SMU-in-Legacy Soon to be SMU Plano...?

[MrMustang1965]

from the DMN:

Southern Methodist University is about to mark 10 years at its satellite campus in Collin County. Instead of uncorking the champagne, university officials are tackling a problem more typical of a brand-new campus: People don't know what it is.

SMU-in-Legacy in northwest Plano has been mistaken for a university endowment. Its location in Legacy business park has been confused with Plano's popular Shops at Legacy complex.

At worst, some people don't know SMU has a presence in their city.

"You've got to be kidding me," said Randy Russell, who owns a barbershop in downtown Plano. "I didn't have any idea they were over there. I'll start telling people, though."

University officials chalk up the confusion to the campus name, SMU-in-Legacy.

SMU officials say the name was part of the deal when Electronic Data Systems Corp., the computer services company founded by Ross Perot, donated a cluster of buildings that today are home to graduate degree programs, professional training seminars and summer workshops for children. About 3,500 adults enrolled in the past school year.

"I can understand why they would want us to use that title," said John Whaley, the SMU-in-Legacy campus director. "But it did not make it easy to convey."

A new name may be off limits, but that hasn't stopped SMU from marketing a different one in a bid to draw more students.

"SMU Plano" will appear as corporate partner in concert programs for the local symphony orchestra, university officials say. Chamber of Commerce officials have moved some meetings to SMU-in-Legacy, in part to give the campus more exposure.

The unofficial "SMU Plano" moniker also will infiltrate fast-growing Frisco, a largely untapped market for SMU-in-Legacy.

Fans of that city's Texas Tornado hockey team might notice "SMU Plano" on arena signs and in game programs. An ad for "SMUPlano.com" has gone up at Stonebriar Centre, a Frisco shopping mall.

Some Plano community leaders have encouraged SMU officials to change the campus name officially, while others are happy to settle for any extra publicity.

"SMU-in-Legacy – people don't understand what that means necessarily," said Brad Shanklin, president of the Plano Chamber of Commerce. "I think it would help the city a great deal. I think it also would help SMU because people would say, 'Oh, that's in Plano.' "

"SMU Plano" hasn't replaced "SMU-in-Legacy" on school banners and brochures, but the unofficial name is displayed just as prominently.

EDS officials probably wouldn't fight a name change – official or otherwise – said Travis Jacobsen, a company spokesman.

SMU officials say they'll keep using both names, despite the risk of puzzling people even more.

"First, you've got to make sure that people realize that there is an SMU before they'll even find out what courses are offered," said Mr. Whaley, who characterized the campus marketing budget as "very limited" at $50,000.

The class catalog has fluctuated in SMU-in-Legacy's short lifetime.

The satellite campus started in 1997 with a Master of Business Administration program, a computer software training center, and a collection of classes, such as photography, that carried no academic credit.

Interest in the computer training program shrank over time, along with the glut of computer software companies nationwide. The campus program closed last year.

SMU-in-Legacy officials also say it was tough to compete with Collin College and other schools for enrollment in no-credit classes.

Campus officials decided to build on the traditional MBA program with unique graduate programs, such as the master's of digital game development.

That's how the campus snagged Richard Voelker, a former commercial real estate consultant who craved a career change last year.

Mr. Voelker, who lives five blocks from SMU's main campus in Dallas, says he spotted a newspaper ad for the dispute resolution master's degree.

"I didn't know anything about the Legacy campus," said Mr. Voelker, who recently studied for a final exam . "I had to see a map because I didn't know it was here. I came up for an introductory course and was blown away by it."

And that might be the best publicity for SMU-in-Legacy, Mr. Whaley said.

"Our goal is to continue to grow the campus and add additional programs," he said. "If we're able to add one or two programs a year, I'd say that's pretty good."

[BUS]

A few years ago before the Telecom bust, there was an SMU in Richardson on Collins Road.