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Show Comprehensive Discussion Given On Dixie College Transfer Question i Editor's Note: The following article reprinted from a J recent issue of the Washington County News and written by Mrs. Nora Lyman, editorial writer for the paper, gives an excellent discussion of the feeling the people of St. George with regard to the transfer of Dixie College from state to church operation. This is an important question for all voters who will have the opportunity of approving transfer of the college to the church or its retention by the state. The thinking of St. George people should assist citizens of other areas in reaching a decision on the important im-portant issue. Dixie College is facing perhaps the most crucial period in her history and it is time that we all pause for a bit of serious and sober thinking. According to reports, the enrollment at Dixie College is the lowest it has been for some years, in spite of local scholarships and assistance. Students who would normally be expected to attend Dixie from St. George, Washington County and the surrounding area are finding the College of Southern Utah and schools farther north more attractive. attrac-tive. This is their privilege, of course, but the situation certainly cer-tainly warrants some serious thought on our part. Why do they go? Through the years when Utah was pioneering and the L D S church was struggling to establish centers of higher learning throughout the state, the going was rough and the people were relieved when the state took over the college. col-lege. That was a time when Cedar City, too, was a junior college, and there was some hope of financial and attendance attend-ance equality respecting the two institutions, even though Cedar City was a branch of the U S A C. Lack of finances has dogged Dixie College since its beginning, yet the people steadfastly sacrificed to keep a local center of culture in their midst, and their attitude has not changed. We must keep Dixie College. The facts we have to face, however, are neither pleasant pleas-ant nor encouraging so far as looking to the state is concerned. con-cerned. Since being turned to the state, no new school buildings have been built or other investment of a permanent perman-ent nature made, other than maintenance, by state funds. Dixie College received $214,()(X) for the biennium just past and S23(),(XK) for the present biennium, but her enrollment does not justify a continuation of this financial outlay, says our state legislature, when we have a four year branch of the USAC to close to us and others in the northern part of the stale. With our present enrollment at this low ebb, this is a discouraging situation in view of the fact that .since the four-year branch of the Utah State Agricultural College Col-lege has been established at Cedar City, the bulk of state funds for southern Utah has been going there and likely will continue to do so, as much as we would like to believe be-lieve otherwise, regardless of the political party at the helm. Within the past two years, she lias received appropriations approp-riations for a new, enlarged heating plant and obtained funds for women and men's residence halls, rebuilt her library, made many other. physical improvements, and has a greatly expanded social and scholastic program to offer because of her affiliations. During the special session of the legislature, the burden bur-den of state financing of junior colleges came up as a major issue, and consideration was given to dropping them, since low enrollment and necessary cash outlay made the cost per student so much higher than at other institutions. It was then that the L D S church authorities said they would take Weber, Snow and Dixie and maintain them as church schools, feeders to Brigham Young University, Univer-sity, whose enrollment has become so large that it must look elsewhere for under-classman campuses. Only upper classmen would then attend B Y U according to that plan. It seems to me that this is the big opportunity for Dixie College. Situated as she is, she will draw all first and second year college students from Nevada, California, Arizona and southern Utah who ordinarily attend B Y U. As a part of the church expansion program in education, it would be more advantageous to enlarge Dixie than to build a new college in Las Vegas or Los Angeles, as they are being urged to do. College buildings, residence halls and other enlargement enlarge-ment facilities would be a part of the plan to accommodate the students who attended from other areas. An expanded expand-ed curriculum, wider social advantages, greater cultural opportunities would also be a part of the expansion program pro-gram which, naturally, would invite participation by the community as well. We can take care of an almost unlimited unlim-ited student body in this progressive city. Dixie College, to me, is just as much a part of this wonderful Dixieland as the red hill, the mountains and the Virgin River. My heart has ached as I have listened to the story of her early struggles and the continuous fight she has had for existence. Each year her enrollment seems harder to maintain. I truly believe her door of opportunity has opened wide. If we close it, we may be closing the future fu-ture of our college. |
