Retirement Reception for President Nadauld

Dixie State University will host a special farewell reception honoring President and Mrs. Stephen D. Nadauld on Tuesday evening.

Last October, Dr. Nadauld announced he was retiring as the 17^th president of DSU at the end of the 2013-14 academic year. The announcement marked the end of a brilliant career in higher education, including six years at the helm at Dixie State.

Nadauld was appointed interim president of then-Dixie State College on March 27, 2008. Then on January 15, 2010, the Utah State Board of Regents unanimously voted to permanently appoint Nadauld as the 17th president of DSU, and he was formally inaugurated two months later on March 19. Previously, Nadauld had served as president of Weber State University from 1985 to 1990.

During his tenure at Dixie State, Nadauld oversaw a period of great transformation at the institution, including unprecedented enrollment growth, the addition of 15 new baccalaureate degree programs and the hiring of nearly 50 new faculty members with Ph.D. credentials, and the increasing number of students graduating with two and four-year degrees.  In addition, a number of campus construction and facility improvements were completed, most notably the construction of the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons.

However, Nadauld’s legacy will be forever cemented in Dixie State’s proud history thanks to his efforts in gaining university status for the institution last year. In February of 2013, both houses of the Utah State Legislature voted to pass House Bill 61 on February 13, which called for Dixie State College to attain university status and change its name to Dixie State University. Three days later on Feb. 16, 2013, Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert signed HB61 into law making DSU the sixth university in the USHE system and the third open enrollment regional university in Utah.

“Our campus and community will be eternally grateful to President and Margaret Nadauld for their leadership over the past six years,” said Christina Schultz, DSU Vice President of Institutional Advancement. “Our rapid enrollment growth, transition to university status and campus improvements would not have been possible without the vision and determination to move our great institution forward. 

“We invite the community to join us in celebrating the Nadaulds and bidding them a fond farewell,” Schultz added. “This will be an opportunity for all of us to thank the President and Margaret for their loyal service and enduring accomplishments.”