Naming colleges by committee and geography
I understand that the rechristening of a new merged public university has to be done with sensitivity and care as not to offend.
Apparently, it also has to be done with a map.
Judging by the new names — two of which were formally announced today – it seems geography was the chief inspiration in naming the four institutions resulting from the consolidation of eight colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia. The names were the product of committees, which also may explain the safety of the choices.
Introducing:
• South Georgia State College for the consolidated institutions of South Georgia College (Douglas) and Waycross College.
• Georgia Regents University for the consolidation of Augusta State University and Georgia Health Sciences University.
• University of North Georgia for the consolidation of North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega and Gainesville State College.
• Middle Georgia State College for the consolidation of Middle Georgia College in Cochran and Macon State College.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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37 comments Add your comment
catlady
August 7th, 2012
4:33 pm
When Portch was the chancellor, he tried to change some names. The outcry at Dahlonega convinced him to just add “and State University” to the North Georgia College. I am guessing there will be problems again.
I don’t see Macon State doing any less. No one wants their name wiped out.
redweather
August 7th, 2012
4:50 pm
Georgia Regents University? What an incredibly stupid name!
redweather
August 7th, 2012
4:53 pm
Although now that I think about it, Georgia Regents University is no worse than Georgia Perimeter College.
Halftrack
August 7th, 2012
5:05 pm
They should have renamed the schools a total new name. They could have looked back into History for some names using any thing in the past before 1900. Eli Whitney University, Nancy Hart State College, this gives you an idea. Our officials could have come up with more regional names to honor our forebears.
Pride and Joy
August 7th, 2012
5:10 pm
What’s in a name? Will a good university teach as well by any other name?
catlady
August 7th, 2012
5:15 pm
They went after Dalton College as well. Wanted to call it “Northwest Georgia College” or somesuch. The carpet barons railed so loudly, that was dropped quickly. Now it is Dalton State College, but nobody better mess with that name!
Archie
August 7th, 2012
5:18 pm
When I graduated Ga. State in 1984, there only four universities in the whole state of Georgia; Ga. State, UGA, Ga. Tech, and the Medical College of Ga. Twelve years later, there were many more universities that had been created via a wave of Georgia governor Zell Miller’s magic pen!
villo
August 7th, 2012
5:31 pm
“What’s in a name? Will a good university teach as well by any other name?”
Brand is huge. There is nothing for the people of Augusta to identify with anymore with the name change. How can you have pride in something that doesn’t represent you well in return?
Martin the Calvinist
August 7th, 2012
5:48 pm
As an Augusta State graduate, I find the new name stupid! Georgia Regents University is really a stupid name. I plan on telling people that I graduated from Augusta State University and not this awful name. The board even acknowledged the community’s distaste for the name and and went with it anyway! Unbelievable!
UNG
August 7th, 2012
6:00 pm
Archie, North Georgia has been around since 1873 and is the second oldest college in Georgia, next to UGA, which is the oldest public college in the nation, so it was certainly there when you went to college unless you are 160 years old.
teacher
August 7th, 2012
6:04 pm
This is the biggest waste of time, effort, energies, period.
Why on earth did higher ed et al decide this was soooo important?
Kids who to what once was Augusta College usually did not matriculate down the road to what once was Medical College of GA. Why would they combine these two, especially after that new pres at MCG spent gobs of money to rename it already?
In the case of the new University of N Ga- it is called a hostile takeover with both sides left to deal with the mess caused by this genius idea.
It is actually going to cost more money to pay the per diem for travel for the positions that have to go between the two schools.
Wow. This state is worse off than it ever has been.
makes no sense
August 7th, 2012
6:07 pm
The problem is that there are too many colleges in this state to support a population that is simply not college ready. Who ever thought this many people were able and ready to go to college?
College is for a certain group and not everyone. Sorry but it is true.
Not surprised
August 7th, 2012
6:17 pm
I think once a college starts offering graduate level degrees, it becomes a university. Since the 80’s, alot more colleges in the system are now offering graduate level degrees, thus more universities.
Merge Names
August 7th, 2012
6:40 pm
Merging the names of the consolidated regional universities
would have been a better idea. Merging the names makes
it easier for past graduates to submit transcripts,without
dealing with all of the extra questions (Example-Clark University
and Atlanta University= Clark Atlanta University).
Lee
August 7th, 2012
6:50 pm
Personally, I’d much rather name the colleges after a region than to name it after a person.
I say that after a daily commute that has no less than 15 streets and 6 bridges named after a person. Go five miles and the name changes. Cross the county line and the name changes. One bridge is named after one person on the eastbound lane and someone else on the westbound lane. I kid you not…
Hillbilly D
August 7th, 2012
7:08 pm
Sounds like all this merging is just to increase the importance and paychecks of administrators.
mathmom
August 7th, 2012
7:24 pm
I agree with teacher and want to add that a lot of these schools, by no fault of their own, will lose contributions from alumni. Two of the schools involved in these consolidations are schools from which I received degrees. Those schools no longer exist, and after several decades of making donations, I have now been relieved of that obligation. Although I could deal easily with minor name changes – like the change of North Georgia College to North Georgia College and State University, I can’t imagine writing checks to make donations to colleges and universities whose names I will not even recognize.
NGC Alum x 3
August 7th, 2012
7:52 pm
My grandfather graduated from North GA Agricultural College in Dahlonega. I earned three diplomas from North GA College only to have it renamed (officially) soon after “North Georgia College and State University, The Senior Military College of GA, A Unit of the University System of Georgia.” Now the same school is “University of North GA,” despite my suggestions of “Possum Trot Academy” and “The University of Dahlonega.” Worse yet, I graduated from “Gainesville Junior College,” before NGC. So, where do I get replacement diplomas or should a full page of my resume be devoted to a ‘previously known as’ alphabet soup? Perhaps future name changes should be in the form of an icon that is unspoken, but yet represents an aggregation of former schools.
Alex
August 7th, 2012
9:01 pm
The President at the former Medical College of Georgia, who made the lame decision to come in and change the name to Georgia Health Sciences University. Well, this crazy guy strikes again with Georgia Regents University. This name totally sucks and has the Augusta community wanting a redo on consolidation. But, Dr. Azziz listens to no one as he thinks he is smarter that all others. He brags about how he can get state leaders, politicians, and Regents to do whatever he wants. As a native of Augusta and graduate of the area, I fear this man will completely tear down two fine institutions. I just hope the Board of Regents can find the next person to run the combined institution and minimize the damage.
Stunned
August 7th, 2012
9:01 pm
Augusta State traces its roots to 1783. The Medical College of GA has been in Augusta since 1828. They are two very different institutions. It would take wise leadership to combine two institutions with such different histories, agendas, & with two very different sorts of faculty and students. The decision fails to recognize the history or success which is already a rich tradition. In order to balance the budget BOR pushed a medical school & commuter school together. It’s been said that Augusta, nor the schools, have national and international reputation. Of course, GRU is a character from “Despicable Me” so we’ll get attention. The University of Augusta, or any number of other names with regional connection, with 2 campuses and housing various schools and colleges would have been a sensible solution which would have garnered strong community, alumni, and business support. Instead, this foolish naming will only create ill will toward BOR and the current president with an expectation that none of the consolidation will be done smoothly or well.
catlady
August 7th, 2012
9:13 pm
NGC alum: Kinda like Prince. &*&%$. the college formerly known as North Ga College.
In my mind, this is a total cluster.
Stephen Fleming
August 7th, 2012
9:19 pm
Wondering if anyone Googled “GRU” (or remembers reading Tom Clancy novels). GRU was the Soviet military counterpart to the KGB.
BL
August 7th, 2012
11:03 pm
I graduated from both Augusta College and Medical College of Georgia. I am severely disappointed that the BOR voted for Georgia Regents University. This is a grave mistake, as the Board appears totally out of touch with the Augusta community and its overwhelming PRIOR disapproving feedback of this name. I suggest the BOR reconsider its decision or risk significant negative fallout (remember the recent U of VA Board decision fiasco).
NGC Alum x 3
August 7th, 2012
11:22 pm
Yes Catlady! As a great NGC psychology professor once said, “Sounds typical of the sort of thing those dead from the shoulders up administrators under that big Gold phallic symbol would do!” Hey! That’s an idea……
Yeah, right
August 8th, 2012
12:06 am
And what’s the reason given for these mergers? To save money by reducing administrative costs? Yeah, right. The state just forced mergers for the technical colleges for the same reason, but our school has more admin staff now than ever, and new office furniture for all of them. Forget getting even a COLA if you’re faculty though, or a budget adequate to support your classroom needs. Boy, government sure does know how to misuse money.
seen it all
August 8th, 2012
12:11 am
Don’t do Georgia Regents University. Sounds like a diploma mill.
point to ponder
August 8th, 2012
12:55 am
poor decision…very costly
Bad decision by poorly informed Board of Regents. By Augusta not having representation on the Board we got the worse possible choice in a new name! We didn’t need new names. The decisions made over the past 2 years by the Board of Regents have hurt more than helped ‘our’ institutions of higher learning located in Augusta! **so far nothing good has happened under the new leadership of MCG….and the current Board of Regents.
One Board member was against it….and the majority of us who live here ‘never’ supported this name change. (*especially this totally ridiculous string of words that has no meaning to Augusta…to Georgia…or anyone in the world!) Regent Chairman Tarbutton has no clue as to what he has done or undone. I believe the entire Board of Regents have failed in this matter. A big waste of money and energy…a disgusting choice…*supported by only those who want to keep their jobs working at either of the schools.
vary sad day in history…..many millions of dollars will now need to spent to fight potential lawsuits with the other school with a similar name…to get this name out there///to create a brand…
Changing these schools names the way they did is like like coca cola/coke changing their name to Regent soda…or McDonald’s changing its’ name to Regent burgers….***does not make sense and never will.
This will be a marketing case study on the failures of having presumed smart people in leadership roles…making decisions and affecting history when they don’t have the common sense to not touch it!
….the Commission of Colleges needs to inundated with letters requesting this name change be rejected.
Ralph
August 8th, 2012
3:51 am
If the name “college” is good enough for Dartmouth College, Amherst College, Boston College, College of William & Mary, all of which grant graduate degrees, why is it not good enough for all these state colleges now renamed as universities?
For that matter, what is wrong with the naming conventions in California, e.g., UC Berkely, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, UC Irvine, etc., and all the different campuses of Cal State? We could have, e.g., UGa Athens, UGa Statesboro, UGa Savannah, UGa Augusta, UGa Macon, UGa Valdosta, UGa Dahlonega, etc., and GSU Atlanta, GSU Columbus, GSU Gwinnett, GSU Albany, GSU Brunswick, GSU Dalton, etc.
And Georgia College & State University at Milledgeville could have the simple dignity appropriate to an increasingly elite liberal arts college, making official the name many use for it, Georgia College.
Dr. Craig Spinks/ Georgians for Educational Excellence
August 8th, 2012
6:27 am
More Augusta ink, web space and energy have been devoted in the last week to deploring the name “Georgia Regents University” that had been devoted in the last ten years to the deplorable efficacies of the Richmond County School System and the drop-out mill to which many of its “graduates” fed our state and federal tax dollars.
I say that as a long-time observer of the RCSS and of ASU as well as a money-giving alumnus-of-long-standing of the latter.
Yooper
August 8th, 2012
8:05 am
Georgia Regents University was never vetted, and never even published until the final three. The community, the mayor, the commission, the students, the faculty, the Alumni, and the employees are united on this issue. It is a very poor decision.
Pride and Joy
August 8th, 2012
8:28 am
Mathmom, you said “Those schools no longer exist, and after several decades of making donations, I have now been relieved of that obligation.”
You were never obligated to make donations in the first place. A name change makes no difference at all. Kindness and generosity, the kind you’ve shown over the years, is not affected by a name change. Either you want to give or you don’t.
bootney farnsworth
August 8th, 2012
9:46 am
same crap, different day.
Nate just ordered $108 mil more in cuts for higher ed, and yet time and money is being spent of someting this stupid which will cost taxpayers money.
way back in the days of Stevie Portch, the used car salesman, the publically stated he ordered all the schools (big three excepted) to change their names because he was tired of listening to them request name changes.
DeKalb wanted Evergreen (dumb, but we chose it) and was told to become GPC. a stupid name which set us back 10 years at least in public perception. tens of thousands of dollars, not including man hours was spend on developing a new logo, were spent of everything from new stationary and business cards to new office polo shirts.
while the state does us no favors, we actively assist in our suicide
What’s in a name? If it’s Georgia Regents University, it’s what’s not in the name. Augusta. | Get Schooled
August 8th, 2012
11:48 am
[...] none of the names of the four newly merged Georgia colleges and universities is that inspiring, one is turning out to be downright [...]
Larry in East Cobb
August 8th, 2012
1:20 pm
@Ralph, your solution should be implemented immediately. Makes so much sense, I’m sure it will never happen in this state.
mathmom
August 8th, 2012
1:53 pm
Pride and Joy – You’re absolutely right. I was not obligated. I wanted to donate money to schools I attended and/or from which I received degrees. And I have donated thousands of dollars over the years to those schools and schools from which my children received degrees. But the schools in these consolidations become something else – I don’t know what exactly – and I do not want to lend my financial support to institutions whose missions/goals/philosophies are unknown to me. I think, if you are familiar with the admission policies and academic standards of these schools, you will know what I mean. By consolidating the schools and giving them new names, there is an implication that these are new institutions – not the ones I previously supported. If, for instance, NGCSU were to “take over” Gainesville State College – essentially making the GSC campus a satellite campus, with the same admission and academic standards, ROTC program, etc., that would be different. But what have we here? I don’t know. Do you? If the new school were, essentially, NGCSU, there would be no reason to change the name. The Augusta State University and Georgia Health Science University consolidation is an even bigger mystery. I’m not too familiar with the other four schools, but I am assuming, based on what other people have said, that those schools are going through an identity crisis as well.
NGC Alum x 3 (+1 from UNG soon) = ?
August 8th, 2012
4:01 pm
My son has a legacy to Harvard University, but will attend GSC, soon to become the University of North Georgia. If I could afford to send him to Harvard and he graduated, he would have a diploma recognized around the world. Had Harvard changed names several times and ended up as Bean Town Regents University, no one would give a tinker’s damn about a degree from there without a long, detailed explanation of the lineage.
I attended NGC, a college known for high academic standards and recognized around the world for producing high quality military officers. Adding “State University,” at least in my mind, gave a bit more prestige to the institution while retaining recognition.
The University of North GA could be anywhere in the state north of Macon — maybe Hollywood, GA. Graduates past, present and future will be tasked with building the reputation of an unrecognized institution of higher learning while NGC fades away like an old soldier.
$29.95 online will buy a doctorate from an unaccredited school or an ordination to preach the gospel. Both carry the same prestige, or lack thereof, as the new UNG diplomas coming off the copier soon.
tomasz
August 9th, 2012
1:54 pm
“This is a disaster! How could anyone lead to such idiotic, bland, and cheap sounding libel of a name as Ga Regents’ University! I must say that I will not update my resume out of fear of radicule, misunderstanding, and need of further explaining what once was great – especially in the name. “It’s all in the name, isn’t this what you preach Mr. Azziz!”