ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. – A community college serving the Alleghany Highlands is one step closer to officially changing its name.
A local board for Dabney S. Lancaster Community College chose “Mountain Gateway Community College” from a list of “inclusive” names recommended by a 25-member task force, the school said in a Facebook statement.
The name change process was prompted last summer when state leaders asked the college to change its name after researchers discovered Lancaster was an active member in an Anglo-Saxon Club described by historians as an “elitist KKK” organization and at one point a national officer.
Officials said the name “Mountain Gateway” will be voted on by the State Board for Virginia Community Colleges in November. If it’s approved, the school will transition to the new name on July 1, 2022.
“I appreciate the task force’s due diligence and hours spent out of their personal lives to present their recommendations for the college’s name change,” commented DSLCC Local Board Chair Ramona Garcia, who represents Bath County. “Thanks to their efforts, we are pleased to launch the new name.”
DSLCC will keep its name through the remainder of the academic year, and rebranding will start soon.