SWCID name change to SWCD now official
By ROGER CLINE
May 21, 2019
At the Howard College Board of Trustees meeting Monday, College President Dr. Cheryl Sparks announced SWCID’s name has officially been changed to SWCD. The South West Collegiate Institute for the Deaf is now the South West College for the Deaf following a positive vote by the Texas Legislature and the bill being signed by Governor Greg Abbott.
“In the very beginning, we wanted SWCID to be called ‘The South West College for the Deaf,'” said Sparks following the meeting. “But due to the fact that there was a moratorium on the creation of new colleges, as well as we were still working out how accreditation would work, the decision was made that the college would be ‘The South West Collegiate Institute for the Deaf.’ However, the word ‘institute’ is an offensive word in the deaf culture, and it has been something that our deaf and hard-of-hearing community have wanted to address for a long time. So the timing was right this session to be able to address that, and we’re very pleased the governor has signed the bill, and SWCID is now officially the South West College for the Deaf.”
Sparks said people should start hearing the new name around the community, but might have to wait on visible changes.
“The bill actually goes into effect Sept. 1, but we’re already beginning to already refer to ourself as the South West College for the Deaf, and anything that can be easily changed, any kind of written format. But as far as signage, as far as, like, stationary, we’re just going to gradually start that transfer.”
Sparks said the pronunciation of the school’s acronym – [SWID] – will not change.
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