University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Policy Name: Endowed Chairs Naming Opportunities
Policy Number: 2
Effective Date:
Policy
The following policy covers requirements for naming various entities of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Included in this policy are:
- Minimum Endowment Requirements
- Deans’ Chairs
- Department Head Chairs
- Chairs
- Professorships
- Senior Faculty Fellowships
- Faculty Fellowships
- Supplemental Graduate Fellowships, Undergraduate Fellowships, Scholarships, Awards,
And Programs - Facilities
- Centers, Institutes, Programs, Departments, Schools, Colleges, and Other Units
Named Commitment Minimum Endowment Requirements
Dean’s Chair
- $3,000,000 or
- Establish for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of at least 5% of the minimum required endowment per year for at least 5 years.
Department Head’s Chair
- $2,000,000 or
2. Establish for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of at least 5% of the minimum required endowment per year for at least 5 years.
Chair
1. $1,500,000 or
2. Establish for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of at least 5% of the minimum required endowment per year for at least 5 years.
Professorship
1. $500,000 or
2. Establish for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of at least 5% of the minimum required endowment per year for at least 5 years.
Senior Faculty Fellowship
1. $250,000 or
2. Establish for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of at least 5% of the minimum required endowment per year for at least 5 years.
Faculty Fellowship
1. $100,000 or
2. Establish or a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of at least 5% of the minimum required endowment per year for at least 5 years.
Scholarships, Undergraduate Fellowships, Graduate Fellowships, and Awards
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1. Graduate Fellowship (supplemental) | 1. $100,000 or more |
| 2. Undergraduate Fellowship | 2. $250,000 (currently) |
| 3. Chancellor’s Scholarship (fully endowed) | 3. $160,000 (currently) |
| 4. Scholarship (designated to a college, school or unit) | 4. $25,000 |
| 5. Scholarship (not designated to a college, school or unit) | 5. $15,000 |
| 6. Existing Scholarship Fund | 6. $14,999 or less |
| 7. Award | 7. $10,000 |
| 8. Academic or Administrative Area | 8. $10,000 |
| 9. Scholarship; for length of funds provided (non-endowed) | 9. $500 |
| University Facilities | 50% of the cost of the funding needed for new construction or major renovation over a 5 year pledge term |
| Centers, Institutes, Programs, Departments, Schools, Colleges, and Other Units | To be determined |
DEANS’ CHAIRs
PURPOSE:
To outline the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s policy on named deans’ chairs.
DESIGNATED TITLE:
The designated title is (name of benefactor) Dean of (college/academic unit).
PURPOSE OF APPOINTMENT:
To attract and recruit highly qualified individuals to the position of dean, supplement university support for outstanding faculty, and provide the holder with the resources to continue and further the scholar’s contributions to teaching, research, and public service. The support monies will be used for such purposes as salary supplementation, graduate assistant stipends, secretarial assistance, travel expenses, and other purposes approved by the dean or chancellor. By supporting the establishment of a dean’s chair, the benefactor directs attention to a continuing commitment to support scholarship within the UALR.
QUALIFICATIONS AND APPOINTMENT:
The holder shall be a full-time member of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty with the academic rank of distinguished professor, university professor, professor, or librarian. The chancellor and the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs will make the appointment and determine the term of the appointment, consistent with the conditions of the grant. A named dean’s chair is intended to be occupied by a dean.
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
Funds for a named dean’s chair are provided by gifts or designated university funds appropriate for this purpose. To establish such a position, an endowment of not less than $3,000,000 is required, and the net income therefrom—including net appreciation appropriated for expenditure by the university—to the extent necessary, shall be used to maintain the dean’s chair.
Alternatively, a dean’s chair may be established for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of not less than 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year for a minimum of 5 years. A dean’s chair established in this manner will be known as a term dean’s chair.
EARLY ACTIVATION:
In certain cases, the agreement reached with a major donor regarding the support of a named dean’s chair may specify that the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will not receive the endowment funding for several years. So that the donor may begin seeing the results of the gift at an earlier time, consideration will be given to the possibility of immediately activating the dean’s chair.
Proposals for the early establishment of a named dean’s chair will be reviewed and approved by the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs and the vice chancellor for university advancement of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The following general guidelines will apply:
1. The agreement reached with the donor must be of an irrevocable nature—charitable remainder trust, charitable gift annuity, flexible endowment agreement, or similar arrangement.
2. The donor must commit through a multi-year pledge of 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year until the endowment income becomes available. A term of at least five years is preferred.
3. Activation of a dean’s chair through annual gifts will require that all parties be informed that funding of the dean’s chair will continue as long as resources are available.
DEPARTMENT HEAD CHAIRS
(including those colleges/schools that refer to this position as chair)
PURPOSE:
To outline University of Arkansas at Little Rock policy on named department head chairs.
DESIGNATED TITLE:
The designated title is (name of benefactor) Department Head Chair of (unit).
PURPOSE OF APPOINTMENT:
To attract and recruit highly qualified individuals to the position of department head, supplement university support for outstanding faculty, and provide the holder with the resources to continue and further the scholar’s contributions to teaching, research, and public service. The support monies will be used for such purposes as salary supplementation, graduate assistant stipends, secretarial assistance, travel expenses, and other purposes approved by the dean or chancellor. By supporting the establishment of a department head’s chair, the benefactor directs attention to a continuing commitment to support scholarship within the UALR.
QUALIFICATIONS AND APPOINTMENT:
The holder shall be a full-time member of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty with the academic rank of distinguished professor, university professor, professor, or librarian. The dean of the appropriate college or unit, subject to the approval of the chancellor and the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs, will make the appointment and determine the term of the appointment, consistent with the conditions of the grant. Generally, a named department head’s chair is intended to be held by a department head.
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
Funds for a named department head’s chair are provided by gifts or designated university funds appropriate for this purpose. To establish such a position, an endowment of not less than $2,000,000 is required, and the net income therefrom—including net appreciation appropriated for expenditure by the university—to the extent necessary, shall be used to maintain the department head’s chair.
Alternatively, a named department head’s chair may be established for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of not less than 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year for a minimum of 5 years. A department head’s chair established in this manner will be known as a term department head’s chair.
EARLY ACTIVATION:
In certain cases, the agreement reached with a major donor regarding the support of a named department head’s chair may specify that the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will not receive the endowment funding for several years. So that the donor may begin seeing the results of the gift at an earlier time, consideration will be given to the possibility of immediately activating the chair.
Proposals for the early establishment of named department head’s chair will be reviewed and approved by the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs and the vice chancellor for university advancement. The following general guidelines will apply:
1. The agreement reached with the donor must be of an irrevocable nature—charitable remainder trust, charitable gift annuity, flexible endowment agreement, or similar arrangement.
2. The donor must commit through a multi-year pledge of 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year until the endowment income becomes available. A term of at least five years is preferred.
3. Activation of a department head’s chair through annual gifts will require that all parties be informed that funding of the department head’s chair will continue as long as resources are available.
CHAIRS
PURPOSE:
To outline the University of Arkansas at Little Rock policy on named chairs.
DESIGNATED TITLES:
The designated title is (name of benefactor) Chair in (field).
PURPOSE OF APPOINTMENT:
To attract and recruit highly qualified individuals to the position of chair, supplement university support for outstanding faculty, and provide the holder with the resources to continue and further the scholar’s contributions to teaching, research, and public service. The support monies will be used for such purposes as salary supplementation, graduate assistant stipends, secretarial assistance, travel expenses, and other purposes approved by the dean or chancellor. By supporting the establishment of a chair, the benefactor directs attention to a continuing commitment to support scholarship within the UALR.
QUALIFICATIONS AND APPOINTMENT:
The holder shall be a full-time member of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty with the academic rank of distinguished professor, university professor, professor, or librarian. The dean of the appropriate college or unit, subject to the approval of the chancellor and the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs, will make the appointment and determine the term of the appointment, consistent with the conditions of the grant.
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
Funds will be provided by gifts or designated university funds appropriate for this purpose. The establishment of a named chair requires an endowment of not less than $1,500,000, and the net income therefrom—including net appreciation appropriated for expenditure by the university—will provide salary as well as the aforementioned support services to the holder of the chair.
Alternately, a named chair may be established for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of not less than 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year for a minimum of 5 years. A chair established in this manner will be known as a term chair.
EARLY ACTIVATION:
In certain cases, the agreement reached with a major donor regarding the support of a named chair may specify that the university will not receive the endowment funding for several years. So that the donor may begin seeing the results of the gift at an earlier time, consideration will be given to the possibility of immediately activating the chair.
Proposals for the early establishment of named chairs will be reviewed and approved by the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs and the vice chancellor for university advancement of the university. The following general guidelines will apply:
The agreement reached with the donor must be of an irrevocable nature—charitable remainder trust, charitable gift annuity, flexible endowment agreement, or similar arrangement.
The donor must commit through a multi-year pledge of 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year until the endowment income becomes available. A term of at least five years is preferred.
Activation of a named chair through annual gifts will require that all parties be informed that funding of the chair will continue as long as resources are available.
PROFESSORSHIPS
PURPOSE:
To outline the University of Arkansas at Little Rock policy on named professorships.
DESIGNATED TITLE:
The designated title is (name of benefactor) Professor or Librarian in (field).
PURPOSE OF APPOINTMENT:
To attract and recruit highly qualified individuals for professorships, supplement university support for outstanding faculty, and provide the holder with the resources to continue and further the scholar’s contributions to teaching, research, and public service. The support monies will be used for such purposes as salary supplementation, graduate assistant stipends, secretarial assistance, travel expenses, and other purposes approved by the dean or chancellor. By supporting the establishment of a professorship, the benefactor directs attention to a continuing commitment to support scholarship within the UALR.
QUALIFICATIONS AND APPOINTMENT:
The holder of a named professorship must be a full-time member of the faculty, or a visiting faculty member, with the academic rank of distinguished professor, university professor, professor, librarian, associate professor, or associate librarian. The dean of the appropriate college or unit, subject to the approval of the chancellor and the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs, will make the appointment and determine the term of the appointment, consistent with the conditions of the grant.
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
Funds for a named professorship are provided by gifts or designated university funds appropriate for this purpose. To establish such a position, an endowment of not less than $500,000 is required, and the net income therefrom—including the net appreciation appropriated for expenditure by the university—to the extent necessary, shall be used to maintain the professorship.
Alternatively, a university professorship may be established for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of not less than 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year for a minimum of 5 years.
A professorship established in this manner will be known as a term professorship.
EARLY ACTIVATION:
In certain cases, the agreement reached with a major donor regarding the support of a named professorship may specify that the university will not receive the endowment funding for several years. So that the donor may begin seeing the results of the gift at an earlier time, consideration will be given to the possibility of immediately activating the professorship. Proposals for the early establishment of named professorships will be reviewed and approved by the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs and the vice chancellor for university advancement.
The following general guidelines will apply:
The agreement reached with the donor must be of an irrevocable nature—charitable remainder trust, charitable gift annuity, flexible endowment agreement, or similar arrangement.
The donor must commit through a multi-year pledge of 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year until the endowment income becomes available. A term of at least five years is preferred. Activation of a professorship through annual gifts will require that all parties be informed that funding of the professorship will continue as long as resources are available.
SENIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS
PURPOSE:
To outline the University of Arkansas at Little Rock policy on named senior faculty fellowships.
DESIGNATED TITLES:
The designated title is (name of holder) Professor, or Associate Professor of (name field); Librarian, or Associate Librarian; and (name of benefactor) University Fellow.
PURPOSE OF APPOINTMENT:
To provide supplementary funds to outstanding members of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty to assist the holder in continuing and furthering the scholar’s contributions in teaching, research, and publics service. The monies provided will be used for such support purposes as salary supplementation, graduate assistant stipends, secretarial help, travel expenses, and other purposes approved by the dean or chancellor. The department concerned will continue to provide a suitable salary for the individual honored.
QUALIFICATIONS AND APPOINTMENT:
The holder shall be a full-time member of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty with the academic rank of professor, associate professor, librarian, or associate librarian. The dean of the appropriate college or unit subject to the approval of the chancellor and the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs will make the appointment and determine the term of the appointment, consistent with the conditions of the grant.
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
Funds will be provided by gifts or designated university funds appropriate for this purpose. To establish a named senior faculty fellowship, an endowment of not less than $250,000 is required, and the net income therefrom—including the net appreciation appropriated for expenditure by the university—to the extent necessary, shall be used to maintain the senior faculty fellowship.
Alternatively, a named senior faculty fellowship may be established for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of not less than 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year for a minimum of 5 years. A fellowship established in this manner will be known as a term senior faculty fellowship.
EARLY ACTIVATION:
In certain cases, the agreement reached with a major donor regarding the support of a senior faculty fellowship may specify that the university will not receive the endowment funding for several years. So that the donor may begin seeing the results of the gift at an earlier time, consideration will be given to the possibility of immediately activating the senior faculty fellowship.
Proposals for the early establishment of senior faculty fellowships will be reviewed and approved by the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs and the vice chancellor for university advancement of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The following general guidelines will apply:
The agreement reached with the donor must be of an irrevocable nature—charitable remainder trust, charitable gift annuity, flexible endowment agreement, or similar arrangement.
The donor must commit through a multi-year pledge of 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year until the endowment income becomes available. A term of at least five years is preferred. Activation of a senior faculty fellowship through annual gifts will require that all parties be informed that funding of the fellowship will continue as long as resources are available.
FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS
PURPOSE:
To outline the University of Arkansas at Little Rock policy on named faculty fellowships.
DESIGNATED TITLES:
The designated title is (name of holder) of (name of field) Assistant Professor or Assistant Librarian.
PURPOSE OF APPOINTMENT:
To provide supplementary funds to outstanding members of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty to assist the holder in making contributions in teaching, research, and public service. The monies provided will be used for such support purposes as graduate assistant stipends, secretarial help, travel expenses, and other purposes approved by the dean, director, or chancellor. The department concerned will provide a suitable salary for the individual honored.
QUALIFICATIONS AND APPOINTMENT:
The holder shall be a full-time member of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty with the academic rank of assistant professor or assistant librarian who is making exceptional progress in establishing his/her teaching and scholarship. The dean or director of the appropriate college or unit, subject to the approval of the chancellor and the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs, will make the appointment and determine the term of the appointment, consistent with the conditions of the grant. No faculty fellowship may be held by the same faculty member for more than six years.
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
Funds will be provided by gifts or designated university funds appropriate for this purpose. To establish a faculty fellowship, an endowment of not less than $100,000 is required, and the net income therefrom—including the net appreciation appropriated for expenditure by the university—to the extent necessary, shall be used to maintain the faculty fellowship.
Alternatively, a named faculty fellowship may be established for a fixed period of time by an expendable grant of not less than 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year for a minimum of 5 years. A faculty fellowship established in this manner will be known as a term faculty fellowship.
EARLY ACTIVATION:
In certain cases, the agreement reached with a major donor regarding the support of an endowed faculty fellowship may specify that the university will not receive the endowment funding for several years. So that the donor may begin seeing the results of the gift at an earlier time, consideration will be given to the possibility of immediately activating the faculty fellowship.
Proposals for the early establishment of endowed faculty fellowships will be reviewed and approved by the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs and the vice chancellor for university advancement of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The following general guidelines will apply:
The agreement reached with the donor must be of an irrevocable nature—charitable remainder trust, charitable gift annuity, flexible endowment agreement, or similar arrangement.
The donor must commit through a multi-year pledge of 5 percent of the minimum required endowment per year until the endowment income becomes available. A term of at least five years is preferred. Activation of a faculty fellowship through annual gifts will require that all parties be informed that funding of the fellowship will continue as long as resources are available.
GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS, UNDERGRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS, AND PROGRAMS
PURPOSE:
To set appropriate minimum amounts to establish endowments for supplemental graduate fellowships, undergraduate fellowships, scholarships, awards, and programs.
DEFINITION OF TERMS:
Graduate Fellowship is a supplemental award of money to a graduate student, granted in recognition of academic distinction, often but, not necessarily, requiring that the recipient be in need of financial assistance. Undergraduate Fellowship is an award of money to a student in recognition of extraordinary academic distinction. It does not necessarily require that the student be in need of financial assistance. Scholarship is an award of money to a student, often, but not always, granted in recognition of academic distinction. Need of financial assistance is not necessarily a requirement. Award is recognition for achievement of a single specific nature. It may be for grades, for activities, or for a combination of both grades and activities. An academic or administrative program or area may also be supported through a separate named fund.
PROCEDURE FOR ESTABLISHING:
Persons or organizations contemplating the establishment of graduate fellowships, undergraduate
fellowships, scholarships, awards, or programs should discuss the procedures and requirements with the advancement staff to ensure minimum funding amounts can be obtained. Graduate fellowship, undergraduate fellowship, scholarship, award, and program funds should have few or no limitations placed on them by donors. If possible, the funds should be flexible enough to provide aid where most needed and to be available in order that all students have an opportunity to be potential recipients. The university will not administer a student aid program that is contrary to the law, or restricted to an unreasonable geographical basis.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR FUNDS:
The funding level for a named graduate fellowship shall require a minimum endowment of $100,000. This will provide supplemental support to a graduate student, and should be viewed as the minimum initial principal required. To fully endow the total cost of graduate education, a much larger endowment is required. The funding level for a named undergraduate fellowship shall require a minimum endowment sufficient to fund an extraordinary educational experience (e.g., Sturgis Fellowships and the Bodenhamer Fellowships).
The funding level for a named Chancellor’s Scholarship shall require an endowment sufficient to fund the annual cost of a Chancellor’s Scholarship. In order to establish a separate named scholarship fund in a collegiate/school unit in memory of a person, or to honor a person, organization, or program, the initial principal for investment shall not be less than $25,000. An initial principal of’$15,000 or more will be accepted to establish a named scholarship fund in the name of a person, organization, or program, but the scholarship will not be designated in a specific program, unit, college, or school. Initial principals of less than $15,000 are accepted for placing—without specific designation—in existing University scholarship funds. A separate named award in memory of a person or to honor a person may be established with an initial principal of $10,000 or more. An initial principal of $10,000 or more will be accepted to establish a separate named fund in support of an academic or administrative program or area.
Any sum of $500 or more may be accepted to provide a scholarship in the name of an individual, organization, or program on an annual basis and may be continued for as long as the sponsor provides the funds.
FACILITIES
PURPOSE:
To state the University of Arkansas at Little Rock policy on naming university facilities.
GENERAL:
It is the policy of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to name certain of its buildings, parts of buildings, roads, and plazas in honor of friends, benefactors, and persons who have made substantial contributions to the university or to education in general.
GUIDELINES:
The following guidelines apply:
1. Ordinarily, university buildings, roads, and plazas will not be named for persons who are actively involved in or related to university operations. This includes members of the faculty and staff, board of trustees, advisory boards, legislators, and governmental officials. University buildings, roads, and plazas may be named for persons who have retired from active employment with the university after a sufficient time has elapsed from the date of the individual’s retirement. This date should be determined by the administrative committee on naming university facilities.
2. Building names should include a designation of their primary function: Student living and dining quarters are designated as “halls” or “commons.” Buildings occupied by laboratories are designated as “laboratory.” Buildings primarily occupied by offices and classrooms are to be designated “building.” Special-use buildings may bear the name of that use separately or in combination with a person’s name. (e.g., Oppenheimer Library)
3. Sub-units of a building or area—including rooms and offices—may be named separately for an outstanding individual or benefactor who wishes to underwrite the cost of the sub-unit or portion thereof. In such cases, an appropriate plaque may be installed to acknowledge the contribution. In such cases where the actual naming of the sub-unit may not be appropriate (individual faculty or staff office), an appropriate plaque may be installed outside the office to acknowledge the contribution by the benefactor.
4. A uniform system of external marking of buildings is to be used university-wide. These external markings should be approved by the Physical Plant. In instances where buildings are named for benefactors or other individuals, a plaque or other appropriate recognition may be located in the lobby or other appropriate area of the building giving the full name and brief biography of the person or persons honored.
5. It is the general university policy to name buildings for benefactors (or persons benefactors are seeking to honor) only with the required minimum gift commitment of 50 percent of the cost of the funding needed for new construction or major renovations. Such a gift commitment can be made payable over a five-year pledge term. The amount will vary with each individual situation, and this requirement should be viewed as a guideline.
6. Gifts made through an irrevocable deferred gift technique including, but not limited to a charitable remainder trust, pooled income fund, charitable gift annuity, deferred pledge agreement, and flexible endowment agreement may be considered. They have special considerations as follows:
Such gifts generally will not be accepted for the purpose of naming a new university building for which contributions from private sources are needed for construction costs.
Ordinarily, such gifts may be accepted for the purpose of naming existing university buildings if there is no current need of funds for building renovations or expansion.
7. It is the general policy of the university that roads, plazas, sub-units of buildings— including rooms and offices—and other appropriate areas named after benefactors will require the benefactor to contribute a predominant portion of the cost of the road, plaza, or sub-unit. The amount required for such naming will be determined by the chancellor of the university upon the recommendation of the administrative committee on naming university facilities.
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION:
The administrative committee on naming university facilities will also advise and make recommendations to the chancellor of the university on appropriate names for specific buildings, parts of buildings, roads, and plazas at all university locations. The committee is composed of the following members:
1. Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Chair of the Committee
2. Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, Secretary of the Committee
3. A Dean or Director of a collegiate unit, appointed by the Chancellor to a two-year term
4. Chair of the University Faculty Senate
5. Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration
Communications with the committee should be through the vice chancellor for university advancement, secretary of the committee. Recommendations for naming a facility assigned to a specific academic or administrative unit will normally originate from the dean or director of that particular unit. The committee will work closely with the dean or director to ensure that recommendations reflect university policy. In the case of facilities not assigned to specific units, the committee may generate the initial recommendations, based on available information.
Committee recommendations to the chancellor should conform to the objectives outlined above. The committee shall keep a current list of all existing buildings that are appropriate for naming, if accompanied by a gift, deferred gift, or pledge commitment. This list should be reviewed annually by the vice chancellor for university advancement and other appropriate university officials.
AUTHORITY TO NAME:
After receiving the committee’s recommendation for naming buildings, the chancellor of the university has the authority to recommend or not recommend the naming opportunity to the president of the University of Arkansas System. The president has the authority to accept or reject the recommendation. At the president’s discretion, the naming proposal may be taken to the Board of Trustees, in resolution form, for approval.
In situations where parts of buildings and plazas may be funded by gifts from alumni and friends of the university, final negotiation with potential benefactors should not take place without first seeking the approval of the administrative committee on naming university facilities and the chancellor of the university. The chancellor, through the committee, will charge the appropriate administrative officer to negotiate with potential benefactors. If a building name is not forthcoming at the time the building has been completed, and a name is needed for identification purposes, only a generic name should be used, thus reserving the prerogative to bring forward a name that meets the established criteria at a later date. Examples of such generic names are the Science-Engineering Building and the Physics Building.
CENTERS, INSTITUTES, PROGRAMS, DEPARTMENTS, SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, AND OTHER UNITS
PURPOSE:
To state the University of Arkansas at Little Rock policy on naming centers, institutes, programs, departments, schools, colleges, and other units.
GENERAL:
One of the most significant ways in which the university can pay tribute to individuals, organizations, corporations, and others who have made a significant contribution to the campus is to name centers, institutes, programs, departments, schools, colleges, and other units in honor of them. It is important that the university ensures that such recognition is given only to outstanding contributions and that the recognition balances the significance of the object being named with the contribution made.
GUIDELINES:
1. Centers, institutes, programs, departments, schools, colleges, and other units may be named for any individual, but it is presumed that such individuals will have contributed in some significant way to the advancement of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
2. Ordinarily, centers, institutes, programs, departments, schools, colleges, and other units will not be named for persons who are actively involved in or related to university operations. This includes members of the faculty and staff, board of trustees, advisory boards, legislators, and governmental officials. They may be named for persons who have retired from active employment with the university after a sufficient time has elapsed from the date of the individual’s retirement.
3. In appropriate circumstances, naming requests should foster the university’s efforts to promote private support for its centers, institutes, programs, departments, schools, colleges, and other units.
4. Centers, institutes, programs, departments, schools, colleges, and other units can be named for a donor who makes a significant contribution in support of its students, faculty, facilities, or endowment. The amount required for such naming will be determined by the chancellor of the university upon the recommendation of the administrative committee on naming university facilities. Normally, the naming of a center, institute, program, department, school, college, or other unit will require a multi-million dollar contribution. Such a gift commitment must be payable over a five-year (or less) pledge term. The amount will vary with each individual situation, and this requirement should be viewed as a guideline.
Gifts may also be made through an irrevocable deferred gift technique including, but not limited to a charitable remainder trust, pooled income fund, charitable gift annuity, deferred pledge agreement, or flexible endowment agreement. Ordinarily, an irrevocable deferred gift technique will be accompanied by a current gift. A donor’s lifetime giving to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock may be taken into consideration when considering a naming request.
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION:
The administrative committee on naming university facilities will also advise and make recommendations to the chancellor on appropriate names for specific centers, institutes, programs, departments, schools, colleges, and other units. The committee is composed of the following members:
1. Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Chair of the Committee
2. Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, Secretary of the Committee
3. A Dean or Director of a collegiate unit, appointed by the Chancellor to a two-year term
4. Chair of the University Faculty Senate
5. Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration
Communications with the committee should be through the vice chancellor for university advancement, secretary of the committee. Recommendations for naming will normally originate from the dean or director of that particular unit. The committee will work closely with the dean or director to ensure that recommendations reflect university policy. In the case of centers, institutes, and programs not assigned to specific units, the committee may generate the initial recommendations, based on available information.
Committee recommendations to the chancellor should conform to the objectives outlined above. The committee shall keep a current list of all centers, institutes, programs, departments, schools, colleges, and other units that are appropriate for naming, if accompanied by a gift, deferred gift, or pledge commitment. This list should be reviewed annually by the vice chancellor for university advancement and other appropriate university officials.
AUTHORITY TO NAME:
After receiving a recommendation from the administrative committee on naming university facilities, the chancellor of the university has the authority to recommend or not recommend the naming opportunity to the president of the University of Arkansas System. The president has the authority to accept or reject the recommendation. At the president’s discretion, the naming proposal may be taken to the Board of Trustees, in resolution form, for approval.
Under no circumstances should final negotiations take place between an administrative officer of the university and a potential donor in naming a center, institute, program, department, school, college, or unit without first seeking the approval of the committee and the chancellor of the university. If a name is not forthcoming at the time the center, institute, program, department, school, college, or unit is established, and a name is needed for identification purposes, only a generic name should be used, thus reserving the prerogative to bring forward a name that meets the established criteria at a later date.
NAMING OPPORTUNITIES/UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES:
University naming opportunities, including but not limited to named endowment funds and facilities, shall only bear the name of individuals or entities that exemplify attributes of integrity, character and leadership consistent with the highest values of the University. Should those standards be violated, the University reserves the right to remove the donor’s/honoree’s name from the fund, facility, or other University resource named for such individuals or entities. In addition, the donor’s/honoree’s name maybe removed in the event that the donor’s financial commitments to the University are not fulfilled. This policy shall be incorporated in, and made a part of, any gift agreement related to a naming opportunity.
Source: UAF Policy 213.1
Revised: August 18, 2009
Approved By:
Custodian: