Press Room

Governor Signs Bill to Change Metro State College to University Today

Wednesday, April 18 2012

DENVER ─ Today, Governor John Hickenlooper signed Senate Bill 148 into law.  Senate Bill 148, sponsored by Senator Lucia Guzman (D-Denver), will formally change the name of the Metropolitan State College of Denver to the Metropolitan State University of Denver.  This legislation is the product of years of assessments, community advocacy, and legislative negotiations.  Governor Hickenlooper held the signing ceremony at the Auraria Campus in the Student Success Building.

Senator Guzman offered the following comment on Senate Bill 148 becoming law today:

“Metro State University has been providing quality education to thousands of students for more than 50 years.  So many people have worked tirelessly to pass this legislation, and I’m glad to see Metro State get the recognition it deserves.”

The name change initiative began after two brand assessments found that many people were confused as to whether Metro State was a four-year institution or a community college. In a 2011 study more than 80 percent of participants favored a new name. Full implementation of the new name is targeted for Fall of 2013.

Metropolitan State University of Denver was founded in 1965 and currently educates almost 24,000 students.  Metropolitan State has the largest undergraduate class in the state and strives to provide an individualized academic experience, offering a large number of major and minor programs, and a diverse student body.