Is a directional name an impediment to growth?

[nashvillegoldenflash]

There are some posters on GoMiddle.com who seem to believe that a directional name is an impediment to growth and that is the reason why Middle Tennessee should eliminate "Middle" from its name or move away from a regional designation altogether. The argument is the University's name of Middle Tennessee State University projects an image of a regional institution rather than reflecting its evolving role in higher education as a public comprehensive national university. The perceptions inherent with the regional name causes problems with student recruitment and with the University's efforts to garner grants and other funds from the private sector. Although I agree that a directional name can hinder the growth of a university, I have to point out that hasn't been the case with the University of Central Florida. Although UCF was not founded until 1963, it has grown faster than any university in the country and now is the second largest university in the nation. The initial enrollment of the university was only 1,948 students but today the enrollment consists of 59,770 students from over 140 countries and all 50 states. The first time I ever heard of UCF was back in the early 80s when a potential customer of mine told me his daughter wanted to attend the school. Although I had attended the University of Tampa back in 1976 and 1977 and was familiar with many colleges in Florida, I can honestly say I had never heard of UCF until he had mentioned it to me. Little did I know then that UCF would become the nation's second largest university. It's also interesting that the university logo is a Pegasus, which "symbolizes the university's vision of limitless possibilities" (see below).

The suggestion that Middle Tennessee should change its name to Andrew Jackson University would move the University away from a regional designation but I don't honestly believe the name change would help the University any more than it helped Northeast Missouri State University when it decided to change its name to Truman State University. Northeast Missouri State University was an obscure university before it changed its name back in 1996 and today with an enrollment of only 6,149 students it is still considered obscure to people living outside of Missouri.

In the final analysis, I believe the only name change that would benefit Middle Tennessee is the University of Middle Tennessee. Yes, the name would still have a regional designation but that certainly hasn't hurt UCF from becoming what it is today.




















This post was edited on 11/15 8:40 AM by nashvillegoldenflash

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

Upon further reading on the history of UCF, I have discovered that the University of Central Florida was first known as Florida Technological University, nicknamed Florida Tech, until December 1978 when the school's name was changed to its current name. I do remember there was a college in Orlando named Florida Technological University but did not know until reading the school's history that it became UCF in 1978, a year after I attended the University of Tampa. Had I stayed in Florida and not moved to Ohio, I would have known of the university's decision to change its name from Florida Technological University to the University of Central Florida but since this development was only news worthy to the people living in central Florida, most of the populace was unaware of it. So this brings me to my next point. If Middle Tennessee were to change its name to say, Andrew Jackson University, how many people outside of the region would know the University was formally named Middle Tennessee State University and since the new name would have no geographical reference to the school, how many people would even know where it was located?

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

Mike, I realize you have a different view than I do on a name change but if a directional name is not an impediment for the University of Central Florida then why is it an impediment for Middle Tennessee? It's not that UCF is an affluent school with an abundant amount of resources. In state tuition at UCF is even less than Middle Tennessee's ($6,368 compared to $7,370) and its endowment is $133,827,336 compared to the $218,308,239 endowment of the University of Memphis. I realize UCF has come a long way from the commuter school it once was just a decade ago, but it does not have the seemingly endless financial resources you find at the the University of Florida (endowment over $1.3 billion). Yet, despite its directional name, UCF essentially grew from a suitcase college into the second largest university in the nation. How could that happen? Is there really a major difference between Central and Middle with respect to regional designation? Perhaps in a name, Central sounds better than Middle but everyone knows the state of Tennessee is divided geographically into three regions; east, middle, and west. Renaming Middle Tennessee to Central Tennessee would just sound silly. I personally have never had a problem with the name, Middle Tennessee and don't see why other people do. After all, it is named after the best region in the state and is where the greatest city in the country is located. Not only does the region have Nashville, but it is also blessed with many beautiful cities such as Franklin, Brentwood, Columbia, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, and Shelbyville. I love the serene beauty of the rolling hills and the tranquil waters of our rivers and lakes. In my travels throughout the South and in other parts of the country, I am always happy to be back home in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. I have lived here since 1984 and have no plans to live anywhere else. Having graduated from a school named after a region that I love only seems fitting to me. I just hope the name Middle Tennessee never changes because any other name would just not seem right to me. Besides, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." What really matters is what something is, not what it is called. The idea that renaming the University to something other than its regional designation in hope that it would dramatically change the perception of the school may seem valid to some people but it would not be efficacious in my view.














This post was edited on 11/16 6:57 PM by nashvillegoldenflash

University of Central Florida

 

[bigbadjohn45]

Flash, I agree with you that the only logical change in our school's name--IF there ever is a change--should be to The University of Middle Tennessee. Getting away from the name "Middle Tennessee" would be a mistake in my view, and would not serve any purpose. It remains to be seen, however, if such a proposed change would ever be accomplished due to the politics involved. That's a shame.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

I think what you have to ask yourself does the word Middle hurt our image? I think so.

Does a new name (such as AJU) hurt our image? I don't think so

This doesn't mean any name change will necessarily help.

I get where you are coming from tho, of all our issues, changing the name really isn't high on my list, I was only suggesting that if your going to change it go big or go home. Right now our biggest problem is incrementalism. We take no risks.

I think change is coming from directions that are going to make our heads spin - MTSU will have to drastically change or forever remain a regional school.

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

Mike, I appreciate your response but am not yet convinced that a directional name hurts the growth of a university. If the University of Central Florida is not sufficient evidence, let me offer another example to prove my point. Western Michigan University just opened a new Medical School that cost hundreds of millions of dollars and just started a Law School this year. Did the name, "Western Michigan," keep WMU from building a medical school and acquiring a law school?

If you are asking me which sounds better in a name Central or Middle, I would probably say the former but as I stated before Central doesn't work for the University. As far as a name such as Andrew Jackson University not hurting our image, I'm not convinced of that. I could see some people confusing Andrew Jackson University with Jackson State because Jackson State University is located in Jackson, Mississippi and the city of Jackson is named after Andrew Jackson.

I do agree that Middle Tennessee's biggest problem is incrementalism. For example, the University finally gets a new science building while Belmont University builds a new College of Pharmacy and College of Law. I recognize the new science building is the largest improvement to the physical plant of the school but it's not going to increase the academic standing of the University. Incremental steps such as this will not help the university obtain the national status that it desires.




WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

The science building is just for us to keep up. We live in a world where govts from local, state to national will be squeezed. MTSU will not be adding medical schools, or law schools in our lifetime. There isn't enough money and frankly there isn't enough supporters (you and I) to make it happen.

All of this is do to our incremental approach to everything; from academics to athletics. Whats funny, is we were flying and growing and out of no where the economic changes and comm college initiative killed our growth and decrease our enrollment 10% - we NEVER saw this coming. And have no plan to change it. Like everything in life, you have to lead, follow or get out of the way. We are a follower.