That which is put on the back burner eventually has to come forward.

In a special ceremony held July 12, Gov. Bob Holden signed Senate Bill 55 changing the name of Missouri Southern State College to Missouri Southern State University-Joplin.

Sen. Gary Nodler (R-Joplin), the bill’s sponsor, and other members of the Missouri legislative delegation, were on hand for the event held in Taylor Auditorium.

“For many years Missouri Southern has done the quality of work that a university does, it just lacked the name,” Nodler said. “This name change gives them the recognition they have deserved for so long.”

The name change is an opportunity to enhance Southern’s credibility and visibility on a national and international level, León said. In many parts of the world, the college designation indicates high school level. The term university more accurately describes Southern, as well as enhances the international mission. It will also be a valuable tool in efforts to recruit students.

“University status better enhances Southern’s ability to compete on a national and global level,” Holden said. “This is an opportunity for Missouri.”

Students and faculty agree the name change brings prestige to campus.

“I’m tickled that we are now a university instead of a college,” said Paula Rouner, sophomore undecided major.

Rouner lived in Kirksville, Mo. when Northwest Missouri State College became Truman University.

“Being a university brought status and influence to both the campus and the community,” she said. “After a period of progression, university status raised the institution’s standards.”

State funds were not used to implement the transition.

“University status carries more prestige,” said Doug Carnahan, dean of students.

“The name change was long overdue. What was frustrating was that it was about politics; it didn’t have so much to do with the curriculum. Private schools across the nation can change their names virtually overnight without the hoops to jump though.”

Southern will be required to discontinue all associate degree programs by July 1, 2008. Southern has already established a cooperative agreement with Crowder College in Neosho in an effort to begin this process. Crowder will likely assume many of the associate degrees now offered at Southern.

“We are very excited about this name change, it was a longheld dream for many people in the area,” León said. “It’s going to be good for the college, for Joplin and for the entire Southwest Missouri region.”

The law will allow the Coordinating Board of Higher Education to offer programs, including graduate degrees, on campuses of other colleges. Any diploma awarded for graduate degrees under such a cooperative agreement will now include names of both institutions.

“Cooperative agreements go a long way in promoting Missouri’s colleges and universities,” Nodler said. “This region is in a unique position because we border three other states that all offer graduate degree programs within easy driving access. Southern has lost a lot of quality students who crossed the border to earn a master’s degree.”

Leon expects some of the new graduate programs to be available in one to two years.

Business and education programs will be the first to be developed and implemented.

“This opportunity gives the faculty the opportunity to participate in the organization and design of master’s programs in the not too distant future,” said Dr. Carolyn Hale, associate professor of communications.

“This is an exciting event with positive changes for the students, faculty and community as a whole.”

During several previous legislative sessions, Southwest Missouri lawmakers were unsuccessful in passing a Southern name change bill.

“We started seriously looking at achieving university status in 1995,” León said. “However, the conditions present weren’t as they were this time. All the stars aligned just right this time for this to happen.”

León cites the “dramatic changes in the legislature” as the main reason the name change bill was passed this time.

“We had a brand new set of legislators from this area, all eagerly wanting this bill to pass,” he said. “Lucky for us, those members were of the controlling party and were able to get the bill passed.”

“Getting this legislation passed took a great deal of hard work on the part of the entire Southwest Missouri delegation,” Nodler said.

“This year we were finally successful in showing our fellow lawmakers what a fine school Missouri Southern is and that it deserves the designation of

university.”