Elizabeth Long, a spokeswoman for the network, said last week that the change was being weighed. An internal email obtained on Thursday confirms the plan.
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“Today, the Kettering College board of directors voted to start the process of changing Kettering College’s name to that of a university effective spring of 2018,” said the email to college faculty and staff.
“There are a number of reasons behind this decision, but perhaps one of the most important is what our name indicates in American higher education,” the email said. “The word ‘university’ denotes a higher level of degree, and as we continue to add doctoral programs, our trajectory and growth matches this higher level of degree.”
“We also plan on adding several more graduate degrees over the next few years,” the college added. “Through conversations with the board of directors, faculty and staff, and students, we believe this is the optimum time to take the next step forward by accepting the title of university.”
An outside consultant helped guide the college’s decision to change its name, the email said.
The name is supposed to be revealed at the 2018 graduation, faculty and staff were told.
“We will then start changing materials over the summer and begin operating as a university at the first convocation of the fall 2018 school year,” the email said.
A Kettering University, focused on business STEM fields, exists today in Flint, Mich.
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