College’s new name: Blue Mountain Christian University

BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. (AP) — A private Baptist institution of higher learning in north Mississippi is getting a name change.

The Trustees of Blue Mountain College have approved the new name of Blue Mountain Christian University. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal said that the transition is underway. The 2023 freshman class will be the first to attend under the new name.

It’s the latest change in names for an institution that began in 1873 as Blue Mountain Female Institute. The private college was independently owned and operated until being turned over to the Mississippi Baptist Convention in 1920.

President Barbara McMillin said Friday that the college wants to be “clear and bold about our convictions, about who we are as a Christian college.”

Another reason for the change: McMillin said the “university” designation reflects Blue Mountain’s growth and complexity. Blue Mountain began offering graduate studies in 2007, starting with a Master of Education program.

Blue Mountain also recently announced plans to establish a School of Nursing as it launches a new nursing program in 2023.

The name change followed six months of constituent conversations and a resolution of support from the alumni association.

“Blue Mountain College was founded in 1873, and we are on the eve of our 150th anniversary,” McMillin said. “Going into this next era, we’re poised to make this change.”

The university will keep its mascot, the Toppers, and the same school colors, but its logo will change.

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