Policy on Naming University Facilities and Activities

1. Establishment and Source of Authority

• 1.1 The Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina delegated the duty and authority to the Board of Trustees to approve the names of all individuals on whom “Honorary Distinction” is conferred by the university. As a means of guiding the development of recommendations to the Board of Trustees for naming university facilities and activities, the Trustees will follow this policy for honorary naming and monetary gift naming.
• 1.2 Since East Carolina University was founded, the University’s physical spaces have been named to reflect its rich history and traditions. The act of naming a university facility or activity for a person, a family, or an organization is a conferral by the university of a high and conspicuous honor. It is intended to be a permanent act. The act enduringly recognizes the person, family, or organization so honored, and it perpetually exhibits to the world the judgment and standards of this university as to the qualities and actions that justify linking the name of the individual, family, or organization so honored with that of this institution. All who are involved in the act of naming a facility or activity must ever be aware that they are naming public property with the intent for it to be a perpetual recognition of the person, family, or organization being honored. It follows that the act of naming a facility or activity is to be taken discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and with concern for how that action will be viewed in retrospect.

2. Definitions

• 2.1 “Facility” is defined as every building, addition to a building, space in a building, outdoor spaces such as a garden, court or plaza, and other tangible and relatively permanent feature locations on any university property.
• 2.2 “Activity” is defined as every college, school, department, unit, center, program, or organization operating under the auspices of the university.
• 2.3 “Personal Service” is defined as substantial service that is sustained in character, and rendered to or on behalf of the university as a student, faculty member, administrator, staff member, alumnus, trustee, or friend of the university.
• 2.4 “Financial Contribution” is defined as a contribution of money or property that is substantial in relation to the facility or activity being named.

3. Review

• 3.1 The naming policy shall be reviewed periodically by the Board of Trustees, the Office of University Advancement and/or the Office of the Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees with all recommended changes requiring approval by the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees.

4. Responsibilities

• 4.1 Board of Trustees
  • 4.1.1 The act of naming a facility or program shall be that of the Board of Trustees, acting after receiving the recommendation of the Chancellor. Benefactors or honorees should be informed throughout the naming discussions that final naming approval for all University facilities and programs rests with the Board of Trustees.
• 4.2 Chancellor
  • 4.2.1 Subject to the responsibilities of the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor shall have responsibility and authority with respect to, and is an essential participant in, all naming actions.
  • 4.2.2 No facility or program may be named without prior approval of the Chancellor. The Vice Chancellor for University Advancement shall receive and review all recommendations prior to forwarding naming proposals to the Chancellor. The Chancellor and/or designee shall ensure that the proposed action is consistent with the interests of the University, to assure that the amount of any contribution warrants the action proposed, and to maintain equity in the relationship of donations for similar naming actions.
  • 4.2.3 The Chancellor may recommend exceptions to any of the following policies, subject to approval of the Board of Trustees.
• 4.3 Faculty
  • 4.3.1 When a facility or activity to be named is closely related to a school, department, or other unit having its own administration and faculty, the members of the administration and faculty shall be consulted by the Chancellor or his designee before the Board of Trustees acts on the naming proposal. Recommendations from the unit shall be weighed as one factor, but shall not constitute approval or disapproval of the proposal.

5. Procedures

• 5.1 It shall be the policy of the university that any facility or activity of the university not previously named may be named in consideration of:
  • 5.1.1. financial contributions made to the university, or
  • 5.1.2. services rendered to the university or society at large.
• 5.2 Whenever a naming proposal originates, at the earliest feasible date it shall be routed through the responsible dean and/or vice chancellor to the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement. The Vice Chancellor for University Advancement will determine whether the proposal meets the requirements for either a financial contribution or honorary naming. It shall be the responsibility of the Vice Chancellor to assure that a form, developed and approved by the Board of Trustees ensuring uniform reporting of data to the Athletics and Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees, is provided to individuals planning to submit proposals for naming, and that all pertinent information is collected and completed before forwarding the materials to the Committee.
• 5.3 The Form
  • 5.3.1 The form developed by the Chancellor and approved by the Board of Trustees shall be completed and signed by the person responsible for originating the proposal for naming. If the proposal involves a financial commitment, a copy of the signed Letter of Intent defining pertinent arrangements must also be included.
• 5.4 Prior Approval
  • 5.4.1 When possible as it relates to construction or renovation of a facility, as a benefit and guide to staff and potential donors, the Board of Trustees shall pre-approve a menu of possible facilities and/or activities that may be considered for naming. At the higher range of giving opportunities, flexibility will be given to meet the needs of the university while aligning with the capacity of the donor pool as stated in 5.5.8.When considering a naming for a program, a naming shall be considered when determining the size of the program, the operating budget, national ranking, and visibility of the program, as well as naming amounts of peer programs in the discipline or on the University campus when available and be substantial and significant, even transformative in nature, enabling the program to improve its competitiveness or distinction, or perhaps enabling the establishment of a new program within an exciting unit.
• 5.5 Financial Contributions
  • 5.5.1 Proposals for naming facilities and activities shall be forwarded to the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, who shall review the proposals.
  • 5.5.2 Proposals for facilities namings shall be accompanied by sufficient documentation of the gift, along with a completed naming proposal form. The minimum contribution to submit a naming proposal will be $25,000 and only upon the receipt of at least 60% of the funds committed and with a written gift agreement in place for the remainder, will the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement will forward the naming recommendation to the Chancellor. (Larger, more complex gifts may be considered on a case by case basis apart from this 60% receipt requirement).
  • 5.5.3 The Vice Chancellor for University Advancement shall receive and review all recommendations prior to forwarding the naming proposals to the Chancellor.
  • 5.5.4 Upon receipt of a naming proposal, the Chancellor will make recommendations to the Athletics and Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees. If deemed appropriate, the recommendations may be made in closed session.
  • 5.5.5 The Athletics and Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees shall review recommendations from the Chancellor and select those to be recommended to the Board of Trustees for final approval.
  • 5.5.6 The Board of Trustees will review the recommendation from the Athletics and Advancement Committee and will act on the proposal. With approval of the Board chair, the board may act to accept naming proposals as a group under one action.
  • 5.5.7 The naming proposal recommendations may be heard in closed session of either the Athletics and Advancement Committee and/or the Board of Trustees.
  • 5.5.8 Transfer of Donations
    
    When a facility or program is to be named in consideration of a financial contribution, the gift shall have been received by the University or affiliated foundation, or its future receipt shall be assured through the appropriate signed gift agreement, before a naming action shall be taken, as follows:
    
    Pledges to be paid over a period of time, typically up to five years, are acceptable for current naming of facilities and programs when a signed pledge payment agreement for the total is in hand.
    
    If the pledged donation is to name new construction, renovation, or other projects with cash-flow considerations, the timing of the pledge payments should be such that sufficient current dollars are available to cover project costs.
    
    Irrevocable planned gifts may generate current naming of facilities and programs if current cash flow considerations are not an issue for the requesting facility or program. Irrevocable planned gifts will be credited at their face value with particular emphasis being given to the predictability of the long-term value of the irrevocable deferred gift.
    
    Combinations of revocable planned gifts and cash may occasionally generate current naming opportunities under the right circumstances. Each combination request must be explained fully to the Athletics and Advancement Committee and a case made for the appropriateness of the naming given the specifics of a particular gift. Particular emphasis will be given to the cash flow requirements of the requesting facility or program, the predictability of the long-term value of the revocable deferred gift component, and the predictability of its receipt.
    • 5.5.8.1 Non-cash gifts.
      • 5.5.8.1.1 Gifts of real estate. The valuation of real estate shall follow Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations and Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Management Reporting Standards for establishing value. The valuation for the gift shall be based on a qualified current Member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI) appraisal (less than six months of age).
      • 5.5.8.1.2 Gifts-in-Kind. In accordance with IRS regulations and CASE Management Reporting Standards, gifts of real and personal property are to be counted at full fair market value regardless of the value the donor may be able to take as a charitable deduction. Gifts of $5,000 or more shall be valued by qualified, independent appraisers.
      • 5.5.8.1.3 Additional requirements. When an opportunity to name a facility or service is expected in return for a non-cash gift, the Trustees may require additional agreements from a donor to assure the eventual net from the sale of real estate or other valuables is not less than the value required for naming. Some examples of potential requirements could include a delay in naming until the article of value is sold, the requirement of multiple appraisals, or the requirement of a make-up provision in which the donor commits to make up the difference between the net received from the sale of the asset and the minimum amount required for naming.
        • 5.5.8.1.3.1 Once a designated level of giving has been established for naming, no portion of “annual gifts” or “membership fees” may be counted toward the total required for naming purposes.
  • 5.5.9 Shared Funding for Naming Opportunities
    • 5.5.9.1 Naming opportunities are intended to recognize individuals, organizations or families for their efforts on behalf of the university. Required gift levels may not be split into units among unrelated individuals, with recognition conferred in multiple or hyphenated name fashion, without prior permission of the Board of Trustees.
  • 5.5.10 Buildings or Facilities Constructed By Public Funds
    • 5.5.10.1 When a building or facility that is currently standing or one to be built is funded entirely from non-gift resources (state allocations, federal grants, or fees), the Board of Trustees may require the proceeds to be placed in unrestricted endowment funds within any one or multiples of its related foundations for the general benefit of an area or the entire university.
• 5.6 Honorary Namings
  • 5.6.1 Naming a facility to honor individuals should be extraordinary, and made if:
    • 5.6.1.1 the individual has had a University-wide influence, or the individual has made exceptional contributions to the nation or world;
    • 5.6.1.2 the individual being honored has been separated from the university for at least two years.
  • 5.6.2 Proposals for naming facilities and activities based on honorary service shall be forwarded to the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement who shall review the proposal.
  • 5.6.3 Proposals for honorary facilities namings shall be accompanied by sufficient justification of the naming as well as the naming proposal form.
  • 5.6.4 Upon receipt and review of all applicable materials, the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement will forward the official naming recommendation to the Chancellor.
  • 5.6.5 Upon receiving a formal recommendation, the Chancellor will review the honorary naming proposal, and if approved, will make a recommendation to the Athletics and Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees.
  • 5.6.6 The Athletics and Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees shall review recommendations from the Chancellor and select those to be recommended to the Board of Trustees for final approval.

6 Criterion for Renaming

• 6.1 It shall be the policy of East Carolina University that all namings of campus facilities and activities, are in accordance with the University’s vision, mission, and core values.
• 6.2 The decision to change or alter in any way the name of a campus facility or activity rests with the Board of Trustees, acting on the recommendation of the Chancellor. The Vice Chancellor for University Advancement shall receive all proposals to rename campus facilities and/or activities, and upon review, make a recommendation to the Chancellor requesting renaming.
• 6.3 Circumstances that may lead to consideration of a name change may include, but shall not be limited to such items as:
  • 6.3.1 the University significantly renovates or adds space;
  • 6.3.2 the University demolishes a facility or discontinues an activity;
  • 6.3.3 an honored person fails to fulfill agreed upon obligations; or
  • 6.3.4 a benefactor’s or honoree’s reputation changes substantially so that the continued use of that name may compromise the public trust, dishonor the University’s standards, or otherwise be contrary to the best interest of the University. Care must be taken when, with the passage of time, the standards and achievements deemed to justify a naming action may change and observers of a later age may deem those who have conferred a naming honor at an earlier age to have erred. Names should not be altered simply because later observers would have made different judgments.
  • 6.3.5 Student, faculty, and staff concerns should be given particular emphasis.
• 6.4 Upon receipt of a proposal to rename a facility or activity, the Chancellor may appoint an ad hoc Naming Committee to consider the proposal. The Chancellor will notify the Board of Trustees of the committee appointment.
• 6.5 The ad hoc Naming Committee shall include at least one representative from the University Counsel’s Office, the faculty, the staff, the student body, and the Office of University Advancement.
• 6.6 Once appointed, the ad hoc Naming Committee shall convene at the earliest reasonable date to review the merits of the proposal.
• 6.7 The ad hoc committee will solicit substantial input from all stakeholders in considering the proposal.
• 6.8 The ad hoc Naming Committee will submit a recommendation to the Chancellor regarding the proposal. The Chancellor will in turn submit his recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
• 6.9 Authority to Rename
  • 6.9.1 Final authority for renaming campus facilities and activities rests with the Board of Trustees in response to the Chancellor’s recommendations.
  • 6.9.2 The Board of Trustees will review the Chancellor’s recommendation. The Board will decide to accept or decline the Chancellor’s recommendation.
  • 6.9.3 If a recommendation to rename a facility or activity is declined, the existing name will remain intact.
  • 6.9.4 Once a request has been declined, there is a rebuttable presumption that the Board will not reconsider the decision for two years absent a recommendation from the Chancellor supporting reconsideration based on a material change in circumstances or discovery of material information previously unknown or that did not exist when the prior decision was made.
  • 6.9.5 If a contractual agreement with an honoree or donor exists providing for the removal of the honoree’s or donor’s name from a campus facility or activity, then such provision may be acted upon by the Chancellor. Such action shall be reported to the Board of Trustees.

7 List of Named Facilities

• 7.1 The Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees shall maintain a record of officially named facilities and activities.