Online petition suggests Southeast name change

A well-known Southeast Missouri State University professor is kicking up a conversation about changing the name of Southeast Missouri State University.

Southeast faculty member Kenneth Stilson has circulated an online petition to change the name.

Southeast spokeswoman Ann Hayes said Wednesday the petition began Nov. 7. Another counter-petition began shortly after.

In the email, Hayes did not dismiss the possibility, but said that changing the name of the university is a conversation that arises at Southeast from time to time and has been mentioned in focus group sessions conducted by Ologie, the firm that helped launch Southeast's "Will to Do" brand platform.

According to earlier reporting, Ologie LLC of Columbus, Ohio, was hired nearly three years ago to develop a marketing brand and messaging strategy to recruit students. Southeast previously paid Ologie nearly $290,000 for the branding, messaging and the launching of the brand.

The original online petition by Stilson titled, "Petition to Change the Name of Southeast Missouri State University" has garnered more than 200 signatures as of Thursday afternoon, proposing "Willard Vandiver University" or "Vandiver University" as a new name.

The proposed name change effort would be in honor of the university's "most influential" leader and fifth president, Willard Vandiver, Stilson said.

A portion of the online petition created by Stilson states:

"... We believe the name 'Southeast Missouri State University' no longer reflects the mission. It is too narrow in scope and no longer echoes the broader goals of the majority of current students and recent graduates."

Renaming the university in honor of Vandiver would help to reverse the downward enrollment trend, Stilson said, as well as enhancing the university's overall brand to attract top recruits from around the world. Stilson believes it also would help to launch the careers of future graduates.

Stilson said a name change proposal is something that has been discussed for a long time.

"I'm not referring to any particular office," he said. "It's been discussed amongst faculty, students, with alumni. I've heard discussion of this for more than a decade."

Stilson doesn't see the petition as a campaign, and said he has set no personal goal for the number of online signatures he wants to accrue. Stilson just wants to create conversation regarding the idea, he said.

The one thing concerning Stilson, he said, was the almost violent reaction by some people who oppose the idea.

Since the petition became public online, Stilson said he also has received numerous messages from faculty, students and alumni -- thanking him.

Stilson said he has not personally communicated with the office of the president regarding the petition.

"I want to make very clear, this is not a rejection of Southeast Missouri State University," Stilson said. "This is not a rejection of our past, this is not a rejection of who we are, presently."

In the email Wednesday, Hayes said, "The name of the institution is certainly an integral component of the brand. However, any proposal to change the name would require thorough evaluation and review, and input from all Southeast's constituency groups would need to be considered, and ultimately require approval by the Board of Regents and Legislature."

Hayes said in a follow-up email Thursday that Southeast's work with Ologie is entirely separate from Stilson's petition, and the two initiatives are not related.

"I really want to make it very clear that my rationale behind this petition is one of love and devotion to this university," Stilson said.

He said, "I don't want this to anger anybody. I don't want this to be a controversy. We're all on the same side. We all love this university."

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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