Westminster College will be Westminster University in 2023
Sep 19, 2022, 12:14 PM | Updated: 12:17 pm
FILE: Westminster College in Salt Lake City is pictured on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Westminster College announced it will be known as “Westminster University” starting Fall 2023.
In the Westminster press release, their board of trustees unanimously approved the move in their meeting last week in a move to reflect the school’s current curriculum.
“Westminster now operates as a fully comprehensive university, offering degrees from the Bachelor of Fine Arts to the Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia,” reads Winsterminster’s website FAQ.
Westminster says the difference between a university and a college is based on the number and type of graduate and professional degrees offered, not how many students attend.
Beginning Fall 2023, Westminster College will be known as Westminster University. pic.twitter.com/X4jVSRTXzI
— Westminster College (@WestminsterSLC) September 19, 2022
The school believes that adding “university” to its name will give graduates a better chance for employment, as employers interpret a university as providing a higher education quality than a college.
Past graduates will not need a new diploma, and their current diploma is still valid. If a graduate wishes to have a Westminster University name on their old diploma, they can request one after July 1, 2023.
Westminster said it will not change its admissions standards, raise tuition or fees, or increase class sizes.
“Becoming Westminster University honors our past while showcasing our strengths and trajectory as a small, comprehensive institution, one that offers students boundless opportunities with a network of support,” said Dr. Bethami A. Dobkin, Westminster’s president. “We will always be a place where students forge close connections with some of the best faculty in the country, and where a liberal arts foundation encourages thinking broadly, critically, collaboratively, and in ways that solve complex problems, building leadership and career confidence.”
If you wish to learn more about the changes, you can look at the Westminster website FAQ page.
