K-State Salina gets its third name change
The Kansas State University campus in Salina is changing its name for the third time in the past decade, returning to using the city's name in the school's name.
Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday signed Senate Bill 481, which renames Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus as Kansas State University Salina. The bill was introduced by Sen. J.R. Claeys, RSalina, with the support of K-State Salina dean Alysia Starkey.
Starkey told the House Higher Education Budget Committee earlier in March that the name change will "align with how the rest of the university multicampus system structure works."
In addition to the name change, the new law also adjusts some statutory language to align the internal budget processes while also allowing insurance coverage for drone programs. That statutes had been in place for three decades.
"The budgetary process has needed some revision for a couple of years now," Starkey said.
Before the Salina campus merged with K-State in 1991, it was a two-year technical school called the Kansas College of Technology. K-State Salina is best known for its aviation and drone programs.
The name was changed from Kansas State University Salina in 2015, when it became Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus.
"A polytechnic identity not only provides a much-needed niche for Kansas State University in the immediate region, but also aligns with our teaching and research mission," Kirk Schulz, the then-president of Kansas State University president, said at the time. "The career-based learning and hands-on research at our polytechnic campus will play a vital role as we strive to become a Top 50 public research university by 2025."
Then in 2021, it rebranded to be Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus.
Now, the old name is back.
"It was originally K-State Salina," said Rep. Clarke Sanders, R-Salina. "Why was it ever changed in the first place?"
"The president at that particular time of Kansas State University had a particular vision and experience with some polytechnic institutions," Starkey said. "Polytechnics are really prevalent on the East and the West coasts, and so he kind of had a vision for the campus to go in that particular direction.
"It really does not sit well in the Midwest. The polytechnic references are confusing, and this particular change realigns us with how the university operates in its system, but it also helps us streamline the mission and make clear the mission and the vision of the campus."
Starkey said a survey of students, alumni, industry partners and other stakeholders found that more than 87% supported restoring the old name.
"Most people still refer to it as Salina," Starkey said. "Not a lot of people understood the polytechnic, and I don't think it ever caught on."
Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd .