SUNY Oswego Changes Name After Being Recognized as a University

Posted on January 4, 2023

SUNY Oswego is getting a name change after being formally recognized as a university.

The school announced this week that it will continue to be known as SUNY Oswego, but its official state education title will change from “State University of New York College at Oswego” to “State University of New York at Oswego.” The change took effect Jan. 1, 2023, and was approved by Interim SUNY Chancellor Deborah F. Stanley, who was authorized by the State University of New York Board of Trustees.

“This formal designation appropriately represents who SUNY Oswego is today – a premier institution proud of its shared commitment to excellence and unwavering efforts to place student success at the center of all we do,” Officer in Charge Mary C. Toale said in a statement. “Recognized officially as a university reinforces our institutional priorities; spotlights our high-quality, high-impact practices inside and outside the classroom; and underpins our mission to sustain our university and build a better world for future generations.”

According to a press release, SUNY Oswego filed for the name change to the New York State Education Department in November after the New York State Board of Regents issued new guidelines for what constitutes a university. To do so, a higher education institution must “offer a range of registered undergraduate and graduate curricula in the liberal arts and sciences, including graduate programs registered in at least three of the following discipline areas: agriculture, biological sciences, business, education, engineering, fine arts, health professions, humanities, physical sciences, and social sciences.”