A question for state schoolers

Dionysus · #1 10-11-2007, 04:46 PM

Has your school ever changed names while you were attending or after you graduated? Has another school in your system changed names? Specifically, has any school (yours or another in your system) went from University of X-State at X-City to just University of X-State...or X-State University? How did you feel about this?

I guess a simple answer would be that whatever school decides to call themselves University of X-State will alienate the rest of the schools within the system. It kind of implies that they were the first established and/or the most important/prestigious university. Even if it is true (it pretty much is most of time), the other colleges within the system won't appreaciate the name change.

The above aside, what other advantages will a school gain if they change their name? What disadvantages will the name change effect the other schools within the system?

SWTXBelle · #2 10-11-2007, 05:05 PM

My alma mater went from Southwest Texas State University to Texas State University - San Marcos. I HATE IT. It has had some form of "Southwest Texas" in its name from the get-go (1899). The reasoning behind the name change was that "directional" school names don't have cachet. They alientated a great many alumni, including me, because the name change was seen as being at the behest of the athletic department, damn tradition. We were always "Southwest Texans". Now what are we - TSU-SM? S and M????? I don't wish to be "TSU" - in Texas, that is either Texas Southern University, a historically black school that has been plagued by a seemingly never-ending series of scandals, or Tarleton State University, the "cowboy" college. Both schools have produced some impressive alumni - but I don't wish to be associated with either. Southwest Texas was distinctive and unique. Texas State University - San Marcos already has to share the stage with Texas State University - Round Rock. We are reduced to being no better than a johnny come lately commuter school.
ARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.

33girl · #3 10-11-2007, 05:13 PM

Is this about that whole Southwest Missouri/Missouri State thing?

All the state schools in PA are [Town Name Where the School Is] University of PA...they started out as [Town Name] Normal School, to [Town Name] State Teachers College, to [Town Name] State College and now University.

A couple years ago, the president of California U of PA wanted to change their name to Eberly University (after a prominent donor) because he thought people got confused as to where the school was and it was "hurting their enrollment." Considering Indiana U of PA is the biggest school in the system, that was a really dumb argument.

He also talked about other names which would have made it, IMO, EVEN HARDER for people to understand where the school is.

http://www.postgazette.com/regionsta...erlyreg4p4.asp

Indiana U of PA mostly goes by IUP. I think they have it on their official stationary and such, rather than spelling it out. That's about as much of a "difference" as people are willing to put up with.

I can't see ANY of the state schools changing their name unless they completely leave the state system.

Cluey · #4 10-11-2007, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I don't wish to be "TSU" - in Texas, that is either Texas Southern University, a historically black school that has been plagued by a seemingly never-ending series of scandals, or Tarleton State University, the "cowboy" college.

I totally agree with this and thought the name change was silly. You, however, are cracking me up with the "cowboy" college reference. Thank you for making me smile!

alum · #5 10-11-2007, 06:43 PM

In the Commonwealth of Virginia sometime after we moved here in 2000, the College of Mary Washington became the University of Mary Washington in recognition of the number of graduate programs. There was much dissention about the decision.

Apparently GMU was originally named "George Mason College of the University of Virginia."

Longwood University was also founded under a different name as any member of the Farmville 4 would know. It was founded in 1839 as the Farmville Female Seminary Association, was designated as Farmville Female College in 1860. It became the State Normal School for Women in 1914, the State Teachers College at Farmville in 1924, and Longwood College in 1949.

IIRC, many of the old state teachers colleges in Massachusetts are now called UMass-Location.

Benzgirl · #6 10-11-2007, 06:59 PM

The Ohio State University was founded in 1870 under the name of the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. In 1878, the college permanently changed its name to the now-familiar "The Ohio State University."

LPIDelta · #7 10-11-2007, 09:50 PM

I don't know anyone who calls it TSU--everyone I know calls it Texas State or "That school in San Marcos". And we rarely reference Round Rock.

honeychile · #8 10-11-2007, 10:45 PM

Laughing & remembering how frustrated my aunts were about me always confusing Pennsylvania State University and University of Pennsylvania as a kid - especially since two were professors at PSU!

Senusret I · #9 10-11-2007, 11:29 PM

More trivia:

The Normal School for Colored Girls was founded in 1851 in DC by Myrtilla Miner.
1861 - Became the Institution for Education of Colored Youth
1871 - Associated with Howard University as the Miner Normal School
1879 - Miner Normal School becomes part of the DC Public School system
1929 - accredited by congress as Miner Teacher's College
1955 - Merged with the all-white Wilson Teacher's College to become DC Teachers College
1977 - DC Teachers College merges with Federal City College and the Washington Technical Institute to become the University of the District of Columbia

I had teachers who went to the DC Teachers College.

SWTXBelle · #10 10-12-2007, 08:29 AM

I think TX State is clunky compared to SWTexas - but I'm biased. The school kept telling alumni "We won't be TSU "- and I guess they've been successful, but it seems to me a battle that didn't need to be fought.

Plus how would you yell "Who ya rootin' for - S W T ! Who are you - G Phi B!"???

And yes, TX State-Round Rock is hardly a blip on the radar, but if SOME had their way, we'd have TX State-Huntsville, TX State- Nacanowhere (you Texans know what I mean

) , etc.

The change from college to university is different. That is more of a recognition of a change in degrees offered than a mere whim of the administration.

LXA SE285 · #11 10-12-2007, 09:44 AM

My alma mater started out as Alabama Girls' Industrial School in 1896, then became the Alabama Girls' Technical Institute in 1911, Alabama Girls' Technical Institute and State College in 1919 (it was previously just a high school/vo-tech school), Alabama College: The State College for Women in 1923, Alabama College in 1956 (after men were admitted), and finally the University of Montevallo in 1969.

Whew.

Dionysus · #12 10-12-2007, 10:39 AM

Yes, including Mizzou, UMR, and another school that I cannot remember right now. This is getting crazy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Is this about that whole Southwest Missouri/Missouri State thing?

All the state schools in PA are [Town Name Where the School Is] University of PA...they started out as [Town Name] Normal School, to [Town Name] State Teachers College, to [Town Name] State College and now University.

A couple years ago, the president of California U of PA wanted to change their name to Eberly University (after a prominent donor) because he thought people got confused as to where the school was and it was "hurting their enrollment." Considering Indiana U of PA is the biggest school in the system, that was a really dumb argument.

He also talked about other names which would have made it, IMO, EVEN HARDER for people to understand where the school is.

http://www.postgazette.com/regionsta...erlyreg4p4.asp

Indiana U of PA mostly goes by IUP. I think they have it on their official stationary and such, rather than spelling it out. That's about as much of a "difference" as people are willing to put up with.

I can't see ANY of the state schools changing their name unless they completely leave the state system.

Glitter650 · #13 10-12-2007, 12:02 PM

My school is one of two in the system that is simply (city) State University The others are all Cali State UNiversity @ (city) I've heard this is because the first two were founded before the whole system was formalized into the California State University system. They also DID just change the name of California State University Hayward to "California State University East Bay"
I personally didn't really like this name change, but it was done to "better reflect the geographic location the students represent == shrugs==

All the University of California are University of California at (city) but that is a completely different system. =)

tld221 · #14 10-12-2007, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glitter650

My school is one of two in the system that is simply (city) State University The others are all Cali State UNiversity @ (city) I've heard this is because the first two were founded before the whole system was formalized into the California State University system. They also DID just change the name of California State University Hayward to "California State University East Bay"
I personally didn't really like this name change, but it was done to "better reflect the geographic location the students represent == shrugs==

All the University of California are University of California at (city) but that is a completely different system. =)

slightly off-topic, but i have this argument with my boss ALL THE TIME. are there levels of "prestige" within the UC system? For example, UCLA and Berkeley are pretty up there, and others are... not? My boss says theyre all the same cause theye state schools (to which i say, well they all have their own administration and student bodies). but then he says all the SUNY schools (NY's state school system) are different because theyre "in different locations."

clearly hes an idiot - but i will say, IMO, the SUNYs dont have much prestige amongst each other (though im sure Albany, Binghamton and Buffalo, Old West and Stonybrook get more play than say, SUNY Plattsburgh, Onieda and Potsdam)

side note: this is why it would piss me off when the actors on Felicity would refer to NYU as "University of NY," cause umm... NYU =/= SUNY.

SoCalGirl · #15 10-13-2007, 12:18 AM

Felicity and a million other shows use University of New York because of copyright issues of NYU.

Yes, there is a hierarchy among the UCs. Berekely, LA and SD are top three. Merced is brand new so I'd think it'd be at the bottom by default. SF is graduate only with a focus on medical so it doesn't really compare.

Berekely
LA/SD -> Lot's of debate over how much the LA D1 standing drives it's popularity over SD. Last year, I believe, SD got more applicants than LA.
Davis
Irvine
Santa Barbara/Riverside/Santa Cruz **
Merced

**Santa Barbara is hurt by a party reputation. Riverside suffers, IMO, from "red headed step child syndrome". Santa Cruz went too long before deciding to give grades in classes.