The university seeks to rebrand itself as Wynbridge State University of Mississippi, while retaining its beloved “The W” identity.

Mississippi University for Women (MUW) has once again proposed a name change, this time suggesting the institution be renamed Wynbridge State University of Mississippi. The goal is to maintain the school’s well-loved “The W” identity, while addressing the challenges that come with its current gender-specific title. If the proposal is approved by state legislators, the name change could take effect by July 1.

This marks the second attempt this year by the university’s leadership to address concerns about the gendered name. Since admitting male students in 1982, approximately 22% of the current 2,230 students are men. However, university officials have stated that the term “women” in the name complicates recruitment efforts, particularly in attracting male students.

The proposed new name, Wynbridge, has been met with a positive reception from university leaders. Amanda Clay Powers, co-chair of the university’s naming task force, explained that “Wynbridge” is derived from an Old English word for “W,” symbolising a bridge between the institution’s history and its future. “This name reflects both our past as the first publicly supported university for women and our commitment to an inclusive, forward-looking future,” Powers remarked.

In January, the university had proposed the name Mississippi Brightwell University, but strong backlash from alumni led to the abandonment of that idea. Alumni have consistently voiced their resistance to changing the name, with previous efforts to remove “women” from the title dating back to 2009. That year, then-president Claudia Limbert suggested renaming the school Reneau University, in honour of Sallie Reneau, a 19th-century advocate for women’s higher education. However, the suggestion was quickly met with resistance and was ultimately scrapped.

Despite the controversy, MUW President Nora Miller expressed gratitude to alumni for their enduring connection to the institution, stating, “Our identity as ‘The W’ has both an enduring legacy and the flexibility to carry our institution into the future.”

The university was founded in 1884 as the Industrial Institute and College, originally housed at the Columbus Female Institute. The mission at the time was to provide higher education and vocational training specifically for women. In 1920, the name was changed to Mississippi State College for Women, before it became Mississippi University for Women in 1974.

The name change proposal continues to be discussed, with university leaders hopeful that this new approach will strike the right balance between tradition and modernisation.