Current:Home > BackA Mississippi university proposes dropping ‘Women’ from its name after decades of also enrolling men-InfoLens
A Mississippi university proposes dropping ‘Women’ from its name after decades of also enrolling men
View Date:2024-12-23 11:39:45
COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi University for Women announced a proposal Monday to rebrand as Mississippi Brightwell University, with officials saying the new name is supposed to reflect the diversity of the public institution that has been enrolling men since 1982.
Men make up about 22% of 2,230 students at MUW — a school nicknamed “The W.” President Nora Miller announced in 2022 a university a task force to examine a name change, months after the university’s Deans Council sent her a letter saying the current name presents “challenges.”
Miller said in a news release Monday that the new name was inspired by the university’s motto, “We study for light to bless with light.”
If legislators approve the change, it would take effect July 1.
University leaders have met with students, faculty, alumni and others to gather ideas about a name change.
“The collective wisdom and diverse perspectives have been invaluable, enriching the rebranding process and ensuring the revised brand resonates with every segment of our university family,” Miller said.
Previous attempts to remove “women” from the name, including the most recent one in 2009, have brought strong backlash from alumni.
The president of MUW in 2009, Claudia Limbert, proposed changing the name to Reneau University to honor Sallie Reneau, who wrote to the Mississippi governor in the mid-19th century to propose a public college for women. That renaming effort fizzled amid opposition from outspoken graduates.
The school was chartered in 1884 as Industrial Institute and College and was on the campus of an existing private school, Columbus Female Institute. The original mission of the college was to provide higher education and and vocational training for women.
In 1920, the name changed to Mississippi State College for Women, and in 1974 it became Mississippi University for Women.
veryGood! (7278)
Related
- Fantasy football buy low, sell high: 10 trade targets for Week 11
- 2024 Tesla Cybertruck vs. Rivian R1T vs. Ford F-150 Lightning: The only comparison test you'll need
- Tennessee politicians strip historically Black university of its board
- Tyler O'Neill sets MLB record with home run on fifth straight Opening Day
- Mattel says it ‘deeply’ regrets misprint on ‘Wicked’ dolls packaging that links to porn site
- North Carolina military affairs secretary stepping down, with ex-legislator as successor
- Caitlin Clark to the Olympics? USA Basketball names her to training camp roster
- Kia recalls 427,407 Telluride vehicles for rollaway risk: See which cars are affected
- Falling scaffolding plank narrowly misses pedestrians at Boston’s South Station
- Maine lawmakers to consider late ‘red flag’ proposal after state’s deadliest shooting
Ranking
- Patrick Mahomes Breaks Silence on Frustrating Robbery Amid Ongoing Investigation
- The real April 2024 total solar eclipse happens inside the path of totality. What is that?
- CLFCOIN proactively embraces regulation in the new era
- The Most-Shopped Celeb Recommendations This Month: Jennifer Lopez, Kyle Richards, Chrishell Stause & More
- Infowars auction could determine whether Alex Jones is kicked off its platforms
- Tyler O'Neill sets MLB record with home run on fifth straight Opening Day
- How Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s 6-Year-Old Daughter Rumi Appears in Cowboy Carter
- Mississippi Senate passes trimmed Medicaid expansion and sends bill back to the House
Recommendation
-
Wildfires burn from coast-to-coast; red flag warnings issued for Northeast
-
Patchwork international regulations govern cargo ships like the one that toppled Baltimore bridge
-
California man convicted of killing his mother is captured in Mexico after ditching halfway house
-
White House orders federal agencies to name chief AI officers
-
Ariana Grande's Brunette Hair Transformation Is a Callback to Her Roots
-
Sawfish are spinning, and dying, in Florida waters as rescue effort begins
-
Law enforcement executed search warrants at Atlantic City mayor’s home, attorney says
-
Tyler O'Neill sets MLB record with home run on fifth straight Opening Day