PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The University of Southern Maine is considering a name change to attract more students.

USM President Glenn Cummings said in a letter to the school community that he was thinking about a name that would enhance the university’s reputation. Cummings noted that the consideration “is only an exploration.”

Executive Director of Public Affairs Robert Stein says a name change could better reflect the three-campus university’s ties to the city of Portland. Stein says the University of Maine Portland has received positive feedback.

USM has hired two Portland-based firms to survey the community to determine if a name change would increase people’s interest in attending the school. The project will cost about $60,000.

The school has changed its name multiple times since it was founded in 1878.