Statement from the Undergraduate Studies Committee of the University Faculty Senate Concerning

“Request for a College name change and reorganization within Marine and Earth Studies”

At a meeting on March 13^th, 2009, the Undergraduate Studies Committee (UGS) of the University Faculty Senate discussed the proposal for a “Request for a College name change and reorganization within Marine and Earth Studies”.

UGS unanimously endorses the formation of a new college from the merger of the Department of Geography and the College of Marine and Earth Studies and its proposed organizational structure.

However, UGS has reservations about the College’s proposed new name of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. These reservations are: 1) including "environment" in the College's title might suggest to some that it is the primary home for environmental activities, when, in fact, other colleges (notably, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arts and Sciences, Education and Public Policy, and Engineering) are also actively engaged in teaching, research, and service encompassing environmental disciplines; 2) college name changes should be infrequent and undertaken only when they are absolutely necessary, such as when the current title no longer accurately reflects the mission of the college, the general opinion of UGS is that the College’s current name of Marine and Earth Studies accurately depicts the mission of the proposed newly formed College; 3) a college name change may affect recruiting by confusing prospective students and parents; 4) a college name change may alienate alumni/ae donors whose diplomas bear the names of colleges that would no longer exist at UD; and 5) the proposed name (i.e., Earth, Ocean and Environment) seems somewhat “awkward” when put in context with the existing college names (Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education and Public Policy, Engineering, Health Sciences, Marine and Earth Studies). UGS notes that UD’s college names refer generally to content/subject areas the proposed name does not seem to align with this existing structure.