Harvard newspaper doesn't want a 4th sorority

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Very true, though it unquestionably has a directional name, which is what I was really getting at -- the directional name isn't in and of itself a problem for the school. (And I bet lots of people don't know it's private.)

Whatever the NCAA thinks, I've never been convinced that the University of State at Whatevercity is an inherently better name than, say, Eastwestern State University. The former may tell you where the school is without having to consult Google or the Wiki, but it also heightens confusion with and maybe even dilutes the cachet of the other Universities of State at Whatevercities.

I'm glad Illinois hasn't taken the route of stripping directional names. It may be because the UofI (at UC/C/S and maybe soon Peoria) is its own system and so you can't change Eastern Illinois University to U of I Charleston. Additionally there's already an Illinois State U and there are two Southerns. We're too screwed up to change it now.

/not really screwed up

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

I'm glad Illinois hasn't taken the route of stripping directional names. It may be because the UofI (at UC/C/S and maybe soon Peoria) is its own system and so you can't change Eastern Illinois University to U of I Charleston. Additionally there's already an Illinois State U and there are two Southerns. We're too screwed up to change it now.

/not really screwed up

SWT was a member of the Texas State University system before it switched. I think there would be a firestorm if the rest of the universities in that system followed TxState's lead.

I find it weird that, with all the directional back-and-forth, University of Houston and University of North Texas seem to be thriving. UH was bumped up to Tier 1 status recently (joining UT, A+M, and Rice), and UNT is trying to move itself up as well.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

SWT was a member of the Texas State University system before it switched. I think there would be a firestorm if the rest of the universities in that system followed TxState's lead.

I find it weird that, with all the directional back-and-forth, University of Houston and University of North Texas seem to be thriving. UH was bumped up to Tier 1 status recently (joining UT, A+M, and Rice), and UNT is trying to move itself up as well.

Most Texans don't even know that Texas State has two campuses - Texas State - San Marcos and Texas State - Round Rock.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Most Texans don't even know that Texas State has two campuses - Texas State - San Marcos and Texas State - Round Rock.

Count me as one of those Texans. How long has the RR campus been around?

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

Count me as one of those Texans. How long has the RR campus been around?

I stand corrected - apparently all the yelling worked and it is now not being called TX State - Round Rock (which was what they were calling it about 2 yrs. ago) but the "Round Rock Higher Education Center - Texas State - San Marcos". Note that it is still "TX State - San Marcos".

It's all silly.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I stand corrected - apparently all the yelling worked and it is now not being called TX State - Round Rock (which was what they were calling it about 2 yrs. ago) but the "Round Rock Higher Education Center - Texas State - San Marcos". Note that it is still "TX State - San Marcos".

It's all silly.

Interesting.

UTA has a similar setup with its Fort Worth campuses.

I wish the systems would focus more on getting more of our schools to Tier 1 status than worrying about "OMG THE NAME IS PODUNK"

[Munchkin03]

Does every school have to be Tier 1, though?

We might have different definitions of what it means to be "Tier 1," so our mileages may vary, but when I think of top-tier schools in large states like Texas, I think of UT-Austin and A&M-College Station (or, in California, the UC system). Those schools have basically every major you can think of, and are major research universities. As a result, their admissions standards are very stringent.

Not every college has to be a Tier 1 Research University, or even Tier 1 in terms of US News's rankings. Especially in terms of public education in a state that's trying to keep its students in-state after graduation, a mix is best--some schools should focus specifically on the education of undergraduates with maybe a few Masters programs thrown in. Some schools should focus on commuters and non-traditional students. In fact, that very emphasis on undergraduate education and/or non-traditional students can preclude a university from ranking "high" on a national list.