By Katie Stobbart (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: March 27, 2013
There must be something in a name, or there would be no need to change it.
There is a new banner outside the former Admissions and Records Office, dubbing it “OReg,” short for “Office of the Registrar.”
The appearance of this physical banner has been echoed by changes to the office’s website – although the “Admissions” tab remains, the header now reads “Office of the Registrar,” and the offices are referred to as “OReg” throughout the site.
“The change is in name only,” explained Darren Francis, the deputy registrar with UFV. “We will continue to offer the same services for students.”
Since the change does not affect services offered through OReg, the motivation behind the name change is in question – why change the name at all?
“The decision was made to change our name in an effort to be consistent with industry standard and more inclusive in an effort to acknowledge the hard work of all our units,” Francis stated.
It is true that most universities, at least on the West Coast, appear to call their office the “Office of the Registrar” (though it seems few have considered abbreviating the title to OReg) but whether or not this resolves confusion for students, or gives UFV any kind of advantage, is unclear.
As for financial considerations, Francis stated that “the costs were nominal and paid for through a specific allocation of funds for the name change.”
What the total cost was and what it included were not made available before print deadline.
