Piedmont College is changing its name. The school’s Board of Trustees approved changing the name to Piedmont University early next year. The proposal was unanimously endorsed by the Piedmont College Alumni Board, a news release from the college states.
College officials say the name change is in recognition of “dramatic growth and transformation” at the institution over the past two decades.
“Increasingly we are viewed as a regional liberal arts university,” states President James F. Mellichamp. “The name shift not only reflects who we are – but also where we are going.”
The college’s four academic schools – Harry W. Walker School of Business, R.H. Daniel School of Nursing & Health Sciences, School of Education, and School of Arts & Sciences – will become colleges.
Piedmont College, which includes campuses in Demorest and Athens, is coming off its largest-ever freshman class, has completed several large campus improvements, and recently purchased almost 90 acres adjacent to the Demorest campus for expansion.
Founded in 1897, Piedmont also is experiencing record levels of giving, has added new academic programs, and is reaching beyond Georgia to recruit students. Although the official name will change, Piedmont’s identity, core values, and emphasis on liberal arts education and real-world, professional preparation will remain the same, the release states.
U.S. News ranked Piedmont number 50 among “regional universities” in the 12-state South Region in 2019, up from 63 in 2018 and 68 in 2017.
The college, which enrolls more than 2,500 students, offers a variety of degrees from baccalaureate through doctoral levels.
School administrators are now developing plans to acknowledge the new name and also celebrate the college’s 125th anniversary in 2022.
“This change opens an exciting new chapter in the history of Piedmont,” says Piedmont Board Chairman Thomas “Gus” Arrendale III. “It was made after careful deliberation and discussion and reflects the amazing progress that is taking place at Piedmont.”
