Methodist conference sues SMU over university's steps to redefine its relationship with the church
The United Methodist Church’s South Central Jurisdictional Conference last week filed a lawsuit against Southern Methodist University to prevent the university from reconfiguring its relationship with the church.
At stake is whether the university is controlled by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference or by the university’s own board of trustees.
The dispute is related to division within the United Methodist Church over the church’s stance on LGBTQ inclusion.
Delegates at a conference in February voted in favor of a proposal called the Traditional Plan, which strengthened bans on LGBTQ-affirming practices within the church. The proposal widened a rift within the church's progressive and conservative members. The controversy has raised the possibility that the church will split into different denominations.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2019/12/08/methodist-conference-sues-smu-over-universitys-steps-to-redefine-its-relationship-with-the-church/
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and about 20 years ago there was some issue occurring with the faculty that made us notice that Southwestern was more liberal and there is more interaction among the students, the faculty, and the administration. It's sad to see that the administration is having philosophical differences with the Methodist conference, but I hope they can get the issues resolved.
It's also nice to know that my OP was relevant to another DU member. 
(my brain can only absorb a limited amount of information), but I suspect that you are correct.
About 15 years ago, Southwestern surveyed the students and alumni as to whether to change the name because it was considered to be a "regional" name and they have changed from being a regional liberal arts university to a national liberal arts university, and of course there was the confusion with Southwest Texas State in San Marcos. The survey showed overwhelming disapproval--we are proud of the name "Southwestern" that was adopted when the charters from four predecessor universities (Rutersville College, McKenzie College, Wesleyan University and Soule University) were combined in 1870. Southwestern is also considered the oldest university in the state since the first of those charters was from Rutersville College in 1840 (five years earlier than Baylor). We also take pride that the Southwestern name is associated with the UT-Southwestern med school in Dallas. I have a book in one of my storage bins that provides a lot of interesting historical details from around the time Texas declared independence from Mexico to the mid-1980s when the book was written, including the split off of SMU from Southwestern. If I locate it, then I'll notify you and provide the title. The book is fascinating because one of the four predecessors (Soule Univ.) was on a slavery plantation in Clarksville and it also mentions the yellow fever epidemic in the 1860s that lead to the formation of Southwestern.
If SMU does decide to become independent from the Methodist conference, I wonder if they will rename the university? It seems like false advertising to include the word "Methodist" if there is no affiliation to the Methodist conference. Quick, come up with some alternative names... Highland Park University, (please not Laura Bush University or Kourtney Kardashian University) 
After all, it would still have a United Methodist theology school located there (Perkins). I would certainly not like to see it called Bush University. 
Yes, let me know if you locate the book title. I recently read a book about the history of the Methodist church. Like other denominations, notable splits have taken place during its history.
