KAMLOOPS – The UCC Board of Governors, after receiving two presentationsfrom an ad hoc Naming Committee during the past month, has announced todaythey have reduced their list of potential names for the new university downto four. Following extensive discussions on the merits of each name, orvariations of them, the Board will forward their recommendation forgovernment to consider in the next few weeks.
A broad-based volunteer committee of 17 individuals, representing internaland external groups, including faculty, staff, students, the BC OpenUniversity, the UCC Board and the Friends of UCC Society, has spent thepast two months working through a large volume of public input, andresearched other concepts and names for consideration.Over 450 submissions were received in response to the call for public input.
Many key issues have been considered by the committee, and discussed ineven greater detail by the Board in reviewing various options. These issuesinclude regional and local identity, acronyms, translation of names intoforeign languages, and both the uniqueness and longevity of names in thenational and international post-secondary markets.
The short list, which in two cases includes variations on the theme of thename, includes:
THE UNIVERSITY OF KAMLOOPS (U of K)- a name that speaks to specific locationTHE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL BRITISH COLUMBIA (UCBC)(with variations related to Southern British Columbia and Southern Interior)- a name that speaks to regional locationCORDAVAL UNIVERSITY (CVU)- a classically-inspired name that translates as “From the Heart of the Valley”THOMPSON UNIVERSITY (TU)(with variations that include Thompson Rivers)- a name that has geographic and historical considerations
The new university will be officially created next April with theproclaiming of new legislation. However, the Board feels it is important toforward a recommendation to government as soon as possible, to ensure thatmarketing and communications efforts undertaken this fall, especially inthe international market, will include the new name.
