Sunday, January 13, 2008

New Name Suggested for Community College System in Alabama

This from today's Tuscaloosa News:

"Postsecondary Education Chancellor Bradley Byrne wants to change the name of the two-year college system from The Alabama College System to the Alabama Community College System."


"Martha Simmons, the system's communications director, said the name change will better reflect the role the system plays and will describe a more definitive role when marketed."

That is the extent of what's in the news. It sounds as though it is the right move as it does provide a name that matches their mission. Film at 11.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Anoka-Ramsey Community College Considering Bridgeway College Name Change

For several years, Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Minnesota has been considering a change of name that would accomplish three things. One: drop the "community college" designation to favor just "college." Two: rebrand itself with a new identity. Three: reduce any confusion between the college and two other educational entities with similar names.

The original name choice was Ardent College; however, this has been scrapped in favor of Bridgeway College. While intensive research has been conducted by the school, no concrete decision has been made on whether to continue with the present name or become Bridgeway College. The school provides their research procedures and rationale on their website. Although having known of this possible change, I did not include this school in my research as the name change was not definite.

See Anoka-Ramsey CommunityCollege Name Change Process


and

Questions and Answers.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Florida's Indian River Community College hopes to drop the "Community" Designation

Florida's Indian River Community College began offering classes in its newly approved Bachelor's of Science in Nursing degree program today. This step is positioning the school for a new name: Indian River College. Unlike community colleges in a number states that have dropped the "community" designation, Indian River has justified the move based on its approval at the baccalaureate level by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Florida legislature will vote on this change during the 2008 session. If passed, IRCC will begin phasing in the adjusted brand name.

See
First day Of IRCC Bachelor’s Degree Classes Marks Historic First for College and Community

and

Indian River Community College Begins Bachelor's Degree Program



Sunday, January 6, 2008

Utah Valley State College to become Utah Valley University

Utah Valley State College gears up for its 6th name change to Utah Valley University on July 1, 2008. Over the years, the school has transitioned from a site offering vocational classes, to a technical college, to a community college, to a state college, and will become a university. In 2007, the Utah state legislature and governor approved the offering of a Master's in Education and the move to university status.

The plan to move to university status appears to be well coordinated and better documented than any institution I've seen in recent time. The website dealing with this change is "chock full" of useful information that would benefit any school considering the "college-to-university" metamorphosis. I wish that I had known about this change while in the research phase of my dissertation. Needless to say, I am impressed with the attention to detail to which this institution has committed itself and the administration's willingness to provide this info to stakeholders. In a word, "Impressive."

See the following:

Top Ten FAQ's About UVU.
University Status Commentary.
Documentation.
Governance and Administration of Higher Education in Utah.
Students' FAQs
Communities of Engaged Learners Initiative.
Marketing and Promotion.

The school appears to be using a "Translucent Warning" brand implementation strategy (Kaikati & Kaikati, 2003) in the process of changing its name. By keeping the primary identifier of "Utah Valley," but the dropping of "State," this is an example of what I termed as a minor-complex name change. See Chapter Three: Realizing the "College-to-University" Change from my dissertation. This chapter outlines the various brand implementation strategies and types of name changes instituted when colleges transitioned to a universities.

See USVC edges toward university debut by Brittani Lusk of the Daily Herald