The University of Missouri-Rolla recently launched a new weblog to provide more information about a proposed name change for the university and to provide students, alumni and others an opportunity to discuss the proposal.

The “Name Change Conversations” weblog (namechange.mst.edu) began on Jan. 30 with a post outlining the blog’s purpose. “We want this blog to be a source for useful information about the proposed name change, a forum discussion about the issues being raised by the proposal (and) an avenue for providing up-to-the-minute information about the proposal,” states the inaugural post.

Last October, UMR Chancellor John F. Carney III proposed a discussion about changing the university’s name to one that better reflects its role as a technological research university.

“The University of Missouri-Rolla is unique among the four University of Missouri campuses because of our focus as a technological research university,” Carney said. “We believe a more distinctive name would afford UMR several advantages in recruiting students on a national level.”

The University of Missouri Board of Curators must approve any proposed name change.

The “Name Change Conversations” weblog is administered by UMR’s communications department.