Why N.J. college for adults was upgraded to university status
By Cristina Rojas | For NJ.com
University Arch rendering 2.jpg
An artist rendering of Thomas Edison State University's new brick archway over the main entrance of its Kelsey Building in downtown Trenton to commemorate the name change. (Thomas Edison State University)
TRENTON -- The capital city now has a university to call its own.
Thomas Edison State College announced Monday that it has officially changed its name to Thomas Edison State University.
The move comes after recent approval from the the state college Presidents' Council and Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks. The school's Board of Trustees approved a resolution authorizing the change in December.
George A. Pruitt, the school's president, said the university designation more accurately reflects Thomas Edison's range and quality of academic offerings.
He said colleges tend to be smaller and more focused on undergraduate work and teaching, while universities are larger, more complex and offer master's and doctorate degrees.
Thomas Edison offers programs in more than 100 areas of study, including 13 master's degree programs and 15 graduate certificates. In the coming days, it will launch its first doctoral program ever -- a Doctor of Nursing Practice.
The school serves more than 18,600 students from every state and around the world and is the third-largest institution of higher learning in the state.
Though the regulatory process took about a year, Pruitt said the change began more than a decade ago when the college started offering graduate degree courses.
"It was time to make that change so that our name more accurately reflected who we became over the last several years," he said. "It better communicates to the public who we are."
The school has been a pioneer in online learning, but Pruitt is quick to point out that it provides students with a variety of ways to get a degree -- transfer credits, standardized exams, online courses, licenses and certifications, workplace or military training programs and portfolio assessments.
"There's a variety of arrows in the quiver all directed at serving older, self-directed adults," Pruitt said. "We're well-known for online work, but it'd be a mistake to define us by it. ... We are defined by the students we serve, not by the various things we do."
The name change is, in fact, the third for the 43-year-old institution. Founded in July 1972 as Edison College, the college became Thomas A. Edison College the following year and changed its name to Thomas A. Edison State College in 1980.
Pruitt said it was important to keep the word "state" for two reasons: officials are proud that it's a public university and it helps differentiates the school from for-profit institutions that have found themselves at the center of controversy.
"The name 'state' gives assurance to the public that we are a solid, reputable institution that operates with a high level of integrity and accountability," he said.
Graduates who are approved by the trustees board in March will be the first to receive their diplomas from Thomas Edison State University, but alumni can also order a duplicate diploma that bears the new name and seal.
Pruitt said the change has been well-received by alumni, corporate partners and the general public.
Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, who is an alumnus himself, is among that group.
"I appreciate the crucial role the institution plays in providing adult students with a path for earning undergraduate and graduate degrees and in helping to revitalize our capital city with projects," he said. "It has been a pleasure to watch Thomas Edison State's evolution over the years and the successful effort to become a university will enhance the profile of what is already an outstanding institution of higher learning."
With the change, though, comes a cost from getting a new Internet domain, new stationery, business cards and checks to new signs on the buildings and highways.
The school also plans to erect a brick archway over the main entrance of its Kelsey/Townhouse complex, which serves as its executive center.
"Being granted university status is the capstone on what's been a transformational year," Pruitt said. "This year will change the direction and trajectory for many years to come and it's an exciting time."
This spring, the university is set to open a new $26 million building on the site of what was once the eyesore Glen Cairn Arms apartment towers. It will house the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing, a testing center, meeting space and conference rooms.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.