Utah Tech University is a leading open-enrollment educational institution offering excellent value with more than 250 academic programs and one of the lowest tuition rates in the Western United States. With its motto of ‘active learning. active life.’ Utah Tech University provides a highly customized and engaging learning experience under the direction of the experienced staff and faculty. Utah Tech, which previously was known as Dixie State University, is at the forefront of technology, entrepreneurship, and education and combines cutting-edge learning approaches across all disciplines.
The Educator
As the President of Utah Tech University, Dr. Richard Biff Williams is eager to help the university carve out its own niche. He recognizes the importance of moving quickly and methodically while deciding what programs and offerings the university should focus on, build, and add.
Before joining Utah Tech University as its 18th President, Dr. Williams served as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Founding Dean of the College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services at Indiana State University. Before that, he served as an Associate Dean of the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa, where he was a faculty member, the Athletic Training Department Chair/Program Director, and the Executive Associate Director of the School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services.
“I have worked in education my entire career. My first job out of college was as a certified athletic trainer for El Paso High School and elementary physical education teacher to kindergarten through fourth-grade students at Lamar Elementary School in El Paso, Texas. That job took me out of my element, but I absolutely loved it. It made me fall in love with teaching,”– Dr. Williams remembered.
Making Higher Education Accessible for Everyone
Utah Tech University is entirely a student-centric organization that demonstrates it by providing a hands-on learning experience that prepares students for meaningful lives and rewarding careers. The university offers personalized and engaging learning opportunities, including internships, clinical experiences, co-ops, program advisory boards, industry partnerships, and workforce pipelines. It is proud to provide ‘active learning. active life.’ experiences in and out of the classroom by offering the complete experience of student life opportunities, Division I athletics, and cultural events on one of the safest campuses in the West.
As an open-access institution, Utah Tech University is promoting inclusivity through personalized services, diverse teaching methods, and access to open educational resources. Being open-access means any student who graduated high school or has a GED is accepted to Utah Tech.
“We love that anyone who wishes to better themselves by earning an education has a home here at UT. We are working on building 4-in-4 pathways that offer students an award each year that will help them in the workforce if they need to pause their education for any reason. For example, students can earn a certificate in their first year, then an associate degree in the second year, an advanced certificate in the third year, and a baccalaureate degree after four years,”- Dr. Williams explained.
Increasing Access to Higher Education
Not only does Utah Tech University offer the most affordable university tuition in the state, but it also offers a quality education in which students get personalized attention from their professors that guides their success.
The University serves thousands of first-generation college students and is committed to offering them and other students the support they need to succeed. The university offers completely personalized appointments with support services such as peer coaches, academic advisors, and career counselors accessible.
An Ever-Growing University
Thanks in part to its growing number of academic programs, Utah Tech has seen a steady increase in its student enrollment. Representing the consistent growth of the university, Utah Tech’s fall enrollment has increased by 50 percent since the Fall of 2014. To meet the needs of its growing student body, the university has added 11 buildings since 2014 and increased its facility square footage on campus by 39 percent in that same time period.
Future Roadmap
As the Southern Utah community continues to grow, Utah Tech University will also continue to grow to meet the community’s needs. The university has recently acquired 183 acres of land to build a new campus, which will house University programming, including an academic innovation district. With the growing need for workforce in the tech sector in Utah, the district will help create entrepreneurs, teach students about the field, and provide space for new companies to flourish. This high-impact learning environment will welcome industry partners in research and development facilities as well as business incubators to accelerate graduates’ career readiness.
At the same time, UT will continue to offer active learning opportunities that help prepare students to enter the workforce career ready. As a part of this, adding new academic programs is an ongoing process for the university, and it has further plans to add more certificates, minors, baccalaureate degrees, and master’s degrees to its academic offerings in 2023.
