Just after Utah State University (USU) took over College of Eastern Utah (CEU), I asked Frank Ori, who was then my assistant at Carbon County Recreation, when Datsun became Nissan.
He looked at me with a look that can only be explained as dismay. He did, of course, respond that he had no idea when Datsun became Nissan.
Neither does anyone else. It was a masterful advertising and public relations campaign.
The company changed the name so slowly that no one knew it was being changed.
First it was Datsun automobiles at your “Nissan Dealer.” Eventually, and no one knows just when, the name Datsun was dropped entirely.
The point? The same thing happened with our college.
Poor management ran the college into the ground. A business, in the free enterprise system, could not have survived. A president was named who tried to turn the college into something it wasn’t — and couldn’t be.
That president was removed, but the college was in deficit mode for many years, because it was allowed to do so. Who allowed it? That’s a good question, but a question for the Board of Regents. I have no idea. Let is suffice to say, in order to save the college something had to be done.
So, USU entered stage right. Lots of things were said. Lots of promises were made. A document was prepared, detailing how the transfer of power was to take place.
College of Eastern Utah would retain its identity. It would continue to be a community college. Or at least that was my understanding.
At first it seemed like that would be the case. Our college was saved. We were happy to have it called Utah State University-College of Eastern Utah.
CEU colors would be retained. The mascot would be retained. Our sports teams would play in the same leagues.
The college would no longer have a president, but a chancellor. It would ultimately be under the authority of Utah State University, but it would, in some unique way, still be our community college. Programs were cut. In order to appease the staff, all retained instructors were made associate professors.
If I remember correctly, and I may not, the college then became USU-Eastern. At some point the hyphen was removed and it was Utah State University Eastern.
All references to CEU, including school colors, were dropped.
The eagle mascot was retained, but it was no longer “Golden.” It became blue, along with everything else.
Tuition increased (now significantly more than competing Snow College).
Traditional organizations, like the CEU Alumni Association, were no longer supported, nor appreciated.
At some point, and I have no idea when this occurred, we were “Datsuned.”
‘Datsun-ization’ of CEU now complete … but is it better?
STEVE CHRISTENSEN