Houston Community College leaders are slowing down the process of potentially changing the college’s name after trustees urged administrators to spend more time gathering the community’s feedback.

HCC administrators said in August they would gather input about the change, which could involve dropping “community” from the college’s name, and present their findings to the Board of Trustees by Wednesday. However, the topic was not discussed during Wednesday’s board meeting.

HCC Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher has said removing “community” from the college’s name could boost enrollment in its new four-year programs and improve its public image. Ford Fisher introduced the idea in August, calling it a “critically important” move.

“While a November 20 date was proposed to return to the board with findings of this research, trustees advised administration to take enough time to be thorough with this research,” HCC Public Relations Director Stephen Lesterjette wrote in a statement Thursday. 

Now, HCC administrators will host a series of focus groups and conduct surveys about a name change throughout early spring 2025, Lesterjette said. They expect to present the results to trustees in April 2025.

When Ford Fisher first floated changing HCC’s name to trustees at the August board meeting, she said it would help the college attract more students and assist graduates in getting better jobs. She argued some employers discount the value of an HCC degree because of the “community college” name.

However, HCC trustees had mixed reactions to the proposal in August, varying between support, shock and skepticism.

“I am also very concerned about this,” Trustee Monica Flores-Richart said. “This seems like a lot of energy that could be focused on student achievement, and an ultimate name change is going to be a substantial outlay of money. …  Nothing that (the chancellor) spoke about can’t be done with the name being the way it is. I mean, I don’t know where this is coming from.”

Others, in recent months, have expressed more support for a potential name change. 

“What it may do is offer the opportunity for people to understand the value of community college, without the word ‘community’ in it,” Trustee Pretta VanDible Stallworth said in an October interview with the Houston Landing. “People think college and community college are two different things, and it could give them the perception that, ‘Oh, this is better.’”

Ford Fisher has been steadfast that a name change would benefit the college. During her speech at HCC’s State of the College event in early November, Ford Fisher told the audience she anticipated bringing findings and recommendations for a name change to the board “very soon,” but did not reference a specific date. 

Some trustees who were originally hesitant about renaming the college urged Ford Fisher’s team to pump the brakes and take their time collecting community feedback. 

“Frankly, I want to hear what the folks have to say all around the city,” Trustee Sean Cheben said at the August board meeting. “Let’s make sure all of our communities have a time to voice their opinions. Let’s not rush the process. I still don’t see the urgency.”

HCC now plans to host events to gather community feedback next month, starting with a Dec. 2 town hall meeting at its West Loop campus. The event is advertised on HCC’s social media channels as “a chance to share your thoughts on a new name, new direction” for the college.

Miranda covers Houston’s community colleges in partnership with Open Campus. Despite roughly half of Houston’s higher-education students attending community colleges, there hasn’t been much news covering these systems or students — until now. Her reporting holds institutions accountable, highlights barriers faced by students and helps them navigate their opportunities. Reach Miranda at miranda@houstonlanding.org or on Twitter and Instagram.

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