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The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
The result of the move request was: no consensus. After extended time for discussion, there is a clear absence of consensus for the move as proposed at this time. BD2412T18:30, 1 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose per COMMONNAME. The ampersand appears in reporting, promotional material, and academic contexts. Of note, the ampersand constitutes one of the symbols used by the school. ~ Pbritti (talk) 16:38, 11 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Comment, how the school officially writes its name is irrelevent. Wikipedia is based on what reliable sources call it. Can you provide news articles that use "and" instead of "&"? Esolo5002 (talk) 19:01, 11 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Necrothesp: Per MOS:AMP, that's not true given this is a proper noun. Additionally, the only rationale provided is that documents by organizations affiliated with the institution (not the institution itself, as is mistakenly said) use "and" instead of the ampersand. Reliable sources appear to prefer usage of the ampersand. ~ Pbritti (talk) 14:54, 16 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
In the university's History and Tradition page, it says that On February 8, 1693, King William III and Queen Mary II of England signed the charter for a "perpetual College of Divinity, Philosophy, Languages, and other good Arts and Sciences" to be established in the Virginia Colony as "The College of William and Mary in Virginia." The name "College of William and Mary" is also used by the university's various offices, such as listing its accreditation and Requirements for Degrees. While "William & Mary" seems to be the brand name for marketing and campus cohesion purposes, the "College of William and Mary" name seems to be the use in official documents for record and bylaws. Thank you. Cfls (talk) 16:13, 18 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Well, you may notice the original charter refers to it as the "Colledge", so that's not the strongest case. Again, independent, reliable sources like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal indicate the COMMONNAME use is with the ampersand (as noted in the general coverage of papers of record and local sources above). Britannica uses "College of William & Mary", as does the Center for Higher Education Accreditation. Further, in every public release from W&M (through their W&M News arm), they use "William & Mary". For what it's worth, I was in Williamsburg over the weekend, and all the public road signage uses the ampersand. ~ Pbritti (talk) 16:35, 18 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.