CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. -- Thomas More College will undergo a long-awaited identity makeover.
The college will officially become Thomas More University on Oct. 1, according to spokesperson Cory Blackson.
The change, announced by the Thomas More College Board of Trustees, has far more significance than the name plastered to the front office. University status allows Thomas More to expand its academic offerings including new graduate programs in ethical leadership studies and athletic training, according to Blackson.
TMC will officially become Thomas More University effective Oct. 1, 2018.
“This is a landmark event, and we believe it is the right time in our history to assume the university moniker,” said @TMCPrezJagz. #TMUnveiling
Read more: https://t.co/mnGMGWGxCW pic.twitter.com/46vNtQdXFH— Thomas More University (@ThomasMoreKY) September 28, 2018
Under the “university” title, Thomas More will also transition to a new organizational structure including three colleges and one institute: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education and Health Sciences and Institute for Ethical Leadership and Interdisciplinary Studies.
Thomas More Acting President Kathleen Jagger calls this a “landmark event.”
“In 2021, we will mark our centennial anniversary, and this transition to university is the first in a series of strategic moves we are making to position Thomas More for its next century of work,” Jagger said in a written statement.
In general, schools with “university” in their names are larger institutions that offer a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs. Schools with “college” in their names often emphasize the undergraduate education, although there’s no hard rule.
Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary Education granted university status to Thomas More in July. Full implementation of Thomas More’s new name will take place during the 2018-2019 academic year with the rollout starting in October.
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According to Jagger, the designation will put the school in a better position to expand and market to students who live outside the Tri-State.
“Our new identity as Thomas More University should translate into greater credibility on the international stage for both our students and for those students from other countries who might want to choose an education here,” she said.
A “college” in the United States can be easy to pass over. In many parts of the world, “college” refers to high school.
Additional changes for Thomas More include a new residence hall on campus, a new STEM Outreach Center at its Biology Field Station on the Ohio River, a new Center for Health Sciences and a Performing Arts Laboratory both located in Edgewood.
The college welcomed its largest incoming class in the school’s history this fall, according to Blackson.
