Name Changes

Name Changes

Keeping up with the changes in name by colleges both private and public can be tricky.

Over the past decade, most of the regional state colleges in Missouri have changed names in an effort to attract more students, especially those from abroad.

I just discovered that Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg has became University of Central Missouri (UCM).

More (in)famously, Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield became Missouri State University (MSU) in 2005. Also, Harris-Stowe State College here in St. Louis became Harris-Stowe State University.

Some protested this would confuse folks with the University of Missouri system, but arguably it's even more confusing that just 70 miles west in Joplin is MSSU: Missouri Southern State University, whose name was changed from Missouri Southern State College in 2003.

Also the former Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph is now called Missouri Western State University. However, just 40 miles north in Maryville is Northwest Missouri State University. A proposed attempt to merge NWMO into the UM system a few years back sure didn't get very far.

Probably what started the name change craze among the state schools was the change of Northeast Missouri State in Kirksville to Truman State University. Of course, Truman State is different because it has more selective admissions standards than the other former regional state colleges.

Meanwhile, Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau retains its regional name as well.

And just about every private four-year college in the area now calls itself a University. Webster made the switch years ago, followed more recently by places like Maryville, Fontbonne, and Lindenwood. Of course, most of these were once all-female schools, but now are co-ed.