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BOSTON – A new chapter in Fitchburg State’s history began today when Gov. Deval L. Patrick signed legislation renaming the institution Fitchburg State University.
Surrounded by hundreds of state college students, presidents and faculty and state legislators, Governor Patrick signed House 4864-10, creating a state university system for the nine current Massachusetts State Colleges.
“We are here for one reason – you have earned this,” Gov. Patrick said, eliciting cheers from the crowd of students, legislators and guests from across the new State University system gathered at the Grand Staircase of the Statehouse.
Fitchburg State University President Robert V. Antonucci led a delegation of students, faculty and staff from campus Wednesday morning to attend the ceremony, where legislators and educational leaders celebrated the commitment to public higher education.
“The new name reflects our long-standing mission as teaching universities,” Antonucci said Wednesday. “The university designation is a fitting label that will allow us to remain competitive with the rest of the country, where 45 other states have already adopted the university name for their comprehensive institutions. We are grateful for the support of Gov. Patrick and the legislators who backed this initiative, which will benefit all of our students.”
Fitchburg State University senior Eric Gregoire, president of the Student Government Association, spoke on behalf of the students who will feel the impact of the name change.
“Students of the State University system will significantly benefit from this legislation since it levels the playing field with our peers from across the country when we enter the job market, and more accurately reflects who we really are as institutions: teaching universities,” said Gregoire, who flew to Boston from his internship in Washington, D.C. to attend the signing ceremony.
“We must remain cutting-edge in our academic practices if our students are to remain competitive as we move into the future,” Gregoire continued. “This legislation represents a major step toward achieving that goal. At the same time, we need to preserve small class sizes, maintain quality faculty, promote strong faculty-student interaction and, most importantly, remain the most affordable four-year higher education opportunity in Massachusetts. As we seek to maintain quality education in these challenging times, this name change will only enhance the tools our schools give to me and my peers.”
As a result of this bill, six state colleges will be renamed as Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University. The three specialized state colleges– Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Massachusetts Maritime Academy – which serve very unique missions, will retain their existing names but as part of a state university system.
Since today’s Massachusetts State Universities were first created as “Normal Schools” in the 1830’s and 1840’s, the institutions have adopted name changes to fit their evolving mission – shifting to “State Teachers’ Colleges,” “State Colleges” and now to “State Universities.” Forty-five other states in the U.S. already have made the transition to state university systems.
The name change does not create any new programs or degrees, and will not require any additional state funding because it does not change the colleges’ missions as teaching universities.
The nine-member Massachusetts State University system comprises 4-year, baccalaureate and masters degree-granting teaching universities. They include six comprehensive institutions that combine a liberal arts education with professional development training, which include Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, Salem State University, Westfield State University, Worcester State University, and three specialized colleges, including the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay. The state university system educates more than 50,000 students each year, and has more than 230,000 alumni.
Watch video of the ceremony on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWjIFL5FlkE&feature=player_embedded
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