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Date published: 8/8/2004
MUCH HAS been said and written in recent weeks about the institution that officially became the University of Mary Washington on July 1 and the transition to university status of what was formerly Mary Washington College. It was on this date that the institution's "corporate" name changed by action of the General Assembly and at the request of the institution's board of visitors. As a result of this legislation, the name "University of Mary Washington" became the only name that appears in the Code of Virginia for the institution, and it became the only legal entity that exists for the institution as a whole. With that said, let me point out that the board of visitors has within its power the ability to name and designate how "schools" and "colleges" will function under the university structure. This internal operating structure and designation of functions do not require approval of the legislature or the governor. They are entirely within the purview of the board to determine. At its July 16 meeting, the board reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to retaining the "Mary Washington College" name for the undergraduate, residential college of arts and sciences in Fredericksburg. This reaffirmation came when the board approved an updated mission statement for the institution required by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools for reaccreditation. I want to emphasize that the board never wavered in this commitment, which dates back to 1998 when it first endorsed the need for additional study of the concept of "university status." In passing that resolution, the board indicated that the name "Mary Washington College" would be retained in a new university structure. A recently completed self-study and an updated strategic plan will help guide this transition, but many details are yet to be worked out. This will likely take considerable time to fully implement.
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
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