[1 ,2 ]

CONCLUSIONS

Institutions reputations are the result of two distinct processes:

1. The accumulation of its public successes and failures.

2. The aggregation of associations determined by the trigger words comprising the title of the institution, and the synergies those trigger words create determined by the contextual setting (or cultural space). This is an institution's VIRTUAL REPUTATION.

In the end, all institutional reputations are, to a significant degree, virtual. Excepting the most prestigious, the vast majority of institutional reputations are entirely virtual outside their local space. That is, the accomplishments and the failures of an institution have no significant effect on its wider reputation except over glacial time spans.

TITLE ELEMENTS

An institution's title generally comprises two or three elements:

class; identifier; modifier.

Class and theidentifier are always present, but a modifier is optional.

CLASS denotes level of institution. (University, institute, college, etc.)

IDENTIFIER is unique label that differentiates and identifies the institution. (place name, person's name, occupation, etc.)

MODIFIER denotes a sub class within the institution class (State, Jewish, Technical, etc.)

ooOoo

EXAMPLE WITH PSEUDO CASE STUDY

How to create a 100 year old prestigious college 

· Selecting a name 

· creating a virtual history 

· creating a virtual reputation

Let us agree that all new schools start with zero significant reputation. If we want to generate a positive reputation we can work hard for many years building a solid institution. The reputation achieved will be a combination of, real events (successes and failures) and title (and the synergies generated by the interplay of the title trigger words with one another and the virtual environment). It is likely that for decades, the institution's name (title) will be the overwhelming determinant of reputation. 

Alternatively, we can generate an instant reputation by judicious choice of the institution's title. We must decide on the class of institution, the modifier if one is required and the identifier .

THE COLLEGE FORMERLY KNOWN AS REGENTS

We are a regionally accredited college in the city of Albany, NY, which has decided to change its name. We have chosen to leave the state for another state that will allow the use of "University" in the new title. We assess a significant dollar value to the University label in the form of increased enrollment, increased sales of our proprietary examinations, and faster growth of our new graduate programs, due to be inaugurated this year. 

Our main competition comes from two other assessment colleges, both part of state systems (Charter Oak State College and Thomas Edison State College). We require that our new name should carry the prestige we feel or products warrant and that it should clearly differentiate us from the also-rans. We would prefer to keep some connection to our roots in the choice of this new name.

Recommendations

From the preceding analyses, the institution CLASS will be "University".

The identifier should be readily associative and the specific associations should be positive, if not positively prestigious! An internet search reveals literally hundreds of examples where the SUNY, University at Albany, NY, is misnamed the "University of Albany". This common error is ripe for exploitation. It can be surmised that most all of the public do not recognize the nuance of at and of in the respective names.. 

It seems unlikely SUNY could copyright a place name. Albany is the city where the college was founded, and where we have been based for well over quarter of a century. We feel we have  strong historical and cultural ties to the city, and to its name. It is doubtful any other institution can match the strength of our claim to this name. It helped define who we were, it will now define who we are, and who we will become. 

The IDENTIFIERwill be "Albany". 

There will be no MODIFIER.

Results are: Albany University and University of Albany.

University of Albany is preferable because of its strong association with The University at Albany, and the benefit likely to accrue to us from acquisition of our respective institutions pooled virtual reputation.

University at Albany reputation = 100;  Regents College reputation = 0

Cumulative virtual rep accruing to University of Albany ~ 100
 

So, by this change the college will be catapulted into the mainstream league of large universities, so far as public perceptions are concerned. Distance learners negotiating the assessment route now have the choice of being a graduate of:

 

• Thomas Edison State College
• Charter Oak State College 
• Excelsior College
• The University of Albany

q       ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

q       WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER APPEAR ON YOUR RESUME?

q       IF YOUR MOTHER WERE TO PICK ONE, WHICH WOULD IT BE?

q       WHICH DO YOU THINK HAS THE HIGHEST MARGINAL UTILITY?