JACKSON, ma’am. — One of Mississippi’s public universities is pausing its efforts to switch to a name that doesn’t include the word “Women.”
Mississippi University for Women President Nora Miller said in a statement Wednesday that students, alumni and others should have more discussion about the issue.
The University of Columbus has enrolled men since 1982, and approximately 22% of its current 2,230 students are male. But university leaders say having “women” in the name makes recruiting more difficult.
Miller graduated from MUW and said she recognizes “the challenges, the missteps, the frustrations and the uncertainties” caused by rebranding efforts.
“While we remain committed to a future name change, we will realign and reexamine our processes, ways to engage our alumni base, and the many needs surrounding finding a name that reflects both the unique history and contemporary qualities of our university . ,” Miller wrote.
Her statement came eight days after Miller announced that the school would seek regulatory approval to become Wynbridge State University of Mississippi — a name that would still allow marketing under the old nickname “The W.”
Amanda Clay Powers, the university’s dean of library services and co-chair of the naming task force, said Feb. 13 that Wynbridge “creatively combines the Old English word for ‘W’ and uses it as a ‘bridge’ connecting past and present connects. and future W graduates.”
Backlash from alumni caused university officials to backtrack from another proposed name unveiled in January, Mississippi Brightwell University.
In 2022, Miller announced a task force to explore a name change, months after the university’s Deans Council sent her a letter saying the current name poses “challenges.”
Alumni have suppressed previous attempts at renaming.
The university’s president, Claudia Limbert, proposed switching to Reneau University in 2009 in honor of Sallie Reneau, who wrote to the Mississippi governor in the mid-19th century to propose a public university for women.
The school was chartered in 1884 as the Industrial Institute and College and was located on the campus of an existing private school, Columbus Female Institute. The college’s original mission was to provide higher education 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.