Siena University. The name still feels a little foreign on the tongue, despite the fresh signs around campus, the updated @sienauniversity instagram handle, and the official university celebration on September 18th. This transition has been in the works for a few years, but it still came as a shock for students. Immediately following the announcement last semester, the chatter began: Why did this happen? Does this name change correlate to higher tuition? Will this cause a spike in student population and overall competition?
These were the same questions the Student Senate raised during meetings with the communications team in March last semester. As representatives of the student body, the Senate was informed of the upcoming transition and asked to share student perspectives before the general announcement. From our initial meetings, we learned the following: the shift to university has less to do with a larger student body and more to do with Siena’s expansion of graduate programs. Under an updated New York amendment, institutions are no longer required to offer doctoral programs in order to attain university status so long as they have at least three graduate programs. Siena currently offers a total of eight graduate programs, after several years of steadily adding one to two ones annually. This growth prompted the Board of Trustees to consider the transition, and they ultimately voted in favor of the change. The reasoning? The new name builds on Siena’s rising reputation as one of New York’s top schools for job security while simultaneously retaining its core identity.
To ensure this news came from students, Siena’s marketing team partnered with the Student Senate to release an informational video in late April. Our job was to emphasize that the name change would not alter the strong sense of community at Siena’s core. Though Siena’s goal is to expand the number of graduate student population from just 2% to 15-20% of the total student population, our campus won’t necessarily become more crowded. In the video, we reiterated that most graduate students live off campus, meaning there is no increased competition for housing. To accommodate for their full time jobs and other responsibilities, their classes are scheduled asynchronously or during evening blocks (4-6 PM or 7-10 PM). This ensures that they do not compete with undergraduates for classroom space or course registration. Though graduate students do commute to campus for these classes, the scheduling of classes prevents additional strain on parking during peak hours. Finally, the Student Senate assured students that there would be no direct increase in tuition due to the name change.
For these reasons, this name change will feel largely symbolic. The class of 2026 will be the first class to graduate from Siena University, while the class of 2029 is the first class of freshmen to begin under the name. Though some students may dismiss it as “just a name”, this transition represents Siena’s dedication to continual improvement and growth.
This sentiment was on display September 18th, during the campus-wide celebration titled Rooted in Fransican Values, Rising as a University. With enough pomp and circumstance to make any Siena alum proud, the ceremony began as faculty and students in formal regalia processed from the Grotto to the UHY Center. To emphasize that Siena’s essence would remain unchanged, the ceremony centered around our five core values: compassionate leadership, inclusivity, innovation, lifelong learning, and person-centeredness. Following remarks from Board of Trustees Chair Tom Baldwin and Father Kevin Mullen, a string of community members shared reflections on how each value shaped their individual Siena experiences. Women’s Basketball Coach Terry Pimm explained how compassionate leadership “has always been a part of our DNA”, while Creative Arts professor Krista Dennis reminded us that “inclusivity is not just a value we aspire to at Siena University. It’s a living part of who we are.” Anna Heur ‘27 reflected on person-centeredness, saying that “building these long-term relationships shapes students who learn to value every story, listen to every voice, and seek out the heartbeat of each community.” After President Chuck Seifert’s closing remarks, a cutout of the distinctive Siena Hall dome rose behind the podium, bringing the event’s title to life. The day concluded with Academic Showcase on the academic quad, a BBQ dinner by AVI, Stewarts Ice Cream, giveaways, and a drone show under the stars. At the ceremony earlier, I shared a few moments when Siena’s person-centered spirit made me feel truly at home on campus. That night, I added another moment to my list. Between the lively lawn games, families stretched out across the library lawn, and the joy that hung in the air, Siena truly felt like the close knit community that had drawn me here in the first place. As the drones spelled out ‘Siena University’ in the night sky high above, it was clear that this core of Siena would always remain the same, regardless of its name.
I was fortunate enough to be a part of these conversations regarding the shift to university through my role on the Student Senate. A special thanks to Kelly O’Donnell and Jason Rich for leading these discussions and organizing celebration events, Emily Furlong for collaborating with Senate on the informational video, and all other administration and faculty who made this transition possible.