The City of Buffalo now has two universities to its name.
D’Youville College will be known as D’Youville University after the New York State Board of Regents voted unanimously to grant the 114-year old institution approval for the name change on Feb. 15.
“It is with the utmost excitement we are experiencing this landmark moment,” D’Youville President Lorrie Clemo said in a statement announcing the approval. “Not only does the status as a university reflect our academic excellence, but it also supports our longstanding commitment to our students and our surrounding community as a place of innovation, outreach, and growth.”
Touro College of Long Island and Utica College were also approved for university status by the board.
The switches come after the New York State Department of Education decided to amend its definition of a university in January, eliminating the requirement for schools to offer doctoral programs.
Under its revised definition, an institution is only required to offer undergraduate and graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, alongside at least three graduate programs in various disciplines to qualify as a university, such as agriculture, business, fine arts, humanities and social sciences.
D’Youville’s efforts to gain university recognition go as far back as 2007, when then-President Sister Denise Roche requested an amendment to the charter. The college bolstered its efforts in 2018 with a second petition for a charter amendment.
NY Sen. Tim Kennedy, a D’Youville alum, credits the successful name change to the collective effort of school leaders, community voices and alumni.
“We’re thrilled to finally get this across the finish line and celebrate this major victory for D’Youville University,” Kennedy said in D’Youville’s Kavinoky Theatre.
Kyle Nguyen is an assistant news/features editor and can be reached at kyle.nguyen@ubspectrum.com
Kyle Nguyen is a senior news/features editor at The Spectrum.
