It’s an idea that’s been floating around the community for a while: With plenty of colleges across the country featuring “northwest” in their names, could Northwest College better distinguish itself with a new name?

The college’s board of trustees took up the rebranding discussion at its regular meeting earlier in March — before the campus closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic — starting what could be a lengthy, ongoing discussion.

Board President Dusty Spomer stated at the start of the talk that the board was going to have a very broad discussion that wouldn’t go into specifics, such as what names they should consider. (Yellowstone College is one idea that’s been suggested.) Instead, Spomer wanted the board to suggest what questions should be asked, what points should be considered — and what information would be needed to make an informed decision.

Trustee John Housel said the discussion was an important way to utilize input received from the community through surveys and focus groups. Whatever decision comes at the end of the discussion, he said, the board should fully consider this community proposal.

Trustee Luke Anderson thought the board should consider the means by which they might choose a new name.

“We put up a Google poll, now we got Boaty McBoatface on our cruise line,” he said, referring to a case where the British government used an internet poll to determine the name of a polar research ship. The R.R.S. Boaty McBoatface received the highest votes.

Most of the board members made comments throughout the discussion that costs of a name change would be key in making a decision. Such a move would require not just hanging a new sign out front, but also changes in road signs, a website redesign, stationery, logos — and a lot more.

On this point, Trustee Carolyn Danko suggested they explore if the money could be better spent in other ways. Since one motivation for rebranding is to improve the college’s declining enrollment numbers, Danko suggested they may get more for their money by hiring more recruiters.

Anderson said it was just as important to know what kind of results the college could expect.

“How fast can we expect a return on the investment, and will we get a return on investment?” he asked.

Trustee Mark Wurzel said it would be good to have some case studies of other institutions that have changed their names and if they regretted the decision.

Trustee Bob Newsome put forth questions as to how necessary this move would be. He said that if people Google “Northwest College” and don’t find the one in Wyoming they’re looking for, they’ll likely figure it out eventually. It will cost a lot of money to change the name, he pointed out, and there may be wiser ways to spend that money.

Housel questioned if a return on investment was something they’d be able to meaningfully calculate, as there are just too many variables to explore.

“There’s no question it’s going to be expensive,” he said.

Housel also said the board should get input from the Northwest College Foundation on the potential of rebranding.

Spomer concurred the foundation needed to be involved in the discussion. He also suggested they be clear about the markets this was targeting.

“If we’re going to do this, what is the motivation?” he said.

Spomer also suggested the college seek advice from paid consultants who specialize in rebranding rather than relying solely on the board, administration, campus and community.

“In my opinion, we want someone to help us understand the economics and the market tests of whether or not this is the right decision — and not try to sell us on rebranding,” he explained.

Trustee Nada Larsen pointed out the college had gone through a number of consultants on its master housing plan, which the board is still considering, over a number of years. She wondered if the college was setting itself up for more of the same. To avoid that, Larsen suggested they clearly define what they want to get from a consultant.

Wurzel also asked if they have the authority to change their name.

College President Stefani Hicswa said they would need to get an opinion from the Wyoming attorney general on the matter. Lisa Watson, vice president for administrative services and finance, said the college could rebrand without approval from the attorney general. The college has a legal, registered name and then does business as the public name, which they’ve changed in the past without state approval.

However, Spomer said the change was such a “monumental feat,” it would be best to get the attorney general’s opinion just to be on the safe side.

Spomer suggested the college could put out a request for qualifications, which is not a request for a proposal. The request would only see what companies provide such services, and give the board more of an idea of what consulting services are available to help make a decision.

The board concluded it would pursue the foundation’s input, attorney general’s opinion and responses to the request for qualifications at a future meeting.