Central Missouri State changes name

Central Missouri State University is joining the growing ranks of state institutions changing their names.

The Board of Governors for the Warrensburg school decided Wednesday to adopt a new moniker -- the University of Central Missouri. The name change takes effect immediately.

President Aaron Podolefsky said the previous name reflected a regional focus.

"And this name," he said, "highlights our aspirations to be what our visions says: 'To be a nationally recognized comprehensive university that delivers a world class university education by providing a small college learning environment, coupled with large university opportunities."'

Legislation that Gov. Matt Blunt signed in March 2005 gave the school until August 2007 to decide whether to adopt the new name.

Central Missouri State was one of several schools allowed to change their names to build support among lawmakers for a bill that dropped the regional designator from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield. The legislation also replaced the title "college" with "university" for Missouri Western State in St. Joseph and Harris-Stowe State in St. Louis and dropped the city designator from Missouri Southern State University-Joplin.

A decade earlier, in 1995, the Legislature approved the new name of Truman State University for Northeast Missouri State University.

The University of Central Missouri is the fifth name for the Warrensburg school.

"In 1871, this school was founded to prepare teachers right after the Civil War ended, and over the years it's evolved with a series of names to reflect its expanding mission and opportunities for students," Podolefsky said.

For its first half-century, the school was known as State Normal School for the Second Normal District of Missouri. The name was changed to Central Missouri State Teachers College in 1919, Central Missouri State College in 1945 and Central Missouri State University in 1972.

The latest change, which will include modifications to signs and the university's Web site, has an estimated cost of between $100,000 and $150,000. The money will come from private sources, with the transformation completed by August 2007.

Podolefsky noted that the new name would symbolize a "transformation of the institution to the next level of excellence." Plans include adding new graduate and preprofessional programs.

He said a number of small ceremonies were being planned and stressed that the name change had the support from governing groups for the alumni association, the school's fundraising arm, faculty, administrators, staff and athletics.

"I think that it's just a lot of excitement on campus," he said. "We will be moving forward and standing on the shoulders of all those who came before us.

"Almost everybody I have talked to says it's time to get on with it."

---

On the Net:

http://www.cmsu.edu