Albany State University Naming Guidelines

Introduction

Albany State University considers the naming of a University System facility or street in honor of an individual, corporation, foundation or organization to be one of the highest distinctions it can bestow. In light of the importance and magnitude of this honor, the following policy shall apply to the naming of all facilities and streets on all property owned or leased by Albany State University under the auspices of Albany State University. The term “facility” is intended to include buildings of all types, as well as all sports facilities. It is also intended to include all outdoor areas that may not have physical walls but are nonetheless identifiable areas of campus landscape, such as quadrangles, gardens, lakes, recreation fields, etc. The term “facilities” does not include interior spaces such as rooms, hallways, etc., within buildings and sports facilities. The President of Albany State University has the authority to name such interior spaces. The President of Albany State University will notify the Board of Regents on a timely basis for informational purposes only, on any such interior space naming.

The act of naming an Albany State University facility or street is the conferral of not only a high honor but also a conspicuous honor. It publicly exhibits the judgment and standards of Albany State University and signifies lasting approval of the actions of the honoree.

The President may establish an ad hoc Advisory Committee to make naming recommendations to the President. The President of Albany State University is the final arbiter of all decisions related naming at the University.

Establishing Names

Authority to name buildings, facilities, lawns, streets and other areas on Albany State University’s campus rests with the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The following policy applies to the naming of all physical areas on all of Albany State University’s campus. The term “facility” is intended to include buildings of all types, sports facilities, streets, plazas, gardens and other physical areas of the campuses. (See BOR Policy Section 912-NAMES OF FACILITIES OR STREETS.)

In order for the individual being honored by a naming to enjoy and take part in the honor when it is bestowed, facilities may be named after a living individual if the person to be honored has provided outstanding service to the institution, to the nation, or to society, and has served with distinction. When naming is to honor a person for outstanding and distinguished service as a public servant, that person must have been disassociated from employment by the University System or from state or federal employment for at least two years prior to the naming.

In the event that the individual being honored is no longer living, the standards listed above will still apply, however, the two year waiting period may be waived.

“Outstanding service” as used in this policy is intended to be a flexible standard. It is the policy of Albany State University to judge each naming situation on its own merits after taking into consideration the facts that are relevant to the person being honored and the naming opportunity involved. The President of Albany State University will endeavor to insure that the proposed naming is consistent with the interests of the institution and the University System and that the value of the service warrants the action proposed.

The naming of a building, facility, street or other physical area of the campus will endure only for the useful life of the entity and not in perpetuity. As a practical matter, campus facilities and spaces must change as the University’s needs change. If a building or area is demolished, destroyed, developed or substantially remodeled, a named room or area may no longer exist. The Advisory Committee may determine if the transfer of a name to a new area is appropriate. The Advisory Committee’s determination will be communicated to the President for his ultimate determination as to the validity or invalidity of maintaining said name.

Procedures for Naming

When it appears that a contribution (gift) to benefit Albany State University will result in a naming request for a donor or other individual, the University’s Office of Institutional Advancement must be notified along with a profile of the donor or individual being honored, the area of interest with any proposed stipulations, and information about how the contribution (gift) will be paid. The gift or a signed pledge for the gift must have been received by the institution before the naming is completed. Any deferred or estate gifts must be irrevocable and defined in writing.

After review by the Office of Institutional Advancement, the information will be forwarded to the President for his consideration. The President will submit the naming recommendation to the Board of Regents. The President of Albany State University has the final authority to approve these recommendations at the local level before the request is sent to the Board of Regents.

A ceremony or event celebrating the naming of a campus entity or faculty position shall be handled in accordance with appropriate protocol for the University and the Board of Regents. In order to assure institution wide coordination, such events must be planned through the Office of Public Information and the Office of Institutional Advancement of Albany State University. The Board of Regents and the Chancellor should have sufficient prior notice of such an event so that they may attend.

Procedures for naming colleges, schools, departments, programs and centers at Albany State University will be the same as those outlined herein.

Signage

All signage to be affixed on or adjacent to any, building, facility or interior space shall be approved by the President of Albany State University in consultation with the donor. No signage shall be approved, and or erected that is in contravention of Board of Regents policies 908.03 and 917. To the extent that any naming proposal conflicts with Board of Regents policies, then Board of Regents policies control. Board of Regents policies 908.03 and 917 are specifically made a part of this NAMING POLICY. Additionally, any and all signage shall be consistent with Albany State University’s Master Plan.

Contribution Guidelines

When the naming of a building or other entity at Albany State University is based on a monetary contribution, the following guidelines must apply:

BUILDING: Any person or entity desirous of having a building at Albany State University named after him/her shall be able to do so as long as the gift amount is 35% of the cost to construct or of the estimated value for existing buildings. The gift must be paid AT LEAST six months prior to the announcement of the naming ceremony and with approval of the Board of Regents.
STREET: Any person or entity desirous of having a street at Albany State University named after him, her or it shall be able to do so if the aspirant makes a financial contribution of at least 5 million dollars ($5,000,000.00) payable in a lump sum at least six months prior to the announcement of the naming ceremony and with approval of the Board of Regents.
INTERIOR: Any person or entity desirous of having an interior spaces such as rooms, hallways, etc., at Albany State University named after him, her or it shall be able to do so if the aspirant makes a financial contribution of at least $250,000 dollars payable at least six months prior to the announcement of the naming ceremony and with approval of the Board of Regents.
In the discretion of the President, there may be reasonable exceptions to (a) and/or (b).

Any gift, for the naming of a building, shall be irrevocable and paid over a period of no longer than five years and outlined in writing in a commitment signed by the donor. All other gifts for streets and interiors must be paid over three years. Unless the gift is necessary to fund the immediate construction of the facility to be named, the gift may be used to establish a program endowment restricted to a department or program selected by the donor.

If a department is to be named, a restricted program endowment supporting that department may be necessary.
Generally, deferred gifts such as bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, and life insurance policies are not appropriate for current naming opportunities. However, those opportunities may be available when the gift is actually received by the institution. These options should be discussed with the donors.
It is the general policy of Albany State University to forward the formal naming request to the Board of Regents only after at least 50% of the gift has been received by the University.

Removal of Names

From time to time, situations may occur which would warrant the removal of a name from a building or other place on the campuses of Albany State University. Because the naming authority lies with the Board of Regents, so does the authority and responsibility to remove a name when appropriate. Circumstances may dictate that the parameters under which a name was bestowed on a physical place on the University campus have changed to the extent that consideration must be given to removing the name. These circumstances may include, but not be limited to the following circumstances:

The honoree does not follow through on a financial commitment;
The honoree fails to maintain the high standards of Albany State University or the Board of Regents;
The honoree fails to maintain the high standards of the Institution or System which the original naming honor was based on; and
Albany State University may remove a name of a facility, street or building if the honoree, person or entity, engages in conduct that constitutes an act of moral turpitude or for other appropriate reasons.
Upon the demolition of a building, the University makes no assurances that the naming will remain beyond the useful life of the building.

It is the policy of Albany State University to judge each situation individually and on its own merits. No decision will be made without taking into account all of the facts that are relevant to the decision. The President of Albany State University will endeavor to ensure that the removal of the name is consistent with the interests of Albany State University and the University System of Georgia.

Procedures for the Removal of Names

When it becomes apparent that there may be a reason to consider the removal of a name from a facility at Albany State University, the Vice President for Institutional Advancement shall be supplied with the original naming history and all salient circumstances surrounding the removal recommendation.

The Vice President for Institutional Advancement presents the naming history to the President who shall make a determination as to whether a name shall be removed. If the President approves the name removal, then the President will submit the proposal for removal of the name from a building, facility, or street to the Chancellor of the Board of Regents for approval.

The removal of a name from a room or other interior space(s) of a facility may be approved by the President upon the recommendation of the Advisory Committee.

Removal of Names from Colleges, Schools, Departments, Programs, Centers, etc.

The above stated parameters and procedures will apply for the removal of a name from an intangible entity at Albany State University. Final approval for the removal of a name from a College or School lies with the Chancellor and the Board of Regents.

The President, upon the recommendation of the Advisory Committee, will approve the removal of a name from a department, program, center or other names not otherwise addressed in this policy.

Named Faculty positions

To establish a named faculty position, a formal written agreement outlining the objectives of the accompanying endowment fund must be executed by the donor, the University and the Foundation that will manage the fund. The endowment principal of the fund must be sufficient to meet the objectives outlined in the agreement.

Minimum gift amounts for such positions will be in compliance with the Board of Regents guidelines for regional universities as stated in Section 803.0402-ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL FACULTY POSITIONS of the Policy Manual.

As with other naming opportunities, the Board of Regents has the final authority to establish a named faculty position. The requests will be made to the Board by the President of Albany State University.

No named faculty position will be established or announced, nor will any initial appointment be made to such position, without prior approval of the Board of Regents.

Periodic Review of Naming Policy

The President of Albany State University and the campus Advisory Committee should review this policy on a regular and recurring schedule in order to assure that it continues to be in compliance with the campus Master Plan and the policies of the Board of Regents.

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