Hurley said there has been some talk about a name change for at least 20 years but that there has never been a serious discussion. Hurley said he thinks it is important to look into the possibility. "The question is, Would it be advantageous for our name to change?"
Although some members of the N.C. General Assembly have already voiced their opposition to the name change, there has not been much objection to the study because its results are not binding, he said. "It's hard to object to a study that has no meaning -- no clout."
Hurley said that if Fayetteville State does change its name, the legislation would have to come from the university. Hurley said he talked to Fayetteville State Chancellor Willis McLeod and the chairman of the Fayetteville State Board of Trustees before submitting the bill and they were both neutral on the subject.
Hurley said he thinks there are some possible benefits to the name change.
"The UNC name has more statewide and nationwide recognition," he said.
He said he believes many people think Fayetteville State is smaller than it is because the name does not reflect its membership in the UNC system.
The name change also might increase Fayetteville State's fund-raising capabilities, he said.
The Higher Education Authority Act of 1971 included a proposal that would have changed all UNC-system school names. The amendment was met with staunch opposition, and the provision was dropped.
But in 1996, Pembroke State University independently decided to change its name to UNC-Pembroke. Don Gersh, director of university relations at UNC-P, said the university has benefited from the name change. Gersh said there had been some discussion about changing the name for years and that a motion to change the name was tabled in 1984. The motion remained tabled for 12 years.