(A) Policy statement and purpose
To set out the rules by which university property will be named.
(B) Policy
The BGSU board of trustees upon the recommendation of the university president has the authority for naming all university facilities, properties, and academic entities (i.e., all buildings, major portions of buildings, academic colleges, schools, centers, professorships, university streets or roads, athletic fields, plazas, malls, and other large areas of major assembly or activity). Naming decisions related to a building, a chair or professorship, a program, etc. will be made subsequent to or concurrent with approval of the establishment of the facility, program or academic entity by the president and his/her cabinet, and in some cases the board of trustees. The board may delegate to the president the authority to name individual rooms, limited areas and individual items or features within buildings, individual landscape items or features, limited outdoor areas and other minor properties. The board of trustees and president must approve all proposed names.
Primary consideration for naming or renaming facilities, properties, and academic entities is given in recognition of a significant gift to the university, however naming in recognition of other significant contributions to the welfare of the university may also be considered. These naming policies will be provided in writing to potential benefactors. All aspects of the review and approval of a naming opportunity are considered confidential.
(C) University naming approval and removal criteria
(1) Name approval criteria
Recommended names must comply with the following criteria to be considered for naming or renaming facilities, properties, and academic entities:
(a) There are no conflicts with other names on campus.
(b) The name does not call into question the public respect of the university.
(c) Acceptance of the name does not imply the university's endorsement of a partisan political or ideological position or of a commercial product. This does not preclude the approval of the name of an individual who has at one time held public office or the name of an individual or a company that manufactures or distributes commercial products.
(d) The provost has approved the creation or renaming of the proposed academic entity or the vice president for finance and administration has approved the building or renovation of the proposed project.
(2) Removal of an approved name
An approved name will remain in use for the life of the facility, property or academic entity however there are situations that could cause the removal of the name either during the planning process or after project completion.
(a) The name on a facility to be demolished will not be transferred to a new facility except in such cases when a useful facility is relocated to serve the greater interest of the university.
(b) The name on an existing facility, property or academic entity may be removed if its continued use calls into serious question the public respect of the university.
(c) If the benefactor does not meet the full cost of the facility, property or academic entity, the naming is subject to completion of satisfactory funding arrangements by the university.
(d) The name of the facility, property or academic entity may be changed if a benefactor ceases payment on a pledged donation for the facility, property or academic entity.
(e) In the case of corporate donors, the name of the facility, property or academic entity may be changed to reflect a new corporate name resulting from the company's decision to change its name or a corporate merger.
(f) If the university is unable to complete the project, or establish the program or endowment, the potential benefactor will be entitled to redirect, retract or seek a refund of their contribution.
(g) In those instances where a building has been razed, property eliminated, or an academic entity has been discontinued, the university will make every effort to recognize the individual, family or corporation in question in a manner consistent with the original naming. With respect to a former building, recognition will include an official marker identifying the site for posterity.
(D) Benefactor naming requirements and funding levels
(1) Benefactor naming requirements
Benefactor naming opportunities will be considered in recognition of a substantial gift to the university when the vice president of university advancement has first approved the formal initiation of the naming approval process and the following requirements have been met:
(a) The name meets the requirements as presented in the name approval criteria (section C, 1 above).
(b) The gift meets the funding level requirements as presented in benefactor naming funding levels (as stated below).
(c) The gift is recorded on the university gift agreement form which summarizes the mutual understanding of the donor(s), and the university regarding the use and terms of the gift and meets the requirements presented in the naming policies operating procedures.
(d) The gift commitment is expressed in cash or a written pledge to be paid within five years of the naming of the facility or entity.
(e) A portion of the gift may be an irrevocable deferred gift provided that:
(i) It represents up to only one-third of the overall gift commitment for a new building.
(ii) The face value of the gift is at least seventy five percent of the replacement value of an existing building at the time the gift is made.
(iii) It meets the current guidelines established by the BGSU foundation regarding acceptance of planned gifts.
(2) Benefactor naming levels
Endowed funds may be established within the BGSU foundation, Inc. subject to its policies governing the establishment of endowed funds. Exclusive of endowed book awards ($15,000), the minimum amount required to establish an endowment is $25,000. The required funding level for specific types of endowments are higher depending on the type of the award as addressed below.
(a) Faculty awards
(i) Dean's endowed chair: Provides support to enable the university to honor or recruit an outstanding scholar who has demonstrated the potential of making exceptional contributions to his/her discipline and will serve as dean of a university college. Minimum endowment gift: $3.5 million
(ii) Endowed chair or director: Provides support to enable the university to honor or recruit an outstanding scholar who has demonstrated the potential of making exceptional contributions to his/her discipline. Provides income toward an outstanding faculty member's salary and related expenses, including research and professional conferences, and who serves as chair of a department. Minimum endowment gift: $2.5 million
(iii) Endowed professorship: Provides support for an outstanding scholar with demonstrated excellence in the area of scholarship in his/her discipline. Income from the endowment will provide support for the scholarship of this position. Minimum endowment gift: $1.0 million
(iv) Visiting professorship: Provides resources to support visiting scholars in an area important to the mission of Bowling Green state university. Minimum endowment gift: $500,000
(v) Emerging faculty award: Provides income to apply toward the scholarship (teaching, research and engagement) expenses of an outstanding emerging faculty scholar. These funds will enable BGSU to attract and retain the most promising young professors. Minimum endowment gift: $250,000
(vi) Endowed Lectureship: Provides income for distinguished lecturers to be brought to campus: Minimum endowment gift: $100,000
(vii) Faculty research and development fund: Provides an annual award to enhance a faculty member's teaching and research activities: Minimum endowment gift: $100,000
(b) Student awards
(i) Named graduate fellowships: Provides income to fund fellowships for graduate students. Minimum endowment gift: $250,000
(ii) Board of trustees scholarships: Provides financial assistance to rising sophomore, junior or senior who exhibits leadership potential with GPA average of 3.75. Minimum endowment gift: $250,000
(iii) Graduate scholarships: Provides financial support for graduate students. Minimum endowment gift: $100,000
(iv) President's leadership academy: Income for this fund will provide financial support for students selected to the president's leadership academy. Minimum endowment gift: $100,000
(v) Alumni Laureate Scholarships: Provides financial support to first-year freshman with high school GPA of 3.5 and score of at least 27 on the ACT or 1200 on the SAT and demonstrated leadership capabilities. (Renewable through undergraduate career providing student maintains 3.0 GPA at BGSU.) Minimum Endowment Gift: $100,000
(vi) University professors scholarship: Provides financial support for incoming students with high school GPA of 3.8 and score of at least 30 on the ACT or 1300 on the SAT. (Renewable through undergraduate career providing student maintains 3.5 GPA at BGSU.) Minimum endowment gift: $ 100,000
(vii) University freshman academic scholarship: Provides financial support for incoming students with high school GPA of 3.5 and score of at least 27 on the ACT or 1200 on the SAT. Minimum endowment gift: $100,000
(viii) Endowed Scholarship: Income from this fund will provide financial aid to undergraduate students. Selection criteria will depend upon the donor's preference and guidelines established by BGSU. Minimum endowment gift: $25,000
(ix) Book award: Provides financial support for academic achievement
(c) Facilities and programs
(i) Entire buildings (new constructions)
If a building is to be constructed in total through private funds, the fund raising goal should equal fifty percent of the construction cost of the building and naming rights will be awarded for a contribution equal to that amount. If a building is to be funded through a combination of private funds, and other funding sources the contribution must equal fifty percent of the private fund raising goal and no less than twenty percent of the total construction costs of the building.
(ii) Portions of buildings
The naming of individual rooms or wings in new or existing buildings such as auditoriums, lecture halls and lobbies, will be determined in context of the total facility function. However, in all cases naming will only be awarded if the gift is a minimum of twenty percent of the total construction costs of the new addition to the existing building.
(iii) Unnamed existing buildings
Currently unnamed buildings may be named by the establishment of an endowment equivalent to thirty five percent of the value of the building. (To accommodate unforeseen circumstances, the value of unnamed existing buildings will be determined by the university.)
(iv) Named colleges, schools, centers, or institutes
The name of an individual, corporation or foundation may be associated with a college, school, center, or institute in recognition of a significant financial contribution to support the program or area in question. Minimum endowment gift: $15,000
(E) Non-benefactor naming requirements
Naming may be awarded in recognition of former members of the university faculty or staff, former university trustees, former presidents, former elected officials, or former state employees concerned with the functions, oversight or control of the university. Non-benefactor naming opportunities will be considered when the vice president of university advancement has first approved the formal initiation of the naming approval process and the following requirements have been met:
(1) The individual has achieved distinction in an academic, administrative or other exceptional ways which have significantly contributed to the welfare of the university as long as there is no current relationship between the individual and the university.
(2) The name meets the criteria as presented in the name approval criteria.
(F) Fine approval
A university naming committee, appointed by the president and chaired by the vice president of university advancement, reviews the proposed naming opportunity, applicable criteria and policies, and then makes a recommendation to the president.
Date: January 1, 2014
