By Chris Post / Editor-In-Chief

After more than 135 years as Missouri Valley College, the Marshall institution is preparing to put a new name on its future.

The name change, which had been rumored since last spring, was revealed at the annual athletic auction Friday. An email message to faculty, staff and coaches sent Saturday officially introduced the new name: Missouri Valley University.

In the statement, officials said the transition reflects years of growth at Missouri Valley, including expanded academic offerings, new partnerships and an increased emphasis on graduate education, online learning and workforce preparation.

“This is much more than a new name,” officials said in the announcement. “It is the result of years of intentional growth, strategic planning, and the collective work of an extraordinary campus community.”

The change comes as Missouri Valley continues to expand beyond the traditional model of a small, residential liberal arts college. According to the announcement, university status will support broader academic pathways, new programs tied to workforce needs and additional opportunities for research and experiential learning.

The institution also plans to strengthen partnerships with employers and community organizations while expanding graduate and online education.

Missouri Valley officials emphasized that the transition will not change the institution’s recently adopted mission: “Personalized education for life skills and career success.”

Founded in Marshall in 1889, the school has long emphasized personal relationships between students and faculty as a central part of the Valley experience. Officials said maintaining those relationships will remain a priority as the institution becomes a university.

“You are the professors who know students by name and challenge them to think beyond the classroom,” the announcement said. “You are the coaches, advisors, mentors, administrators, and staff members who encourage students through every success and every obstacle.”

The university designation also comes with an ambitious vision for Missouri Valley’s future.

According to the announcement, Missouri Valley University intends to become “the most innovative, student-centered, and engaging private university in the Midwest,” with an emphasis on career-focused education, instructional innovation and high-impact learning practices.

The change from college to university does not mean Missouri Valley is abandoning its history. Instead, officials framed the new designation as the next stage in the institution’s development.

“While our name is changing, the heart of our institution remains exactly the same,” the announcement said.

For students, alumni and the Marshall community, the change will eventually become visible in everything from signs and publications to uniforms, websites and institutional branding. However, those changes will not happen all at once.

For now, the institution is asking its campus community to view the announcement as a milestone connecting Missouri Valley’s past with its future.

“This milestone belongs to every member of our campus community, past and present,” the announcement said. “It honors our history while embracing our future.”

After more than a century as Missouri Valley College, the familiar MVC initials will soon give way to MVU, but the message from campus leadership is that the institution behind them will remain unmistakably Valley.

“Together, we will continue to write the next chapter of our story,” the announcement said. “Together, we will become Missouri Valley University.”