9 minute read
NEWS
◊ ISABELLA HUDZIAK
MANAGING NEWS EDITOR
Now that the Utica University name designation is official, the most tangible change students will see is signage and digital branding. Future changes to the campus, such as the entryway signs on Burrstone Road and Champlin Avenue, will occur in the next couple of months, according to the school’s FAQ page. The Feb. 16 announcement raised several questions on what will change since the Utica College name no longer exists. Here are some answered questions as the transition moves forward:
WILL ALL UTICA
COLLEGE REFERENCES
BE REMOVED FROM
CAMPUS AND
CEREMONIES?
Vice President for Presidential Affairs and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Kelly Adams said it’s important to note that certain parts of the institution’s tradition will not be renamed, such as the commencement ceremony mace. “[The mace] says Utica College and will continue to say Utica College because it’s a part of our history, our tradition and it’s really a part of the story of this institution,” Adams said. The corporate seal of the institution will have the year 2022 added in roman numerals to designate the achievement of university status alongside the three other important years of the institution’s history: 1933, 1946 and 1995.
WHY IS THE
ABBREVIATION “UU”
DISCOURAGED?
One of the questions on campus has been the reasoning for the adoption of “Utica” as an abbreviation rather than “UU,” which is similar to the previous “UC” abbreviation found in several club and organization titles. “There seems to be some consensus that ‘UU’ does not roll off the tongue quite like ‘UC’ did,” Adams said. “The college is going by Utica University, which is not necessarily new, and the short form of that, we are going by Utica. We always have and we are very proud of our heritage as an institution founded primarily for and by the residents of the city of Utica.”
WILL THE COST OF TUITION INCREASE AS A
RESULT OF THE STATUS CHANGE?
The university adoption is just a legal name change and does not impact how the institution runs or impacts students, according to Vice President of Financial Affairs Pamela Salmon. “It’s similar to when a person decides to change their name for any reason, such as if they get married,” Salmon said. “Their identity and identifiers remain unchanged.” Tuition is approved annually by the Board of Trustees in May of each year. The factors associated with tuition increases are typically inflationary and the change to university status does not factor in any potential increases, according to Salmon. “The same thing will go for anyone worried about scholarships and financial aid,” Salmon said. “Again, nothing with the name change impacts financial aid or scholarships, this is a legal name change that does not impact the way that the institution is run.”
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO UTICA UNIVERSITY’S OTHER SITES?
Utica University currently has three additional academic sites that are being simultaneously rebranded along with two new sites which will open with the new branding already implemented. Utica’s online campus and digital space are also receiving updates. “The name change for everything will be ongoing, as you might imagine there are numerous items that need to be changed,” Salmon said. “Some of these are physical, some are digital, the university has been taking inventory over the previous month or so of the necessary changes, both physical and digital, that we’re gonna have to make. Certainly, in the coming days and weeks ahead, we will be updating all our materials with our name and logo…email, calendar header, signage/ banners have changed, our admissions materials, certain components of the website have changed.”
Utica University FAQ’s
New Utica University logo. /Photo: Alexandria Leland
NEWS
Students share mixed feelings about Utica University, have taken to ‘UU’
◊ THOMAS CAPUTO
LAYOUT EDITOR
◊ HOLLIE DAVID
FEATURES EDITOR
The news that Utica College transitioned to Utica University was received with mixed reviews from the campus community after the Feb. 16 announcement to students, faculty and staff. While students have welcomed the name change, some have found the process to have seemed rushed. Christa Fransman, a junior liberal studies and childhood education major, felt that the name change was very sudden. The email that was sent to students, faculty and staff announcing the name change, was less than 24 hours before a press conference was held. During the press conference, Utica University Board of Trustees Chair Robert Brvenik spoke on the history of the university and how far Utica has come as an institution in its 75-year history, while President Laura Casamento made the official announcement on the name change and took questions from the press. At the end of the press conference, Casamento made a statement explaining, “we are not going to go by UU, we are Utica.” While the administration has tried to deter people from referring to the university as “UU,” students on campus, as well as alumni on social media, have already been embracing the “UU” abbreviation. “We are so used to hearing UC that we have simply adjusted to UU,” sophomore and English major Elizabeth Morgan said. It’s unsure whether the abbreviation will stick around once everybody has fully adjusted to the new university designation. “It’ll take a while to get used to and I’ll probably still say Utica College for a while,” sophomore men’s basketball player and therapeutic recreation major Damien Call said. “It’s just different with the university and UC sounds a little better than UU. I think people will still say it just for fun and we will refer to it as the U or UU.” Many students believe that the university designation was a welcomed surprise and might even help with recruiting future students. “I think it will attract more people student-wise as a university,” Call said. “I also think it will benefit the future of the college having the university name and getting more funding, to add more stuff to make the college more representable as a university instead of a college.” Senior and liberal studies major Olivia Nole-Malpezzi said she was excited by the announcement since she is at the end of her undergraduate experience. “It encourages a sense of community,” she said. “I work at the Aud and you can see the news and excitement rippling through the community.”
FAQ’S FROM PG. 5
The current sites which are being rebranded are located in both Miramar and St. Petersburg, Florida, as well as the location in Syracuse, New York. The sites which will open with Utica University branding already implemented are the newly announced Pasco County, Florida site and a third site in New York State.
When can I purchase Utica University merch?
The institution received word that the Board of Regents approved the change to Utica University late on Feb. 15, which is why there has not been any merchandise in the bookstore with the new name. “I do love that there is a lot of excitement, but you can understand why the shelves and racks are not yet filled with Utica University merchandise because, really, it’s only been a week since this was formalized and some things do take some time to order,” Salmon said. Utica University merchandise is expected to be available before the end of the spring semester.
NEWS
Mask requirements loosen on Utica University’s campus, student reaction mixed
◊ ISABELLA HUDZIAK
MANAGING NEWS EDITOR
On Wednesday, Feb. 9, Utica University announced a new update to mask policies on campus through a letter from the Office of the President. This update was pushed out in conjunction with an announcement from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, which ruled that certain indoor mask requirements will be lifted starting Feb. 10. At Utica University, masks are now required only in the following spaces: • Inside all classrooms, including any spaces where classes, labs, or lectures are held • In faculty and individual staff offices, at the request of the person who occupies that office • Gannett Memorial
Library • The Student Health
Center According to Vice President for Emergency Management Shad Crowe, the locations for mask requirements were chosen based on proximity transmissions. The reasoning behind why classrooms require masks is because unlike any other space on campus, students are within close proximity with one another for an extended period of time during class. The library is often home to several study groups, which also include many people in a small space. The new mask mandate at Utica University applies to all campus members regardless of vaccination status. “Now, [everyone] can choose to protect themselves by wearing a mask, but they are not required to,” Crowe said. “We all understand what the risks are and if you’re comfortable with the risks, then it is a personal decision.” COVID-19 testing has not been affected by the new mask rules, but if a student feels sick or that they might have had a positive exposure, they are able to get tested at Utica University. Crowe routinely helps with testing on Wednesdays in Strebel Student Center. If a student is in need of a COVID-19 test, they can contact the Student Health Center. When the Health Center is closed, students can contact Campus Safety for a rapid test that can be taken back to each individual dorm room. Daily Health Screenings, which were implemented at the start of the pandemic, will remain in effect until further notice to notify the university of new potential cases. Crowe said that he has continued to see students wearing masks in spaces they are not required and that it is encouraging to see. “It makes me proud of all of our students,” Crowe said. “I’m really just impressed with that level of caring, which I don’t think you see everywhere.” Student reaction to the loosened mask mandate has been mixed on campus. According to history education major Jonathan Carissimo, the statewide decision to relax the mandate now is concerning. “It doesn’t make sense relaxing it [in general] because it’s bigger than just the campus,” Carissimo said. “Public schools are going on break and people are going to be traveling, so I don’t get why they’re relaxing it.” Liberal studies major Kayla Viti said that she will continue to wear her mask everywhere, despite the campus loosening its regulations. “I think it’s just easier because classrooms require it,” Viti said. “Also, I’m someone who really believes they work and am not confident that COVID is gone in a school setting.” Some students, like communication and media major Dante Palumbo, are in support of the loosened rules. “I feel like loosening the mask mandates make things feel like they’re going back to normal,” Palumbo said. “I don’t really mind [wearing a mask] in a classroom and when I’m outside, I can take it off.” As of now, there are no plans to change the current mask regulations at Utica University. With COVID-19 numbers remaining relatively low on campus, it is quite possible that the rules and regulations will be updated before the end of the semester.
Students Corrine Bush (left) and Emily Anderson (right) wearing masks in JLM 365 Information Design. /Photo: Isabella Hudziak
