TAMUC considering rebranding

[ReyMysterioso]

The sad truth is no matter how they rebrand, it wouldn't make an iota of difference for schools like TAMUC or TAMUCC. They are, and will always be treated like a bastard child when ALMOST all resources are pouring towards the favorite son in College Station.

TAMU has an enrollment of over 70,000 (and not slowing down) while campuses like Commerce and San Antonio have yet to exceed 10,000, while Corpus Christi barely hitting 10K. And they would rather build satellite campuses to College Station on Galveston and McAllen.

TBH the President's goal of wanting to become "a big dog" with national reach - I just don't think it's realistic under "Commerce" or "Dallas." They almost shut down a couple times in the past few decades. They just don't have the funding, the draw, the reach... They have structural and operational problems now (I had went through three different advisors in one seven-week semester because two of them quit.) I know the alumni keep touting their history they don't want erased - but I mean they just don't have the kind of institutional history that captures the imagination of people outside the region. They're a safety school in a system with an actual "Big Dog" that will never allow them to become big enough to draw money away from the flagship. 
It was the fourth fastest growing uni in all of Texas last year. With an enrollment cliff coming in 2025, I kinda think this is as big as this dog is ever getting.

[mohelena02]

The sad truth is no matter how they rebrand, it wouldn't make an iota of difference for schools like TAMUC or TAMUCC. They are, and will always be treated like a bastard child when ALMOST all resources are pouring towards the favorite son in College Station.

TAMU has an enrollment of over 70,000 (and not slowing down) while campuses like Commerce and San Antonio have yet to exceed 10,000, while Corpus Christi barely hitting 10K. And they would rather build satellite campuses to College Station on Galveston and McAllen.

TBH the President's goal of wanting to become "a big dog" with national reach - I just don't think it's realistic under "Commerce" or "Dallas." They almost shut down a couple times in the past few decades. They just don't have the funding, the draw, the reach... They have structural and operational problems now (I had went through three different advisors in one seven-week semester because two of them quit.) I know the alumni keep touting their history they don't want erased - but I mean they just don't have the kind of institutional history that captures the imagination of people outside the region. They're a safety school in a system with an actual "Big Dog" that will never allow them to become big enough to draw money away from the flagship. 
It was the fourth fastest growing uni in all of Texas last year. With an enrollment cliff coming in 2025, I kinda think this is as big as this dog is ever getting.

Even the actual program needs updating/upgrading. I am so thankful for the program, but structurally it could be so much better, I can't imagine them scaling the way it was set up.

[Jonathan Whatley]

Members of the university community who spoke at the July forums mostly opposed the name “Texas A&M University-Dallas” or any name including “Dallas.” Objections included the geographic distance to Dallas (roughly 66 miles between downtowns) and the inaccuracy of “Dallas” as a descriptor of a university with a history and culture founded in rural Northeast Texas. […]

Some of those present favored other nomenclatures, such as “East Texas A&M University,” a name many hoped would emerge from the 1996 rebrand. One speaker advocated for revival of the name “East Texas State University.” Options discussed also included “Northeast Texas A&M University” and “Texas A&M University-Northeast.”

July forum attendees mostly oppose ‘Texas A&M University-Dallas’ nomenclature (Mark Haslett, KETR, July 22, 2024)

[bradm31]

Update from school President Mark Rudin today is no name change (to Dallas anyway)

“ Based on the feedback received, I cannot support the option of changing the name of our university to Texas A&M University-Dallas. I have informed the Board of Regents and Chancellor Sharp that I will not be pursuing a name change of our university to Texas A&M University-Dallas now or in the future.”

[sanantone]

University of Texas at Dallas is in Richardson, but Richardson borders Dallas. To me, it does not make sense for Texas A&M - Commerce to have Dallas in their name when they're so far from Dallas, and most of their operations are two counties away.

[ReyMysterioso]

I wouldn't rule out the Board of Regents doing it anyway. From what Rudin has said, the System is bent on there being a Texas A&M Dallas one way or the other. They call the shots, ultimately.

[Jonathan Whatley]

Update: TAMUC President Mark Rudin is now requesting that the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents consider renaming TAMUC to East Texas A&M University.

[ss20ts]

Why spend all that money? That's money that could be put into programs. Rebranding costs a fortune. People are going to call it what they do now. I mean look at how many of us still call it EC or Excelsior College. Ask Coca Cola how New Coke worked out.

[ReyMysterioso]

I don't think they're wrong to consider rebranding because I believe brand confusion is legitimate thing. It's not helped by the fact that I'm not sure anyone 300 miles outside of Texas knows that Texas A&M is a system with more than one school. But I think they have far bigger problems attracting students than whatever the name on the diploma is. If you build a great school with a great environment and great programs, they will come. But if you go on Reddit, almost nobody is active on the thread and the ones that do complain a lot.