<p>Whether they're "college" or "university" is the least of the worries for Massachusetts state schools. Their reputation is, shall we say, none too good, and for the past 15 years or so, they've been underfunded and in effect dismantled piece by piece. This is true of the flagship UMass as well, which is doing its best to remain a bastion of political hackdom (first Bill Bulger as president of UMass Amherst and now Marty Meehan retiring from Congress to take over as president of UMass Lowell).</p>
<p>Perhaps the schools would be better off keeping their names and putting their money where it might actually do some good for the students? Perish the thought!</p>