OVERVIEW
The process for honorary renaming and indefinite retention of building names has been revised by the All-University Honors Committee (AUHC) based on the criteria approved by the Board of Regents (BOR) at its February 2022 meeting (see Board of Regents Policy: Namings and Renamings).
It is anticipated that the honorary namings will be reviewed during the 2022-23 academic year of the four longest-serving building names: Folwell Hall (1906) and Sanford Hall (1910) on the Twin Cities campus, and Kiehle Hall (1910) and Spooner Hall (1912) on the Crookston and Morris campuses, respectively. Each of these namings meet the 75-year sunset provision required of honorary namings, and this grouping of four was decided in consultation with the All-University Honors Committee (AUHC), taking into specific account their expected capacity.
Nomination submissions, as outlined below, are required for honorary building renamings, as well as requests to retain a building name indefinitely. A systemwide list of all buildings with names that fall over the 75-year sunset provision may be found here.
Questions regarding any aspect of this process, such as how to compile a nomination packet or requesting letters of support, may be directed to Erin Heath, director, University Awards and Honors ([email protected]; 612-625-4805).
NOMINATION PROCESS
Please refer to the below process for both renaming and indefinite retention requests. Indefinite retentions will be reviewed in the same manner as renaming requests.
Requests will not be considered for a person who is currently on the regular faculty or staff of the University or a sitting Regent.
Nominator
The nominator may be a current or past member of the faculty or staff; a current or past student; or an alumnus. Nominations may also be accepted from community members outside the University. Anonymous proposals and self nominations will not be considered.
Selection Process
The AUHC receives nominations to consider from the Office of the President. The AUHC, with recommendations from its Namings and Renamings Work Group (NRWG), then manages the process and submits recommendations to the president, who makes recommendations to the BOR. It is currently anticipated that the 2022-23 nominations will be considered by the BOR at its May 2023 (discussion) and June 2023 (action) meetings.
Nomination Dossier
The dossier must address the following criteria, as outlined in the Board of Regents Policy: Namings and Renamings:
- Community and belonging. Describe and demonstrate the impact of the nominee or the nominee’s work which espouses the University values of accessibility, equity, diversity, and dignity in people and ideas.
- Preservation and advancement of the University’s mission, guiding principles, and shared history. Describe and demonstrate the extent to which the nominee exemplifies the highest aspirations of the institution’s mission and guiding principles and advances the evolving landscape of University history and achievement.
For building renaming submissions, the University is particularly interested in receiving nomination dossiers regarding members of underrepresented and marginalized groups.
Nomination dossiers should not exceed 20 pages in length.
Format of Dossier
The five documents described below should be submitted as a single PDF in the following order:
- Nomination letter
- Supporting letters
- Biographical information for the nominee
- Nomination summary
- Contact information
Nomination letter: this letter should address the above criteria and focus on the accomplishments of the nominee that justify the nomination.
Supporting letters: at least three, but not more than five, focusing on addressing the above criteria. These letters are in addition to the letter from the nominator. One or more letters from a University leader are encouraged to indicate institutional awareness of the nomination.
Biographical information for the nominee: not to exceed five pages. This information must document the particular achievements that demonstrate the rationale for naming consideration. Such achievements may include but not be limited to: education; employment; membership in professional societies; honors and awards; professional and public service; and related information.
Nomination summary: in 250 words or less, outline the nominee’s accomplishments, excluding degrees and appointments.
Contact information: separate document with contact information for nominee (if living) or their representative (if deceased), nominator, and persons writing supporting letters. Include the mailing address, email address, and phone number for each person (if University employee, please use University contact information).
NOMINATION SUBMISSION
Nominations should either be submitted electronically to the Office of the President at [email protected], or mailed c/o Kate Stuckert, Office of the President, 202 Morrill Hall, 100 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455.
Nominations must be submitted as a single PDF file with the subject line “Building Renamings and Indefinite Retentions Submission.”
CONFIDENTIALITY
During the nomination process, no disclosure is to be made to the nominee or others. Efforts will be made to maintain confidentiality with respect to the nomination process, consistent with applicable law.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- If a well-considered request is not made to the president by November 11, 2022, for one or more of the four buildings expected to be considered during the 2022-2023 academic year, the AUHC will initiate a process to recommend to the president new names for the respective building(s) which reflect a broad representation of the University’s history, mission, guiding principles, and achievements.
- A nomination may be rejected either for lack of merit or for lack of adequate documentation. In the latter case, the nomination may be revised and resubmitted if requested and if received by the nomination deadline.