If Gov. Jay Nixon signs his name to the bill state senators approved Thursday morning, Linn State Technical College will get to change its name next year.
"This (bill) simply would take the name of Linn State Technical College and change it to the "State Technical College of Missouri,'" Senate sponsor Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, reminded colleagues before the 30-0 vote sent the House-passed bill to Nixon.
Linn State President Donald Claycomb was pleased.
"We believe that the (new) name better reflects who we are and who the legislation calls upon us to be," he told the News Tribune on Thursday evening. "We think that we have demonstrated that by the fact that, in any given semester, we will have students from approximately 80 percent of the counties in Missouri.
"And our graduates pretty well go across the state, as far as their first jobs are concerned."
Founded in 1961 as part of the Linn School District, the two-year school became part of the state higher education system in 1996 - and is the only two-year school with a statewide mission.
Claycomb started with Linn Tech before the Legislature added it to the state system, and has continued to oversee its growth and development - including the construction of student housing for those students who come from too far away to commute each day.
In addition to those students from Missouri, he said, a number come from other states.
"Illinois would be the largest state of (non-Missouri) student origin," Claycomb explained, "and then we will have scatterings from other states, not only in the Midwest but from some other places.
"For example, this semester we have one individual here from Alaska."
They come for a variety of technical degree programs, including automotive technology, aviation, business systems, computer programming, electrical equipment, heavy equipment, nuclear technology and some medical-related fields.
"The country is in strong need of people who are prepared as technicians - and preparing as a technician, in a number of areas, is not easy," Claycomb said. "It can be very, very demanding - the facts prove that technical degrees, right now, are being held in pretty high esteem.
"(And) the jobs are good."
He hasn't talked with Nixon, but thinks the governor will sign the bill.
If that happens, the new name - State Technical College of Missouri - would go into effect on July 1, 2014.
Posted earlier:
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A central Missouri college soon could have a new name with a statewide appeal.
Missouri senators gave final approval Thursday to a bill changing the name of Linn State Technical College to the State Technical College of Missouri.
If Gov. Jay Nixon signs the bill, the name change would take effect on July 1, 2014.
The school in the central Missouri town of Linn already was the only two-year technical college given a statewide role under Missouri law. Sen. Mike Kehoe, a Republican from Jefferson City, says the new name will better reflect its mission.
The college offers certificates and associate degrees with an emphasis on industrial and technology programs.
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College name bill is HB673.
Online:
Legislature: http://www.moga.mo.gov