Queasy

From the story:

Deal said [the name] Georgia Regents University conveys the image of a statewide institution.

You can infer from what he didn't say. Deal bought Azziz's assertion that the name Augusta University (or University of Augusta) conveys the image of a regional institution. Hence, you can forget either of those two names.

At its core, Gov. Deal's statement is absurd. What, really, does the term "statewide" mean? Isn't Valdosta State University a "statewide" institution? Cannot students attend there who do not come from Valdosta?

It's The University of Georgia (not the The University of Athens);it's Georgia Technical Institute (not the University of Atlanta);it's Georgia Southern University (not the University of Statesboro). The University of Augusta? Really? Dumb name. I have to agree with the regents on this one.

Don't forget University of Chicago, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, which has had several Nobel Prize laureates on its faculty and among its alumni.

Also, many of the California universities have city names in their names.

“I’m not in the naming business,” Deal said. “That’s not the responsibility of the governor.”

Community sentiment toward having Augusta as a part of the name is easy to understand, Deal said. “The part that is not understood, though, is the point of view the regents had.”

Deal said Georgia Regents University conveys the image of a statewide institution – something that is destined to emerge as a nationally known institution that will bring resources, research funding and jobs to Au­gusta, Deal said.

“I want us to have a top 50 medical school, and I want it to be in Augusta,” he said.

The governor met Tuesday with GHSU President Ricar­do Azziz and reiterated that he has full confidence in Azziz’s leadership abilities.

“We are fortunate to have someone of his stature here,” Deal said.
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The committe accomplished step 1, convincing Deal that Augusta leadership and the BOR leadership be in substantive talks. Deal is aping Azziz's statements, that an Augusta name condemns the institution to being regional, and does not meet his objective of becoming one of the top 50 medical schools in the nation. Azziz's actual vision is that the new U becomes one of the top 50 in the nation in research funding, part of his 10-year growth plan called Transformation 2020.

Conclusion is Azziz is untouchable in Deal's eyes and any and all negative comments (no matter how well deserved they are) will fall on deaf ears. The BOR is likely of like mind and would have to move heaven and earth to convince Deal that Azziz should be canned.

What is the Save-The-A committee's next step? A logical next step would be to convince the BOR movers and shakers that an Augusta label does not condemn the new U to being just a tiny little regional institution. The analytical argument is to dissect the named universities in previous posts, how they are perceived nationally and internationally and opine that as those universities go, so will go University of Augusta.

But being in sales, I know facts and figures no matter how compelling, don't assure the sale. So in the next step, the personalities of the BOR leadership must be understood. Who runs the show? Just because a BOR member has the title doesn't mean they run the show. How powerful is Dink NeSmith, the only BOR member who voted NO on GRU?

This new U naming is as emotional as it is analytical. Not every person makes decisions because of the facts, an appeal to the BOR members should include an emotional appeal too.

. . . kind of like that bastion of academic excellence, Western Governors University (http://www.wgu.edu/)

This is a sham. Deal is fully behind Azziz and this circus of a name change.
Both of them need to be sent packing as soon as there is another Governor election. My vote will go to anyone but Deal, regardless of the
party represented. Deal is nothing but a sorry sham as Governor. Azzioz
needs to go back to Berkley, CA.