ELMHURST – Elmhurst College is no more as the higher education institution's long-coming name change to Elmhurst University officially takes place Wednesday, July 1.

While its name is changing, professors, students and President Troy VanAken want others to know Elmhurst College’s values will remain.

“The name change to Elmhurst University is to reflect what Elmhurst has become,” VanAken said. “We’re still committed to small class sizes and individualized learning, but we’re a more comprehensive program now and don’t just offer bachelor’s degrees.”

Much of the reasoning for the name change is a clarification on the kind of institution Elmhurst is, VanAken said. Internationally and domestically, some students struggle to understand that Elmhurst College is a four-year institution that offers more than 20 graduate programs.

Beatriz Gomez-Acuna, associate professor of Spanish and chair of the World Languages, Literatures and Cultures department, said the change is more pragmatic than anything, but she believes it will lead to more diversity in the student body. This is because many international students liken the word "college" to high schools and have trouble understanding what kind of institution Elmhurst is.

“As a professor who works with many minority students, I am very excited to enrich the institution with more diversity, and that is something I believe the name change will help us do,” Gomez-Acuna said.

Board of Trustees Chair and alumnus Ed Momkus said diversity is something Elmhurst has always pushed for, and he believes the change to Elmhurst University will better position the institution to pursue that goal.

“You have to work at being welcoming,” Momkus said.

Momkus said it was extremely important to let all constituents of Elmhurst College have space for input. The change was discussed among faculty, staff, alumni and students. He said the forums allowed everyone to see what was important to retain among the change.

Admittedly, Gomez-Acuna was not a fan of the name change when it first came up several years ago. However, with many discussions and opportunities to voice her opinions, she is now convinced the decision is the right one.

“I’m a firm believer of intimate education and was concerned there would be a loss of that,” Gomez-Acuna said. “As the conversation progressed it became clear that everybody was keen on preserving those identity labels. The institution was not trying to change.”

For senior psychology major Chris Binder, the name change is something to be proud of. Binder is a legacy student who attended Elmhurst after his sister. He has been active on campus since his arrival. He's a running back on the football team, is involved in resident life and has several minors.

Binder said he was unsure if he wanted to follow in his sister’s footsteps, having grown up attending sporting events and hanging around campus with her during her time at Elmhurst. Now, he said it has been captivating to see how the institution has grown and will be catapulting itself into the future with the name change.

“Our goal as college students is to educate ourselves and become understanding of others so we can leave the world better than we found it, and that’s been true of my time at Elmhurst,” Binder said. “I feel like I’m leaving Elmhurst better than I found it, so it can grow in diversity and become more competitive with other institutions.”

Coming up on its 150th anniversary, the name change more accurately represents what the university has become and hopes to be, VanAken said. The decision to do it now, he said, is allowing the institution to act from a position of strength.

Gomez-Acuna said the change is an opportunity above all else. The institution’s values will remain the same, but clarity and opportunity will be brought forth when it becomes Elmhurst University, she said.

“It’s an opportunity for telling the world who we are and what we do and to start getting the attention the institution deserves,” she said. “This gives us a platform for prospective students to look at us and get to know us, so that we can be a first choice for many students we wouldn’t have been a first choice for before.”