On Feb. 14 Bethune-Cookman College was granted university status by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. According to the media release issue by Bethune-Cookman’s Office of Public Relations, school officials expect that the name change will be phased in over the next 24 months. Dr. Stephen Schafer, vice president for advancement, will be responsible for implementing a marketing plan that will ensure that the school keeps its history intact and at the same time takes every advantage of publicizing its new university status.
Timothy Anderson, 21, a senior international studies student from Boston and secretary of political and community affairs for Bethune Cookman’s student government sees the change as a great addition.
“Now we can expand and have more graduate programs on campus with the new transformative leadership major as a graduate program and we will have more next year,” Anderson said. “We’re reaching out to the community and students to decide on the expansion of the university.”
Anderson said he was overwhelmed about possibly being able to stay and actually do his graduate work at B-CC.
“This is what Mary McLeod Bethune really wanted – to expand and help the community further their education,” Anderson said.
Michelle Nance, 18, a freshman mass communication student from Winston-Salem, N.C. sees the change as potentially positive for the future, but not immediately impactful.