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Mary Washington College's new name should be a hit. Date published: 1/23/2004
IN NOVEMBER, the Mary Washington College Board of Visitors made a decision that will have a lasting and significant impact on both the Fredericksburg community and the college. I am speaking of the selection of a university name for Mary Washington College and the James Monroe Center for Graduate and Professional Studies in Stafford County. As rector and chairman of the board of this great institution, I am proud to say that the name selected--"University of Mary Washington"--is one that will enable the institution to honor its rich heritage, and also build upon the strength and quality that has become associated with both campuses. The "University of Mary Washington" name does what so many alumni, faculty members, students, and friends of the college requested--it preserves the "Mary Washington" name as we proceed with university status. This decision also avoids the problem of creating a name for the university and the college that over time could easily become interchangeable, as would have been the case had "Mary Washington University" been selected as the name for the institution. Such a blurring could cause the identity of Fredericksburg's highly selective liberal arts college to fade away. This juxtaposition of words not only differentiates the college in Fredericksburg from the overarching university, but is consistent with the names of other prestigious institutions, such as the College of William & Mary and the University of Notre Dame. The "University of Mary Washington" name boldly draws attention to "Mary Washington"--both the woman and the institution--and to "university," serving as an accurate reflection of what the institution is today. In January 2003, the Carnegie Foundation, which certifies the classification of all institutions of higher learning across the country, reclassified Mary Washington from its status as a baccalaureate liberal arts college to its role as a graduate degree-granting university. The increasing number of graduate degrees being awarded by the James Monroe Center prompted this change.
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