A Newman business professor says he has an idea that would help Newman University establish a stronger Catholic identity in the community.
He hasn’t proposed the idea formally but has reached out to a few people on campus, including The Vantage and University relations, to float it.
Larry Straub, associate professor of the school of business and technology, said he believes Newman should change its name to St. Newman University.
Straub pointed to the recent recognition of the university’s namesake, Saint John Henry Newman, as a saint and Doctor of the Church as a reason to consider aligning the university’s name more closely with that identity.
One of Straub’s primary arguments for the proposed change is that it could help communicate Newman’s Catholic identity more clearly to people outside the university.
Based on his professional and social experiences, Straub said, he believes the university is not always recognized as a Catholic institution.
“When talking with my network, only about 50% of these individuals know that we are a Catholic University,” Straub said. “That to me is an issue and arguably a problem.”
Straub said he believes that adding “Saint” to the university’s name could help address that perception. He also suggested that the change could help distinguish Newman when prospective students and their parents search for colleges online.
“Would this solve that problem? Maybe not completely. But could it help? That is the discussion point,” Straub said.
Straub also said that strengthening the institution’s Catholic identity could reinforce the school’s relationship with the Catholic Diocese’s seminary. Seminarians attend Newman for their undergraduate education.
Despite the potential benefits, Straub acknowledged, changing the university’s name could present challenges, particularly regarding branding, recognition and cost.
Some people still refer to the institution by its former name, Kansas Newman College, which hasn’t been the school’s name since 1988. Straub acknowledged that even if the university adopted a new name, some people would likely continue to call it Newman.
However, he does not view that as a significant obstacle.
Straub said that he once owned a company calledStraub International Inc. but began marketing it as ‘Straub’s’ without changing its legal name. Straub said that customers readily adopted the new branding, making the transition relatively easy and inexpensive.
He suggested Newman could follow a similar approach by gradually updating signage, business cards and other marketing materials rather than immediately replacing everything associated with the university’s current name.
Straub said he has discussed the idea with Clark Schaffer, director of university relations, who expressed concerns about potential confusion and dilution of the university’s existing brand. Straub acknowledged those concerns but believes they could be managed through careful planning.
The idea has primarily been discussed through informal conversations and has not been presented as a finalized proposal or an immediate plan for implementation, he said.
Straub, who even designed a logo with the name St. Newman University, said Newman’s ongoing three-year strategic planning process includes examining the university’s branding and identity, providing a possible opportunity for the community to discuss the idea more formally.
Photo: curtsey Larry Straub
