Middlesex County College is transforming to Middlesex College.
The college’s Board of Trustees approved the name change in October, which took effect Jan. 1.
A public unveiling of the new logo and visual identity is planned for some time in May.
“We know two things,” College President Mark McCormick said in a prepared statement. “First, that students receive an excellent education here, and when they transfer to a four-year college or university, they do as well or better than students who start at a four-year institution. They are very well prepared. But we are also well aware that there is a stigma attached to community colleges. While we know the high quality of the educational experiences we provide, that message has not fully penetrated in our community. We hope this name change will go a long way in doing that.”
Two-year colleges in other states have already begun to drop “community” or “county” from their names as part of a rebrand, according to the statement, including Gloucester County College, which changed its name first to Rowan College at Gloucester County and then last year to Rowan College of South Jersey when it merged with the former Cumberland County College.
McCormick noted that the name change would not affect the objective of the college.
“Our mission remains the same,” he said in the statement. “It is to offer a quality, affordable education for the people of Middlesex County, and to help our students thrive in education, growth and personal success. That will not change.
“We are fortunate to have the support of the Middlesex County Commissioners in this effort,” he continued. “We thank the commissioners and the county administration for their incredible support of Middlesex College and our mission.”
The college is planning an open house on April 18 and expects to have new admissions materials created by that date.
The diplomas for May 2021 graduates will say Middlesex College, and the college anticipates having a fully revamped website by the fall of 2021.
College athletic teams, which have been known as the Blue Colts, will now be the Middlesex Colts, and a mascot will be unveiled in the months ahead.
