CofC/MUSC merger discussed

[hungry]

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley held a series of three meetings last week attended by top administrators of both the College of Charleston and the Medical University of South Carolina about potentially merging the two centuries-old institutions.

“The response was overwhelming and extremely positive,” Riley said. “People were very enthusiastic. It’s like the light bulb went off.”


He said Charleston needs a comprehensive research university with undergraduate, graduate and doctorate-level programs to realize its economic potential and compete for new business with other research-rich regions around the country like North Carolina’s Research Triangle and Austin, Texas.

A merger of the two schools isn’t a new idea, but has taken on new urgency, he said. “It moved from a nice thing to have to an imperative.”

MUSC President Ray Greenberg and College of Charleston President George Benson don’t know exactly what a future collaboration between the schools might look like, but both are open to discussion.

“We’re not, in our current structure, reaching our full potential,” Greenberg said.

Read more in an upcoming edition of The Post and Courier.

[swampcougar1]

As long as we can be called College of Charleston and keep our unique graduation.

[matrojan]

I am an alumnus of both institutions.
I think a marriage like this could work but would be fraught with peril.

Here in Birmingham UAB works very well as an all encompassing graduate/undergraduate institution but it has been that way from almost the very beginning.

You would almost certainly have to have some sort of all encompassing name. Otherwise what is the point.

[hungry]

College of Charleston- undergrad

University of Charleston School of Medicine
University of Charleston School of Law
I'm good with that.
The only things Cid brings to the table are engineering, criminal justice and football. I'll pass.

[matrojan]

MUSC(1824) is one of the oldest medical schools in the country and the oldest in the South, I would really really have a lot of difficulty ceding the title of standard bearer of medical school in this state to USC SOM.

With all respect to USC SOM and its grads, it is not half the institution that MUSC is. MUSC has name recognition in the SE and beyond. If we give up that name and allow USC to be the only medical school for South Carolina(which its name would imply) you will see a dilution of the brand.

This does not matter for all the other colleges in MUSC(dental, CHP, nursing) which generally recruit locally. The School of Medicine must retain the title as MUSC. I cannot possibly imagine the alumni of MUSC allowing this to happen. I am having trouble with it and I have loyalty to CofC.

[matrojan]

Hungry rebranding at this level is a really difficult thing.

My friend is on the faculty at Medical College of Georgia and they have gone through a whole rebranding/renaming rollercoaster in the last few years. I don't know where it stands but has gotten pretty ugly.

[hungry]

I knew all that; just thought it needed to be said. Now we can move on to whatever the powers that be(not me!) decide

[swampcougar1]

I do not see why either name would have to go away. No reason why some classes could not be merged that are prerequisite for virtually any degree but still keep both names. I will never say UofCharleston. It has CofC since the 1700,s