Ryerson is asking Toronto for suggestions of what its new name should be

Ryerson University's August announcement that it would be changing its name and severing ties with its namesake — Egerton Ryerson was an architect of the Canadian Residential School system — brought sighs of relief from students, faculty, and alumni of the Toronto educational institution.

This past summer, a university representative told blogTO that "a renaming process will take time, care, and effort to do it right, but it is our hope that a new name will be announced by the end of this 21/22 academic year."

It appears this timeline is still within grasp, Ryerson having announced the next step in its renaming process on Tuesday with the rollout of a community input process to help determine the institution's future branding.

Starting this week and running until December 7, Ryerson's University Renaming Advisory Committee (URAC) is seeking feedback that will guide the selection of a shortlist with finalist name candidates.

The university invites all community members to fill out this survey to share ideas, opinions and perspectives on our potential new name. Let’s write the next chapter together. https://t.co/vEAoKH34hO

— Ryerson University (@RyersonU) November 16, 2021

And they don't just want to hear from students and faculty with a personal stake in the renaming.

With an aim towards inclusivity, the general public also has an opportunity to have their say in the future of Ryerson, with URAC looking for not just name ideas, but opinions and perspectives that will help shape a final decision.

You can share your feedback through a detailed public anonymous survey, via social media using the #NextChapterName hashtag, email, and even snail mail for the Luddites out there.

Once the feedback is collected, a shortlist of potential names will be submitted to the university president and Board of Governors, who are expected to decide on the institution's new direction by the end of the 2021/2022 academic year.