Florida State College at Jacksonville
New state college name gets mixed reviews
Leah Arnold
Issue date: 3/10/09 Section: News
After months of speculation and mystery, Florida Community College at Jacksonville officially has a new name.
The new name, Florida State College at Jacksonville, was announced during a special meeting at the Cecil Center on March 3. A brief video clip was shown, highlighting the college's core values and ending with the announcement of the new name.
"A strong, traditional name connoting mem-bership in, and association with, a highly respected system of higher education is an advantage our institution and students will enjoy in perpetuity," said President Steven Wallace.
As soon as the name was announced at the meeting, it was simultaneously sent out to students through both Facebook and Twitter. The college's use of these social-networking tools has allowed for an open and candid forum of opinions.
The Facebook page established by the college (search "Fccj Imagine") has been loaded with comments from students and other members of the community. Some have given high praise to the name, while others have criticized the choice. Because of this, the college had to delete several offensive comments.
One of the most commonly expressed concerns revolved around the name's similarity to Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee. FSU was named Florida State College from 1901-1905 before being re-named Florida State College for Women in 1905 and Florida State University in 1947. However, FSU officials have been welcoming of the new name.
"We were absolutely delighted that our good friends at Florida State University have been so supportive," wrote Wallace in a recent e-mail. "It is a clear indication that our expanded mission as a state college will not be in conflict with the mission of the universities."
"We also like the continuity the new name provides relative to our current name," college officials wrote on their Facebook page. "Florida State College at Jacksonville is not only a traditional name, but it is a big name. It represents the big accomplishments of our students engaged in academic pursuits and the big accomplishments of our graduates at work in the community."
The name change will not be official until the state legislature gives its final approval. If all goes as planned, the legal switch will take place on or around Aug. 1, 2009.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
If you would like to voice your opinion about the new state college name choice, submit a letter to our editor. Letters, opinions, and comments need to be submitted to the editor via email at jhalsteadcampusvoice@hotmail.com on or before March 18th. Some submissions may be published in the March 20 issue. Please provide a telephone number where you can be reached. We reserve the right to edit length or content to preserve clarity. If you should have any questions, please contact Jamie Halstead at 633-8409.
The new name, Florida State College at Jacksonville, was announced during a special meeting at the Cecil Center on March 3. A brief video clip was shown, highlighting the college's core values and ending with the announcement of the new name.
"A strong, traditional name connoting mem-bership in, and association with, a highly respected system of higher education is an advantage our institution and students will enjoy in perpetuity," said President Steven Wallace.
As soon as the name was announced at the meeting, it was simultaneously sent out to students through both Facebook and Twitter. The college's use of these social-networking tools has allowed for an open and candid forum of opinions.
The Facebook page established by the college (search "Fccj Imagine") has been loaded with comments from students and other members of the community. Some have given high praise to the name, while others have criticized the choice. Because of this, the college had to delete several offensive comments.
One of the most commonly expressed concerns revolved around the name's similarity to Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee. FSU was named Florida State College from 1901-1905 before being re-named Florida State College for Women in 1905 and Florida State University in 1947. However, FSU officials have been welcoming of the new name.
"We were absolutely delighted that our good friends at Florida State University have been so supportive," wrote Wallace in a recent e-mail. "It is a clear indication that our expanded mission as a state college will not be in conflict with the mission of the universities."
"We also like the continuity the new name provides relative to our current name," college officials wrote on their Facebook page. "Florida State College at Jacksonville is not only a traditional name, but it is a big name. It represents the big accomplishments of our students engaged in academic pursuits and the big accomplishments of our graduates at work in the community."
The name change will not be official until the state legislature gives its final approval. If all goes as planned, the legal switch will take place on or around Aug. 1, 2009.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
If you would like to voice your opinion about the new state college name choice, submit a letter to our editor. Letters, opinions, and comments need to be submitted to the editor via email at jhalsteadcampusvoice@hotmail.com on or before March 18th. Some submissions may be published in the March 20 issue. Please provide a telephone number where you can be reached. We reserve the right to edit length or content to preserve clarity. If you should have any questions, please contact Jamie Halstead at 633-8409.