The name change to “Wyoming State College” that Laramie County Community College’s board is considering Wednesday night has drawn opposition from at least one other college.
The rebrand is about survival in the face of declining enrollment, LCCC President Joe Schaffer said last month. Southwest Wyoming’s naming system is confusing: the City of Laramie sits in Albany, not Laramie, County. Laramie County’s seat is Cheyenne.
“There will be winners and losers in higher education,” Schaffer said at the time. “And those that win will continue to create a pipeline of talent for the communities they serve, and for those that don’t, many communities will struggle.”
Meeting four hours to the northwest in Riverton, Central Wyoming College’s board voiced opposition to the proposed name change in a statement Monday evening, saying the “Wyoming State College” rebrand could suggest that LCCC holds a distinct statewide status over the other community colleges in the state.
“We understand the challenges LCCC faces with a name that includes ‘Laramie,’ particularly because the city of Laramie is not located in Laramie County and is home to the University of Wyoming,” CWC Board of Trustees Chair Paula Hunker said.
But, Hunker added, “We ask that the new name be chosen with care so it does not inadvertently harm Wyoming’s seven sister community colleges or the University of Wyoming, or create additional confusion for students and the public.”
In a Tuesday response statement, LCCC said it respects CWC’s concerns but perceives a time for bold action.
“We recognize and respect the authority and responsibility, the Central Wyoming College Board of Trustees has to speak for their institution and to take the position it believes is in the best interests of CWC and the communities it serves,” says LCCC’s statement. “We ask for the same acknowledgement, for the authority and responsibility of the Laramie County Community College District Board of Trustees to determine what it believes is right for our institution and the students and communities we serve.”
The statement notes that change can be unsettling, especially amid uncertainty for higher education.
It says declining high school graduation rates and other economic and social upheaval are converging in ways American higher education has not experienced.
“However, Wyoming will not overcome these challenges by preserving the status quo or preventing institutions from pursuing bold strategies designed to address them,” says the statement.
The statement says LCCC’s graduation rates have doubled over the past decade and it has expanded and strengthened its offerings.
“The proposed name, Wyoming State College, is part of our continued evolution,” LCCC said. “It more accurately reflects the comprehensive institution we have become and strengthens our ability to reach the broader region from which Wyoming’s future students, workers, and community members must increasingly come.”
The statement maintains that the name change won’t erode the roles of the University of Wyoming or other colleges.
LCCC’s board meeting opens Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Others, Mixed
Other community college chairs who spoke Tuesday with Cowboy State Daily gave mixed reviews.
Sheridan College Board Chair Tracy Swanson suggested LCCC rebrand to a more regional, rather than statewide name – like Southeast Community College.
That’s a common theme in Wyoming, which has CWC in Riverton, Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington, Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs and Northwest College in Powell.
“I don’t mind them wanting to change their name,” said Swanson. “I just think that the other colleges need to be consistent with what they’re going to do.”
Swanson floated the idea of Sheridan College becoming something like “North-Central College” to match the rebrand.
At the end of the day, he added, “They still have to be a good college to be successful.”
Swanson emphasized moves that support the community college structure statewide, saying that network supplies trades education and helps “non-traditional,” or older-than-college-age students, gain education closer to home.
Tracy Wasserburger, board chair for Gillette College, said she couldn’t speak for the whole board but, as one trustee, LCCC’s proposed name change surprised her.
“It was kind of surprising to me, and when I was first informed of that, my question was: Is the next step going to be going to, formally, a four-year school, with that type of name?” said Wasserburger. “I haven’t seen anything that indicates that publicly. But I think it lends itself to poising them to sound like a four-year college.”
Nah We’re Good
Jackie Van Mark, chair of Eastern Wyoming College, said her board is “more concerned about EWC, and what we can do for our students at EWC.”
Casper College board chair Dave Applegate gave similar remarks.
“I’m focused on Casper College and all the exciting things we’re doing and the great leadership from (college President Dr. Brandon) Kosine,” said Applegate.
He touted the college’s pursuit of two bachelor’s degrees, in agriculture business and human services, as well as its pursuit of an artificial intelligence certificate for students, and its use of AI programs useful to instructors.
Denise Laursen of Northwest College in Powell did not immediately return an email request for comment.
Well, UW Can’t Rebrand
University of Wyoming told Cowboy State Daily in a Tuesday statement sent by spokesman Chad Baldwin that alumni and supporters have encouraged it to oppose LCCC’s move.
“While we share the concerns raised by Central Wyoming College about this move and how it has been pursued, we do not intend to take a formal position,” says the statement, “choosing instead to focus on our core mission as the state’s sole four-year higher education institution and working cooperatively with the Wyoming Community College Commission and individual community colleges across Wyoming to ensure the state’s students have what they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.”
UW can’t rebrand without a state Constitution change because Wyoming’s founders enshrined its name in the framing document.
While the statement doesn’t voice consternation, it urges the university and community colleges to work “together to ensure every citizen of Wyoming who wants to utilize higher education to better themselves and their families can do so.”
UW’s statement references a Tuesday announcement by Wyoming Community College Commission Chair Gregg Blikre.
In it, the umbrella group emphasized that it doesn’t control one college’s naming choices.
“What the Commission is charged with is different: ensuring that decisions made at any one institution do not come at the expense of the coordinated, statewide system all eight colleges share,” says the statement.
The statement lists ways to help Wyoming community colleges succeed through collaboration.
This story has been updated to include a post publication statement by LCCC
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
