Best News Stories of 2016 for Southern Utah University

Published: December 29, 2016 | Author: Jessica Young | Read Time: 3 minutes

2016 has been quite the year for Southern Utah University. From opening ceremonies, to prestigious accolades, to growth in the student body, SUU has increased its reputation and brand awareness. As we look back on these accomplishments, thank you for supporting SUU and being a part of the year of achievement.

In no particular order, here are the top ten news stories from SUU's Office of Marketing Communication.

Opening of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts
Trumpets sounded and flags flew as the new Beverley Center for the Arts was dedicated over a three-day celebration from July 7 - 9. Over a thousand people gathered to honor the legacy of the Center's namesake and pay tribute to the people who spent hours planning, designing, and building this vibrant arts mecca.

SUU Day in the Parks
More than 4,500 students, faculty, and staff from Southern Utah University celebrated the National Park Service Centennial on August 25. Classes were suspended on that day for SUU Day in the Parks, which encouraged the SUU community to actively engage and explore the amazing parks and recreational areas surrounding campus.

Funding for New Business Building Approved
Progress on the new business building continued when the Utah Legislature approved funding for $8 million. Momentum for the new building started in March of 2015, when SUU received the largest single gift in its history- $7.5 million from the Dixie and Anne Leavitt Foundation.

New Sponsor for Utah Summer Games
Southern Utah University's Utah Summer Games announced that the Larry H. Miller Group will be the new title sponsor of the games. The partnership was revealed at the Opening Ceremony on the evening of June 9 at SUU's Eccles Coliseum. Officials are thrilled to be working with the Miller family.

Former President of Ukraine Spoke at SUU Commencement
A fighter for freedom and leader of a nation, Victor Yushchenko, third president of Ukraine, spoke alongside his wife, Kateryna Yushchenko, to the Southern Utah University Class of 2016. The 2016 graduating class had 1,712 graduates.

T-Birds Fly to the NFL
Leading up to the 2016 NFL draft, Matt Miller, an expert with Bleacher Report, tweeted, “Southern Utah will have more players selected than Texas.” In fact, SUU produced six draft prospects, as many as Texas and Michigan combined during this year's NFL combine. The small town of Cedar City will now be known for more than its natural beauty and Shakespearean theatre, but also its success on the gridiron because of these once no-star recruits.

White House Recognition
This fall, The White House recognized the progress being made across the country to incorporate computer science curriculum into the classroom. Southern Utah University in partnership with North Elementary was one of the programs acknowledged during the White House Computer Science for All Summit live stream event.

SUU Partners with SkyWest Airlines
SkyWest Airlines, a subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. and Southern Utah University have partnered to establish a Tuition Reimbursement Program that will help support development of aspiring professional pilots. Through the new partnership, SkyWest may provide qualifying SUU student pilots up to $10,000 tuition reimbursement to help on their way to becoming one of SkyWest's more than 4,000 professional pilots.

Largest Freshman Class
SUU introduced the largest class of new first-time freshman in school history this year with a total of 1,586 students. The surge of new students has increased the overall enrollment at SUU by 4.71 percent.

National Rankings
SUU was ranked among the top universities in The Wall Street Journal/TImes Higher Education College Rankings 2017. The University was once again recognized by the Princeton Review as one of the top regional schools in the country. SUU was also listed as a top-level university by U.S. News and World Report on their 2017 Best Colleges list.

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