A Mississippi university tries again to drop ‘Women’ from its name

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Leaders of Mississippi University for Women are making a new proposal to to shed the school’s gender-specific name. And they’re hoping alumni will accept the change. The public institution would become Wynbridge State University of Mississippi and still market itself as “The W,” if legislators approve the plan. The change would happen July 1. It’s the second time this year that MUW leaders have rolled out an idea for renaming the university in Columbus. It has also enrolled men since 1982, and about 22% of current students are male. A backlash by alumni caused the university to backtrack from a proposed name unveiled in January, Mississippi Brightwell University.