Utah Valley State's move to university status is progressing

As announced in this blog on January 6, Utah Valley State College will become Utah Valley University on July 1, 2008. Approved by the institutional trustees but pending approval of the state board of regents, several schools within Utah Valley State will also rebrand.

The School of Arts and Humanities will be split into two schools: the School of Arts and the College of Humanities. The School of Health Science will become the College of Health Science. The School of Technology and Computing will upgrade to college status. The School of General Academics will be repositioned as the University College.

The School of Education, the School of Continuing Education, and the Woodbury School of Business will not experience any name changes.

Typically the rebranding of schools within a university are listed in the HEP Higher Educational Directories (see Spencer, 2005) among institutional name changes. With the exception of the public outcry against the Welmark brand being applied to the University of Iowa's College of Public Health as blatant commercialism, these changes normally occur without any stakeholder furor or outcry.

See UVSC renaming academic schools to fit university model


For a historical perspective of a change that did not occur, see the following stories about the University of Iowa's failed plan to add sponsorship to a college within a university. Dateline 2007.

A College By Any Other Name
Philanthropy with Strings: Wellmark Pulls $15 Million Gift to UI
Wellmark Withdraws Offer of $15 Million Donation to University of Iowa

I thought the University of Iowa's story from 2007 was fascinating as it has some societal implications; however, I omitted it from my dissertation as it really didn't fit any of my main topics of consideration. Therefore, for a historical perspective, I have included it here.

Spencer, D. C. (2005). College and university name change: A study of perceived strategy
and goal achievement. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Virginia). UMI No. 3161630.
Spencer referred to these rebrandings as occurring in "sub-schools."

Malone College is becoming Malone University

On February 9, 2008, the Malone College board of trustees voted unanimously to rebrand as Malone University. According to an institutional press release, "The Board reaffirmed that mission and emphasized the potential for enhanced educational opportunities within the liberal arts context for the growing number of undergraduate students already studying in 90 different academic programs. The name change is also consistent with MaloneҀs desire to explore further graduate and continuing studies opportunities in Northeast Ohio and beyond."

Malone began offering graduate programs in 1990 and adopted a university structure in 1999. The official date of the name change has not yet been determined.

Press Release

Ohio's Heidelberg College considering University Status

According to President F. Dominic Dottavio, Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio is "considering changing the schoolҀs name back to ӀHeidelberg UniversityԀ ׀ not to be confused with the University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany ׀ because the scope of its programs is changing, and it offers a wider variety of professional programs."

While the president is considering a retrobranding tactic, The History of Heidelberg College by Williard (1879) indicates that the school was known as Heidelberg College since its 1850 inception. The school was chartered under this name in 1851 and was founded by the Reformed Church in the U.S. The school is currently under the auspices of the Reformed Church's successor denomination: the United Church of Christ.

Time will tell whether the school will make the leap of faith to university status.

'Berg defies "big-box' approach

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