The private university threw a party to celebrate the rebranding at its new Dyson Center, a student hub that opened last fall. Packed onto three separate floors overlooking the main lobby, students popped confetti cannons, swapped video messages with the school’s Italy and Ireland campuses — and scrambled to catch new “Marist University” t-shirts.
The New York Board of Regents voted to approve Marist’s university status in December. President Kevin Weinman says the school does not plan to increase class sizes or change its academic offerings as a result of the upgrade. He says the name change was a long time coming — that Marist already had the markings of a university with multiple abroad programs, graduate studies, and Division I sports teams. He hopes making it official will help draw in students beyond the Hudson Valley.
“Quite often Marist has been described as a well-kept secret. We will always remain committed to our founding value of doing good quietly," says Weinman. "But that said, it’s time the world knows more about the amazing things happening here every day. I don’t want to be a well-kept secret anymore."
Marist is perhaps hoping to attract students like Valincia Hill. Hill is a junior studying marketing and public relations. She applied to Marist from her hometown in Las Vegas without ever seeing or visiting the campus. In fact, Hill didn’t come to Poughkeepsie until the fall, having spent the first half of her college experience at Marist’s international campus in Dublin.
Hill has been working with a group of students on a new marketing campaign for Marist University, and gave a speech at Wednesday’s celebration.
“Now that I’m here, it’s surreal," she smiles. "I feel like I’ve talked to a lot of students since making my speech, and all of them kinda share the same kind of feelings that I do. We were all a part of this. There was constant communication about rebranding and what Marist University might feel like. We all were just like one common cause to make this happen, and I’m just really excited.”
Marist’s mascot will remain the “Red Foxes,” but it unveiled a new logo: a red shield with a design from the original Marist College seal. The campus also has a new catchphrase, which is simply, “Inspired to do more.” Both get a thumbs-up from junior Loretta Russell.
“I love the logo, I love our new catchphrase," she says. "I think it’s adorable, I think it’s perfect. Super-duper cute, super excited about it.”
Tom Shine, Class of 1981, drove up from Long Island to celebrate his alma mater with friends. He says it’s not just the logo that looks new to him.
“It’s not the same place I went to! There were only like six buildings when we were here. So now to see all these buildings, it’s amazing. The president’s amazing.”
Outside the Dyson Center, the vibe is a little more mellow. Christian Avancena, a junior political science major, says he hopes the university designation will help Marist stand out more.
“I think it adds a lot more pride to it," he notes. "I attend a lot of sports games, especially basketball games, and I gotta say, having that university touch honestly adds so much more to the pride, at least in my opinion.”
Student Brayden Sardo says he’s happy for the school. He’s not sure how much any additional recognition or popularity for Marist will help him, per se, as a student who’s set to graduate next year – but he’s happy.
“If it improves my education...I’m welcome to it, says Sardo. "Especially with the cost of it these days.”
Marist has more than 6,300 students. The university says Poughkeepsie’s Mid-Hudson Bridge will be lit up with red and white lights to commemorate its transition Wednesday night.
