Readers Play Name Game

Lilac City College, College of the Falls, Fort Wright Community College. Those are some of the suggestions from readers in an informal Cityline survey on a proposal to change the names of Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College.

The current names sound so much alike the presidents of the colleges are suggesting they be renamed to clear up the confusion.

The Spokesman-Review asked readers last Sunday to phone in suggestions and opinions.

Fort George Wright Community College was the name suggested by several callers who wanted to preserve the history of the former military post and college next door.

The former Fort Wright campus now serves as an institute for Japanese students studying English in America.

“I think the problem with the two colleges is they both have ‘Spokane’ in the title,” a caller said.

Falls College was suggested for SFCC, and there was support for leaving SCC’s name alone.

Another caller said the colleges should be combined into Washington Community College of Spokane, with an East Campus designation for SCC and a West Campus designation for SFCC.

Still another caller said combining the two campuses into a single college would save money on administration.

Vern Loland, president of SFCC, said that idea has been suggested in the past.

“I’m sure we’ll have many, many more suggestions,” he said.

Loland said the notion of renaming the colleges has been batted around for at least 15 years. Changing names would underscore the distinct character of the two colleges, as well as clear up the confusion, he said.

He and SCC President James Williams included the possibility of name changes among several recommendations for increasing the independence and public recognition of the two colleges.

They also want permission to set different graduation requirements, market their programs independently and split up the list of joint athletic teams so they would represent one college or the other.

They sent their proposal to the governing board of the Community Colleges of Spokane, which wants input from faculty, students and the public before ruling on the ideas.

Some readers don’t think new names are needed.

“I think changing the name is just crazy. We know the difference,” one caller said.

Another said, “Leave the names the way they are. How dumb are these people?”

, DataTimes