In the U.S., people tend to use the terms interchangeably, but there are some differences. Colleges and universities grant undergraduate degrees, but a university must meet additional requirements regarding the number of graduate programs offered. See below, for additional information.

In January 2022, the New York State Board of Regents, which supervises educational activities within the state, changed its definition of “university.” The definition of “university” now includes any institution that offers at least three graduate programs. Previously, an institution needed at least three doctoral programs. SUNY Empire State has 28 registered master’s degree programs and one doctoral program.

The designation as a university (and resulting name change) will not change SUNY Empire’s mission, vision, or values. We will continue to empower learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve their educational dreams and we remain committed to supporting students to be successful. Our vision to serve as a model for inclusive excellence in public higher education, and our commitment to access, diversity, equity and inclusion, flexibility, and innovation has never been stronger.

No. The State University of New York (SUNY) is a comprehensive university system comprised of 64 institutions, including research universities, academic medical centers, colleges, community colleges, and technology colleges. Within those groupings, SUNY Empire State College was a comprehensive college (offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees) within the larger SUNY system.

SUNY System Administration sets the tuition rates for all SUNY institutions, so our tuition rate will not increase simply as a result of our name change. For information about tuition and fees at SUNY institutions, visit www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/financial-aid/suny-financial-aid.pdf.

No. It simply means the institution had a different name when you attended it. The name change does not affect the legitimacy of your degree or diploma. For the sake of clarity, if you graduated from SUNY Empire State College, we recommend listing it as: SUNY Empire State College (now Empire State University) on your resume or LinkedIn profile. We also encourage you to take another look at our academic offerings as we might have a graduate program or certificate that is of interest to you!

In terms of the day-to-day life of being a student at SUNY Empire, the name change will not affect the current student experience at all. Two things to keep in mind:

• On March 22, 2023, the domain in your email address will change from firstname’underscore’lastname###@esc.edu (the ### is the last 3 digits of your Banner ID) to firstname’underscore’lastname###@sunyempire.edu. You will continue to receive email sent to your previous address, but all your replies will come from the sunyempire.edu domain as of March 22, 2023. Please contact the IT Service Desk with questions about your email.
• Diplomas for students who graduate on or after May 1, 2023, will read “Empire State University.”

Your diploma reflects the name of the institution on the date you graduated. We are not allowed to reissue diplomas with the new name for anyone who graduated prior to May 1, 2023. Students who graduate on or after May 1, 2023, will receive an Empire State University diploma.

Transcript requests fulfilled on or after April 1, 2023, will reflect the new university name.

No way! Blue the bluebird is here to stay.

Yes. MyESC will become My.SUNYEmpire. Information Technology Services is working on the changeover.

Yes. Our new web address/URL will be www.sunyempire.edu. We are also retaining ownership of www.esc.edu to make sure people with the old URL can still find us. 

We will be Empire State University, and when it makes sense, our name can be followed by wording indicating that we are part of the State University of New York system. On second reference, we are SUNY Empire, and our new URL is www.sunyempire.edu.

Examples:

"Empire State University, part of the State University of New York, serves a higher percentage of adult and working learners than any other undergraduate degree granting college in NYS."

"Empire State University serves a higher percentage of adult and working learners than any other undergraduate degree granting college in NYS. SUNY Empire..."

Student ID card replacement will be rolled out with newly enrolled students after March 22, 2023. Current students who require a new ID due to damage or loss can email the Office of Safety and Security at Campus.Safety@esc.edu. All SUNY and CUNY libraries and facilities that require SUNY Empire identification will continue to accept your current ID card.

If you have any issues or questions, please contact Morgan Morris at morgan.morris@sunyempire.edu.

Once you complete the steps below, please ensure you have successfully connected to the Empire State University page.

Desktop:

1. Click the “Me” icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage, then “View Profile.”
2. Scroll down to the “Education” section of your page and click the pencil icon on the right.
3. Click on the pencil icon next to your education at SUNY Empire State College. 
4. Find “School” and replace SUNY Empire State College with Empire State University by typing it in the box.
5. Hit “Save” at the bottom.
6. DONE!

Mobile:

1. Tap your profile photo, then tap view profile.
2. Scroll down to the “Education” section of your page and click the pencil icon on the right.
3. Click on the pencil icon next to your education at SUNY Empire State College. 
4. Find “School” and replace SUNY Empire State College with Empire State University by typing it in the box. Select Empire State University.
5. Hit "save" at the bottom.
6. DONE!

The designation as a university (and resulting name change) will not change SUNY Empire’s mission, vision, or values. We will continue to empower learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve their educational dreams and remain committed to supporting students to be successful. Our vision to serve as a model for inclusive excellence in public higher education, and our commitment to access, diversity, equity and inclusion, flexibility, and innovation has never been stronger.

Designees from the Office of Communications and the Office of Academic Affairs will update webpage references. First- and second-level pages will be revised first for the naming launch, followed by third- and fourth-tier pages in the following days. This effort will be strictly limited to changes relating to the name change and will not include content editing or updating outside of references to the institution’s name.

Yes. On March 22, 2023, the domain in your email address will change from FirstName.LastName@esc.edu to FirstName.LastName@sunyempire.edu. You will continue to receive email sent to your previous address, but all your replies will now come from the sunyempire.edu domain. Your Outlook mailboxes and folders will remain unchanged. Please contact the IT Service Desk with questions about your email.

You may begin using the new logo and name on March 22, 2023. Please do not use the new name or logo prior to March 22.

• Our official name will be Empire State University. You may use SUNY Empire or “the university” (lowercase) in subsequent references.
• Our new logo will be available for download on March 22. To download it, visit: www.esc.edu/communications/branding-toolbox/graphics-style-guide/college-logos.
• Our new email signature will be available for download on March 22. To download it, visit: www.esc.edu/communications/branding-toolbox/graphics-style-guide/college-logos.
• To request a design file for our university seal (typically used only in formal/official settings, such as inauguration and commencement), please contact the Office of Communications.

If you have questions about logo or email signature usage, please contact the marketing team.

If your role at SUNY Empire requires you to regularly interact with external audiences (such as government officials, conference attendees, prospective partners/students, or the media), please see your supervisor to request business cards. We ask that, unless you have demonstrated need, you only place the minimum order of 50 cards. This will help us cut down on printing and paper costs and paper usage.

In an effort to encourage sustainable practices, we will make digital letterhead available starting March 22, 2023. Departments and offices that have a demonstrated need for official printed letterhead may place a request with the print shop.

All offices must refresh electronic and paper forms and materials with the new logo. This is a good time to transition paper forms to electronic forms where possible. Forms and other recyclable materials bearing the old logo should be put in the recycling bin. If you need to restock brochures or other paper materials, please contact the marketing department.

We recommend you list it as:

Empire State University (formerly SUNY Empire State College)

Our social media team is working with LinkedIn to make the switch automatic from SUNY Empire State College to Empire State University under your employment section as of March 22, 2023. If you do not see the new name in your LinkedIn employment section at that time, you may need to make the change manually. If you have questions about your LinkedIn profile, please contact Morgan.Morris@sunyempire.edu.

Yes. MyESC will become My.SUNYEmpire. Information Technology Services is working on the changeover.

Yes. Our new web address/URL will be www.sunyempire.edu. We are also retaining ownership of www.esc.edu to make sure people with the old URL can still find us.

We will be Empire State University, and when it makes sense, our name can be followed by wording indicating that we are part of the State University of New York system. On second reference, we are SUNY Empire, and our new URL is www.sunyempire.edu.

Examples:

"Empire State University, part of the State University of New York, serves a higher percentage of adult and working learners than any other undergraduate degree granting college in NYS."

"Empire State University serves a higher percentage of adult and working learners than any other undergraduate degree granting college in NYS. SUNY Empire..."

Yes. The Office of Safety and Security will begin issuing new ID cards to employees at All College in March. To ensure that we have time to produce and distribute the new ID cards at All College, we ask that you complete this form in advance. The form includes a spot to upload a professional-type photo for your new ID. If you do not plan to attend the event, please indicate on the form that your ID should be mailed. IDs will be mailed/delivered upon conclusion of All College. If you have questions, please contact Campus.Safety@esc.edu.

Procurement and travel cards will not need to be re-issued. Employees with P-cards and/or T-cards should continue using their existing cards.

Faculty and staff will need to reconfigure their Pharos printer access once they receive their new ID card. Refer to this Knowledge Base article https://sunyempire.edu/3_-92x to learn how to reconfigure Pharos Sentry secure printer access.

Yes. The PowerPoint template will be available for download on https://sunyempire.edu/communications/branding-toolbox/graphics-style-guide/college-templates/ as of March 22. This will be a large file and may take a moment to download. This template has been reviewed for accessibility and is accessible. 

If you have any issues or questions, please contact Morgan Morris at morgan.morris@sunyempire.edu.

Once you complete the steps below, please ensure you have successfully connected to our page.

Desktop:

1. Click the “Me” icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage, then “View Profile.”
2. Scroll down to the “Experience” section of your page and click the pencil icon on the right.
3. Click on the pencil icon next to your work experience at SUNY Empire State College.
4. Find “Company name” and replace SUNY Empire State College with Empire State University by typing it in the box.
5. Hit “save” at the bottom.
6. DONE!

Mobile:

1. Tap your profile photo, then tap view profile.
2. Scroll down to the “Experience” section of your page and click the pencil icon on the right.
3. Click on the pencil icon next to your work experience at SUNY Empire State College.
4. Find “Company name” and replace SUNY Empire State College with Empire State University by typing it in the box. Select Empire State University.
5. Hit “save” at the bottom.
6. DONE!