Bristol University students rejected the chance to re-name a building ‘Housey McHouseface’ during a consultation costing thousands of pounds.
The university spent more than £20,000 on a process which generated more than 200 alternative names for Senate House, on Tyndall Avenue.
But when shortlisted options were put to a vote, students decided the existing name was their preferred title.
A University of Bristol spokesperson said the institution was “very grateful” to those who took part in the exercise.
They added: “What it seems to show is that what we call the building is less important than what goes on in it.”
The university decided to consider a new name for Senate House while the administrative building is being refurbished to become a student-run site.
A university spokesman confirmed that an article in a national newspaper was correct when it stated the costs of the re-naming consultation.
The Mail on Sunday, relying on a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, reported that more than £20,000 was spent.
The newspaper said that around half of the money went to an external communications agency for support, including “designing and delivering qualitative and quantitative research”.
A further £9,656.50 was paid to a 'strategic management' firm to deliver a street survey, according to the newspaper, and a total of £1,174 was spent on promotional materials, with £420 spent on data analysis.
The Taxpayers’ Alliance criticised the university’s spending decisions.
The pressure group’s grassroots campaign manager Harry Fone said: "This is a ridiculous waste of money that should have been spent on academic resources.
“No doubt, the university could have enlisted the help of its many talented students to choose a name for free."
Students came up with more than 200 alternative names following drop-in events, workshops and online surveys, before a shortlist of 10 was eventually arrived at.
In a final street survey of 1,000 students, who formed a representative sample, the existing name emerged as the most popular choice, with 22 per cent of the vote.
The other results were as follows:
- Student Hub: 11 per cent
- Jo Cox Building: 10 per cent
- The Campus Heart: 10 per cent
- Cornerstone: 9 per cent
- Housey McHouseface: seven per cent
- Student House: seven per cent
- Building McBuildingface: six per cent
- Uni McUniface: five per cent
- University Anchor: four per cent
- None of the above: 9 per cent
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