Russell Weaver, Avery Johnson, Hannah Whetstone
As Ethan Cornine prepares for graduation, a sign reading “Kansas State University - Salina,” fills him with disappointment and frustration.
The Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus is pursuing a name change to Kansas State University - Salina.
According to K-State Salina’s website, “The campus houses the College of Technology and Aviation.” This campus provides students with an innovative learning environment through hands-on education and industry connections.
Motivation for the change
Over the last 10 years, the campus has undergone numerous name changes. Originally Kansas State University - Salina, the name was changed in 2015 to Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus. In 2021, the university announced its plan to revert to Kansas State University - Salina.
Dr. Alysia Starkey, Ph.D., CEO and Dean of the College of Technology and Aviation, said after the 2015 rebrand, plans were made to revisit the issue in five years with stakeholders including students, alumni, faculty, staff, business leaders and industry partners.
“In 2020, 87% of our stakeholders came back and said they did not like the name change,” Dean Starkey said. “President Myers, at that time, said we should be consistent between all three different campuses and how we refer to them.”.
Dean Starkey
Andrew Smith, a professor of aviation at K-State Salina for 19 years, is part of the 87% of stakeholders who disliked the “polytechnic” label.
“Other schools that had ‘polytechnic’ as their name were semi-related to our curriculum, but not directly related,” Professor Smith said. “So it was just an unusual transition, but it was a big push from our administration, the Salina campus administration.”
Dean Starkey said the goal is to create unity among the three campuses “from a location and a physicality aspect as opposed to the types of programs that the campuses offer.”
K-State marketing professor J.J. Brotton said changing the name to Kansas State University - Salina allows the Salina campus to feel like it is part of K-State as a whole.
“The benefits of being K-State Salina is that you are hanging your hat on the K-State name, which is already established in the market,” Brotton said. “You’re using what you’ve got in the momentum of everybody knows K-State in this region.”
Professor J.J. Brotton
At the November 15, 2023, Kansas Board of Regents meeting, a new legislative proposal outlined the name change, as well as updating the statute “to align with the mission of the Salina campus.”
The statute changes aim to clarify that the campus is an entity of Kansas State University, rather than a separate state agency. Another goal is to clarify and simplify the areas of technical education by focusing on programs that advance the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries of the state.
Professor Smith said he suspects most people will accept returning to the Salina brand.
“I think it's more familiar and it identifies our location, not specifically the type of campus that we are,” Professor Smith said. “We have K-State Olathe, we have K-State Manhattan, we have K-State Global Campus, we have K-State Salina. It seems like it's more aligned with our structure than Kansas State University Polytechnic.”
The students' perspectives
Some students on the K-State - Salina Campus have mixed feelings about the rebrand.
Cornine, a senior majoring in aeronautical technology and aviation maintenance, finds pride in his school and said that the removal of “Polytechnic Campus” takes away from the university’s identity and severs ties to the community it has cultivated.
Tate Allen, a senior pursuing a professional pilot degree, is indifferent to the change.
“I think the Polytechnic name properly represents the education and research on the Salina Campus. Aerospace, technology, and engineering are our main degree programs,” Allen said. “In my personal opinion, either name fits the school.”
Atley Pankaskie, a junior in aeronautical technology, said, “I like the name change because the college will feel more like it is part of K-State. However, I like the current name because it makes the college feel more exclusive.”
Dean Starkey said she doesn’t expect this name to be changed again anytime soon. She hopes it will align with anything coming in the future for the Salina campus.
“The emphasis on the location in Salina ensures that regardless of what happens, if we get additional programming here or if the university decides to expand…We’re safe in the aspect of choosing to identify this campus with the physical location as opposed to anything else that has been done in the past,” Starkey said.
