Georgetown University’s College of Arts & Sciences Announces Name Change

Dean Rosario Ceballo announced today that Georgetown College is changing its name to the Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences – a return to the school’s former name.

Georgetown College was founded in 1789 as the nation’s first Catholic institution of higher learning and is the largest school at Georgetown University. The school remains dedicated to the value of a liberal arts education, supporting faculty research and teaching across 26 departments and 14 interdisciplinary programs. The name change, which was supported by the Georgetown University Board of Directors, seeks to more fully reflect this focus and the school’s historical roots.

“The College of Arts & Sciences moniker reflects our commitment to a rigorous liberal arts education and to the exceptional research conducted by our faculty,” said Dean Rosario Ceballo. “I’m confident our new name will better reflect the robust arts and science offerings we provide for our students.”

Although the school had been known as the College of Arts & Sciences since the 1920s, the name was truncated in the 1990s to Georgetown College. A yearlong series of inquiries with university stakeholders spearheaded by Dean Ceballo uncovered support for a name change: Alumni pointed to inscriptions on their class rings; faculty expressed enthusiasm for a name that acknowledged their commitment to both teaching and world-class research; students expressed support for a college name that highlights their achievements across the liberal arts.

The move promises to boost the school’s visibility as a preeminent liberal arts college and inspire a sense of collective pride, unity and belonging among students, faculty and alumni.

“Reclaiming the College of Arts & Sciences name appropriately emphasizes our cadre of remarkably dedicated teachers and projects the expansive scope of our school’s research agenda, as well as the achievements, expertise and discoveries of our faculty,” said Dean Ceballo.

The new, yet old name communicates a historical connection to the school’s Jesuit heritage and its role in developing a challenging, broadly diverse curriculum for all undergraduates on the Hilltop.

“The College of Arts & Sciences is markedly different, in scope and size, from our origins more than 200 years ago,” said Dean Ceballo. “Our name should reflect our incredible history as well as our bright and exciting future.”