The West Hills Coalinga campus is seen in this Facebook photo

After petitions from the community, the West Hills Community College District Board of Trustees officially approved the name changes for West Hills College Coalinga to Coalinga College and West Hills College Lemoore to Lemoore College. 

This decision was reached Friday after a lengthy public hearing process on a 5-2 vote in favor of both petitions.

A public hearing took place today to allow community members and stakeholders to voice their opinions on the proposed name changes. A news release said that the board considered the feedback received during the extensive rebranding process, including a brand audit, focus groups, surveys, and multiple community meetings.

 “We are excited to announce the approval of the name changes for both Coalinga College and Lemoore College,” said West Hills Community College District Chancellor Dr. Kristin Clark in the press release. “I would like to thank our board and their decision as it reflects our district’s commitment to responding to the evolving needs of our community and aligning with the aspirations of our students, faculty, and staff.”

The West Hills Community College District will move forward with notifying the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges of the official name changes. The District hopes to have the name change proposal on the agenda for the Board of Governors’ meeting on March 25, 2024.

Once approved at the state level, both colleges can implement their respective name changes.

“We believe that the new names better capture the essence of each college and will contribute to a stronger sense of identity for our institutions within the community,” added Chancellor Clark.

In December, the name change was proposed to reduce confusion for students between the Coalinga and Lemoore colleges. Beyond just confusion for students, it caused issues with the state chancellor’s office, the U.S. Department of Education, and even the FAFSA student aid application.