The faculty within the College of Agriculture is hoping a name change will better reflect the diversity of the university department.

The proposed name is the “College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.”

However, the idea to change the name is not a new one.

Michael Duffy, agricultural chairman for the Faculty Senate, said a suggestion was made a couple of years ago in the College of Agriculture’s five-year plan.

“This year, Dean [David] Topel suggested that we should start working actively on changing the name,” he said.

Duffy said the faculty wanted a change that was more encompassing.

“We wanted to find a name that was reflective of the work of the college,” he said.

The first step in changing the name was surveying the college members, Duffy said. He said there was “strong sentiment to change the name.”

Duffy noted there were a couple of different ideas for the name change, but the majority voted for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

The new name has been approved by the faculty of the college.

Randall Andreasen, professor of agricultural education and studies, said he voted in favor of the change.

“I feel that oftentimes, agriculture and all it does is misunderstood by the general public,” he said. “If a simple name change can affect, in a positive way, the attitudes of the public, then it is worth it.”

Andreasen said the college is “much more than plows, cows and sows.”

“I believe the new proposed name reflects our continued dedication and commitment to a progressive image of agriculture,” he said.

Duffy agreed that a change is needed because agriculture is interpreted in a narrow way.

“For example, most don’t know that the forestry department is in the College [of Agriculture],” he said.

Next, the name change needs to be approved by Topel, Interim Provost Richard Seagrave and the Faculty Senate.

The final step will be approval from the Iowa State Board of Regents.

Duffy said he hopes the name will be changed by the end of the semester.

Iowa State is not the first university to change the name of its agricultural college, he said.

“Three-fourths of land-grant colleges have already changed the traditional name of College of Agriculture to a name that better reflects the breadth of the activities within the college,” he said.

However, there still is sentimental attachment to the original name because it was the first college of this university, Duffy said.