Trustee Zeddie Bowen and
President George Hagerty pose
with new Franklin Pierce
University seal. |
I am
delighted to share with you the news
that the Board of Trustees voted
yesterday afternoon to make our
transition to university status
official and change our name to
Franklin Pierce University,
effective July 1, 2007. This is a
major milestone in a process that
began well over a year ago and
resulted in a vote by the Trustees
in June to proceed with becoming a
university.
Before I share the details and
implications of this historic step
forward, I would like for us to
pause and collectively celebrate the
accomplishment that this decision
reflects. Yesterday?s vote
accomplishes much more than a name
change. Franklin Pierce has
officially become a university
because university status most
accurately represents the quality
and breadth of the education we
offer.
The growing reputation of our
undergraduate college at Rindge, our
expanded number of high-quality
graduate-level and online degrees,
and our international presence all
represent the operations of a small
university. As I weighed the
decision to change our public
identity, it became clear to me that
?university? most accurately
describes our endeavors and the
value of the education we provide.
At the same time, I recognize that
the word university may evoke images
of large classes, loss of community,
a sprawling campus, and a focus on
research rather than on teaching. Be
assured that everything that is
special about Franklin Pierce ? our
small classes, our commitment to
teaching, our close community, and
our warm and welcoming campus ? will
be preserved and, ultimately,
enhanced by our becoming a
university.
While our mission remains unchanged,
there is much to gain by setting
ourselves apart as a small
university. It is essential that we
anchor our public identity in the
reality of our accomplishments. My
conversations with Trustees and many
members of the Franklin Pierce
community revealed a deep sense of
pride and a strong belief that we
are best served when our name
matches the excellence of our
academic offerings.
Following yesterday?s decision, it
will take nearly a year to complete
the transition to university status.
The conversion of signs, logos,
publications, the Website and other
elements of our visual identity will
take place starting in January.
There will be no significant
operational changes or
administrative restructuring because
we have already been functioning as
a small university.
Throughout this process, we have
worked closely with state and
regional accrediting agencies, and
they have assured us that Franklin
Pierce fully meets university
criteria. They will be notified by
letter on Monday that the Board of
Trustees has adopted a change in
both status and name, effective July
1, 2007.
We chose the new name after much
study and careful deliberation, and
concluded that the title ?Franklin
Pierce University? would best serve
the institution. I want to thank
everyone that participated in
surveys and discussion groups. Your
comments were significant in guiding
us to a final decision.
Taking into consideration all the
opinions received, the Trustees
decided we should not lose the brand
equity in the Franklin Pierce name.
To change our identity completely
would require an expensive and
time-consuming reeducation in the
marketplace where we have worked to
earn a well-deserved reputation.
Having ?Franklin Pierce? precede the
word ?university? will distinguish
us from public universities and
other institutions whose titles
start with ?University of?? and
often end with a geographic
description, such as the University
of Michigan.
I?m certain that you may have
additional questions. Rather than
try to answer all of them in this
message, we will post an FAQ page on
eRaven. That section will be up and
running during the next week.
I look forward to celebrating a
series of milestones with you
throughout the year as we turn the
page to a new chapter in our
history. A community-wide
celebration to close all transition
activities will be held on November
12, 2007 ? the 45th anniversary of
the signing of the institution?s
charter.
With gratitude and all good wishes,
I remain
Sincerely,
George J. Hagerty
President
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