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On July 1, Whitworth University unveiled its new brass signage, changed over its website, started using new stationery and selling updated bookstore merchandise, and began a new era after 117 years as a college.
Yet what matters most about Whitworth will remain the same, according to Whitworth President Bill Robinson. "As Whitworth University," Robinson says, "we will remain as committed as ever to the liberal-arts emphasis and the warm, interpersonal culture for which Whitworth is known."
Whitworth's board of trustees approved the name change in part to avoid confusion created by the growing number of two-year colleges that have dropped "community" and "technical" from their names. The change also supports Whitworth's goal to increase enrollment of international students from places where a college is understood to be a secondary school.
To reinforce the message that the name change represents a continuation rather than a shift in Whitworth's mission, only minor adjustments have been made to the institutional logo. The word "university" replaces "founded 1890" in the outer ring of the logomark, and a ribbon bearing "1890" is added to the base of the torch in the center of the mark; all other elements of the logo remain the same.
"The board felt that trends in the higher-education marketplace in our region made a name change to Whitworth University inevitable, and that we should make the change during a time of stability and strength," Robinson says. "Our deliberate approach has enabled us to make the case for the change while being absolutely clear that it is intended to make Whitworth stronger, not different."
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It's Official!