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Survival Of The Fittest? The Rebranding Of West Virginia Higher Education, James Martin Owston

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

During the years 1996 to 2005, West Virginia produced the greatest proportion (56.25%) of regionally accredited institutional rebrandings. In addition, the state experienced the greatest proportion (25%) of the specific “college-to-university” rebranding strategy than any other state. This study set out to discover the reasons why West Virginia produced such a high percentage of “college-to-university” changes. Using a mixed method approach of analysis, the researcher used quantitative and qualitative methods to determine the rationale, strategies, and implications of the college-to-university change. As West Virginia was viewed as a nested population in Appalachia, a population of 51 institutions that experienced the …