What’s in a name?

“I have a fake Louis Vuitton," said Maggie Camann, SUNY Niagara sophomore. "That's as close as I get to name brands.”

Letters strung together that, over time, create meaning.

“I'll just say I do like specific brands, like Polo, you know? I like nice things," said Jacob Fleming Jr., SUNY Niagara freshman.

Are things much different when it comes to schools?

“A good or at least an average name, plus a really good reputation, can really make a school stand out in the college search,” said Camann.

These students didn’t realize they were in for a change when they enrolled at Niagara County Community College — now SUNY Niagara.

“One of the things that I think people are were not aware of is that this college has always been a part of SUNY," said Lloyd Holmes, SUNY Niagara president.

The switch happened in February, aligning with the greater SUNY system.

“You've had quite a few institutions like SUNY Broome, SUNY Erie," said Holmes. “There are a lot of institutions, community colleges, out there that have adopted the SUNY brand.”

For whatever reasons these students came here...

“I am a second-generation student,” said Fleming.

“I felt overwhelmed by the idea of going to university,” said Camann.

Students see the switch as mostly positive.

“As an international student, looking at it, SUNY Niagara does look better on paper,” said Shante Armstrong, SUNY Niagara sophomore.

It's something that could impact recruitment numbers.

“Over the last year, we've seen an enrollment increase about 7.8% over this time last fall," said Holmes.

While the name change isn’t the only thing factoring in, it does have an impact — one that might help with the stigma surrounding community college.

“Oftentimes, individuals saw the community college as, you know, a continuation of high school, or it's ‘the 13th grade.’ But that's not what community college is," said Holmes. "Our focus isn't merely on transfer, our focus is also on making certain that we're meeting the needs of the local workforce.”

So taking advantage of what’s being offered, under a new name, might take some time.

“You say, ‘I go to SUNY Niagara,’ [people say], ‘what is that?’” said Fleming.

But it also might be the best of both worlds.

And if it’s easier to say…

“Niagara County Community College. It's like 12 syllables or something," said Camann.

Even better.

“In the end, I'll say yes, for sure," said Fleming.

So what’s in a name? Whatever you make of it.

“I think that a name can be important. But the thing that I oftentimes say is that you've got to give meaning to that name," said Holmes.

SUNY Broome, which switched from Broome Community College in fall 2013, tells Spectrum News 1 they saw a bump in enrollment in fall 2014.  Similarly, they can't say if that as because of the switch or other factors.

In a statement though, they did add that "adding SUNY to the College's name has been positive."