A State University System is Born

On July 28, 2010, Governor Deval Patrick signed into law a bill that forms a new Massachusetts state university system. Under the law the state's nine state colleges have University status and six of the nine will change their names to reflect the new status. Proponents of the change have long argued that the added prestige of the university name will help students compete in the job market. Additionally, they predict that the renaming effort will attract non-state funding, such as foundation grants, and create new opportunities for alumni and corporate giving.

The six state universities are Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University. The universities are part of a higher education system that also includes three specialized state colleges - Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Massachusetts Maritime Academy - which serve unique missions and will retain their existing names. Additionally, the public college and university system includes the five campuses of the University of Massachusetts and fifteen community colleges.

Category:

Education

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• MTA;
• Massachusetts
• State
• Education
• Association;
• university;
• public
• higher
• education;