A long time in the making, the Mississippi University for Women has taken one step closer to an official name change.
In a video posted to social media, MUW announced that it had selected Mississippi Brightwell University as the name for the school that has been coeducational since 1982 after a U.S. Supreme Court demanded it begin allowing male students in.
The Mississippi University for Women – also commonly referred to as “The W” – has leaned heavily into the nickname since launching men’s sports in 2017. President Nora Miller, who helped start name-change talks in 2022, said the rebranding will better reflect the university’s student population and goals for the future.
“The rebrand is intended to better mirror the university’s current vision, mission, and the dynamic times we are living in, providing a more apt representation of our diverse and vibrant student body,” Miller said.
The decision to go with Mississippi Brightwell University comes after a survey among faculty, alumni, current students, and community members that showed a vested interest in renaming the school. Even though the top vote-getters of the 4,300 plus responses were the University of Northern Mississippi and Callaway State University, Miller said Brightwell is more aligned with the school’s history.
“We study for light to bless with light,” Miller said, referring to the university’s motto. “Our motto epitomizes the enduring essence of a supportive, inclusive, and empowered community. Our distinguished faculty – beacons of enlightenment and a wellspring of knowledge – collaborate with each of our students one-on-one.”
For athletics, the name change is a welcome decision as coaches – especially on the men’s side – have struggled to recruit players to the Division III school. Athletic director Jennifer Claybrook explained on a recent episode of From D2 to D3 that the name change will open more doors when it comes to recruiting both athletes and regular students amid enrollment issues.
“For me, the name change will just be about outwardly showing that we do empower, that we are inclusive, that we are forward-thinking, that we do appreciate tradition,” Claybrook said. “I truly believe it will open more doors for us and more people will see what a gift [the university] is and will know that they are all welcome.”
Now that MUW has released a preferred name, the Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi legislature will both have to approve the change since the university is publicly funded. Once the bill is passed by both chambers and signed by the governor the name of Mississippi Brightwell University will officially go into effect on July 1, 2024.
