COMMERCE, Texas — It’s official: Texas A&M Commerce is changing its name.
After months of debate over what the university’s new name should be, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents voted Thursday to change the name from Texas A&M University Commerce to East Texas A&M University. The change takes effect immediately, but the university will have several months to transition to the new name.
The board of regents said the name change is meant to strengthen the university’s identity and increase its regional visibility.
A previous potential new name for the school under consideration, “Texas A&M University-Dallas,” was withdrawn from consideration earlier this year after it received backlash. More than 9,100 signed an online petition against that name change, citing concerns that the change “could disrupt the established brand identity and confuse prospective students.”
East Texas A&M University, though, received more support after it was announced as an option last month.
“We have corrected a decades-long mistake when the name A&M-Commerce was adapted,” Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said. “It always should have been ET. ‘East Texas A&M’ restores the historic pride to a great university.”
“We believe that this name change will better reflect our heritage and mission while allowing us to connect more deeply with the communities we serve,” added East Texas A&M University President Mark Rudin. “This is not just about a name; it's about creating a stronger, more unified vision for our future.”
The transition to the new name will involve updates to the university's branding, signage, website, URL, email addresses and communication materials over the coming months.
The Commerce university, located 66 miles northeast of Dallas, has a satellite campus at 8750 North Central Expressway and offers classes in McKinney, Mesquite and Corsicana, according to their website.
