types of brand names for colleges and universities: historical figure names, geographical names, or mission-descriptive names. Understanding this common pattern, there are several alternatives that represent the University’s mission, values, and community well. As with the Trailblazer identity, we are including the community in the decision-making process to help us identify a name that illustrates our focus, mission, and future direction.

As a state institution, we strive to use all state resources conservatively and responsibly. We’ll work collaboratively with state leaders to keep costs as low as possible. Rebranding is never taken lightly because it is often expensive and no organization wants to lose brand equity. At times, however, the cost of not rebranding can be much greater. For example, the data shows 24% of white, 27% of non-white, and 43% of African American prospective students say the name Dixie has a negative impact on their willingness to attend the school. Additionally, the research shows that the name itself would prevent 36% of out-of-state, recent alumni from referring others to DSU. With these data points and others provided in the report, it is easy to see how in a short amount of time, the cost of not changing could be far greater than the costs associated with a rebrand.

It was important to DSU administration to determine if the name is in fact hindering our students’ ability to secure jobs after graduating, as successfully preparing Trailblazers for the careers of their dreams is at the core of our mission. To accomplish this, it was important the University had comprehensive, up-to-date data. DSU commissioned Cicero Group to conduct more than 100 in-depth interviews and focus groups across various populations in addition to administering a survey to more than 3,000 respondents using a multi-directional approach. Where the 2013 study only surveyed the local community, for this study, Cicero engaged with a wide variety of stakeholders including the local community, students, faculty, staff, alumni, prospective students, prospective faculty and staff, donors, NCAA representatives, accrediting bodies, branding professionals, and more. To cover the expenses of the $98,500 study, DSU used funds from internal revenues generated by business services; no tuition, taxpayer, or donated dollars were used for the survey. While we recognize that a significant amount of resources were used on the study, it was critical to DSU to secure this data so we can confidently make decisions that will best serve our students well into the future.

Results from the Cicero study indicate that 2/3 of alumni who graduated prior to 2009 would consider reducing their support if the name of the University changes, which is very difficult to learn. We understand that any movement to change the name of Dixie State University could lead community members and supporters to distance themselves from the University. While this prospect concerns and saddens us, we have a deep obligation to help foster our students’ success. Looking out for the best interest of our current and future students, in this case by ensuring their employment prospects are not hindered by the name of the alma mater listed on their résumés, needs to be our top priority. It is our hope that all alumni will eventually see that no one is attempting to take away their history or memories. We simply aim to build a legacy that will help both the institution and our students reach their full potential.