SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (WHBL) - Lakeland College will soon be Lakeland University.
The College announced that name change yesterday along with several new majors and other academic programs. President David Eck calls the change the most significant one since the College's founding 60 years ago. “This is more than just a name change. We are responding to student and employer needs and the wave of developments impacting higher education.”
As part of the changeover, the College will be merging its departments into defined schools with deans for each set of programs.
Lakeland College Communications Director David Gallianetti says the College is already technically a University. "Universities typically offer graduate programs, but we've offered graduate level programs for decades actually, and currently we offer three master's degree programs." The school offers a number of MBA courses, as well as masters programs in counseling and education. One of the new majors will also be a bachelors of creative writing, which would be the first of its kind in the state.
Gallianetti ads that the changeover to the name 'University' will add some clout to the degrees that students receive. "There's some prestige in American higher education with the term University. We think the term University more accurately reflects our current reach in the diversity of the offerings we've got, so it made sense to make the change at this time." That changeover will also help clear up name confusion with the nearby Lakeshore Technical College. “Lakeland University creates a more clear identity for our institution moving forward,” Eck said.
Lakeland has its main campus in rural Sheboygan County, and has other buildings and centers in Chippewa Falls, Green Bay, Neenah, Madison, Milwaukee and Wisconsin Rapids and a campus in Tokyo, Japan.
The official switch over date for the change is scheduled for July 1st.