Naming Policy for Facilities, Buildings, Spaces, Programs and other Properties and Functions - Northern Michigan University

Any time a Northern Michigan University property, space, program or function is to be named, the following procedure shall be followed:

1. A name proposal will be brought first to the person’s unit leader (department head, director), who will bring the name forward to the appropriate approval levels (dean of college, associate dean of school, director, etc.) until it reaches the division leader. There may be situations when members of the university community are invited to propose names in a more open forum without needing specific unit approval.  There may situations when the president convenes a small work group for the purpose of developing name proposals for a specific facility, space, program or function.
2. The division leader or, in the case of a university-wide call for proposals the designated project coordinator, will present the name proposal(s) to the Executive Council.
3. If approved by the Executive Council, the Council will request due diligence research of the naming proposal be done by NMU Foundation staff.
4. All due deliberation by the university community will be presented to the Executive Council. Executive Council will make a final recommendation on the naming proposal to the President.
5. The President shall make his/her recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
6. Except in unusual circumstances, and then subject to appropriate consultation, namings should not be announced publicly prior to consideration by the NMU Board of Trustees. The preferences of donors regarding confidentiality of proposed naming gifts should be given careful consideration.
7. Once deliberated by the Board of Trustees, the university community will have a designated period of time to provide comment before the Board of Trustees formally votes on the naming recommendation.

To protect the University’s interests and traditions, NMU Board of Trustee approval is required for all naming opportunities.

The NMU Foundation CEO shall be responsible for maintaining a master list of facility naming opportunities, both donor and honorary, and shall share this list periodically with the NMU Board of Trustees, the Executive Council, and the University Engineering and Planning Office.

The NMU Foundation and university president shall be informed early in the process regarding potential naming opportunity or opportunities.  Ideally, tentative naming opportunities would be identified as early in the architectural design phase as possible, preferably before designs are brought to the NMU Board of Trustees for approval.

A new construction, renovation or new program or function naming shall not be conferred in recognition of unrealized deferred gifts. An existing property, facility, space, program or function naming conferred in recognition of a pledge is contingent on fulfillment of that pledge.

To avoid any appearance of commercial influence or conflict of interest, additional due diligence should be taken before recommending the naming of a University property, facility, space, program, position or function that involves the name of a corporation or a corporate foundation. The naming for an individual associated with a corporation should be handled as any naming for an individual.

An agreement between a donor and the University to name a facility must be incorporated into the gift agreement and must be signed by both parties, as well as any third party or its representatives, if the naming is on the third party’s behalf.

Building Naming Criteria

New Construction: New facilities may be named for a donor or donors for contributions of 50% or more of the fundraising goal for the facility or 33% or more of the anticipated project cost. When the project cost exceeds $75 million dollars, or under other special circumstances, the Executive Council may recommend an alternative threshold for naming a specific facility, taking into consideration the capacity of the prospect pool, and setting a naming threshold that will maximize the fundraising potential for the project.

Existing Facilities: An existing facility may be named for a donor if a gift equals 25% of replacement value, as determined by the executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Building Additions and Renovations -- Not less than 50% of project costs.

Portions of Buildings -- Individual rooms or wings in new or existing buildings such as auditoriums, lecture halls and lobbies, need to be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Consideration will be given to such matters as type of usage, visibility and traffic flow.

Unnamed Existing Buildings -- Currently unnamed buildings may be named by the establishment of an endowment equivalent to 15% of the replacement value of the building.

Relocation -- The name on an existing facility will remain for the life of the building.

Replacement -- The name on a facility to be demolished will not be transferred to a new facility except when a useful facility is relocated to serve the greater interest of the university.

University-owned Streets and Drives – may only be named by the NMU Board of Trustees, on recommendation of the president, after former Board of Trustees members or former presidents of the University.

Duration of the Naming

If the university proposes to change the function of a named property, facility, space, program or function, it must notify the NMU Foundation to execute and document the review of related gift agreements to determine if the proposed use is consistent with the restrictions that may have been previously stipulated. If the proposal for change in use is inconsistent, University or Foundation counsel must be consulted.

Following the approval of a naming, should circumstances change substantially so that the continued use of that name may compromise the public trust, University and Foundation counsel must be consulted. If necessary, University and Foundation counsel will consult with the Michigan Attorney General. (See section “Renaming Due to Conflict)

The University reserves the right to enter into a naming agreement that is term limited as designated within the naming agreement signed by both the university and donor.  At the end of the term, the NMU Board of Trustees, based on the recommendation of the President, will determine what name the property, facility, space, program or function assumes.

Signage

All interior and exterior naming signage must conform to the design and material standards of the University. The text of all naming signage must be approved by Executive Council, NMU Foundation CEO and the University Engineering and Planning Office.

Renaming

A proposal to rename a property, facility, space, program, position, or function, or to add a second name, must adhere to the criteria outlined in this policy. In addition, these principles shall be followed:

• Any proposal to rename a property, facility, space, program, position or function, or to add a second name, to an existing named property, facility, space, program, position or function in recognition of a gift must be reviewed by the Executive Council and the NMU Foundation. The review must include any gift documents pertaining to the original gift and related naming, as well as the gift documents pertaining to the subsequent gift and proposed renaming. If necessary, Foundation and/or University counsel must be consulted. The Executive Council and NMU Foundation will make recommendations to the President, who will make a recommendation to the NMU Board of Trustees.
• When a property, facility, space, program, position or function that has been named in recognition of a gift or an individual has reached the end of its useful life, the replacement structure, program, position or function will no longer bear the former name and may be renamed.
• When a property, facility, space, program, position or function named in recognition of a gift or in honor of an individual will be developed for another use, the redeveloped property, facility, space, program, position or function will no longer bear the former name and may be renamed.
• Appropriate recognition of earlier donors must be included in or adjacent to new and renovated facilities, as well as in redeveloped areas.
• When a property, facility, space, program, position or function is proposed for renaming, Foundation and/or University representatives will make all reasonable efforts to inform the original donors or honorees and their immediate family members in advance of the change, including emphasis on preservation of the relations.
• If a named facility is razed at some future date, the University will recognize the honoree in an appropriate way, as approved by the Executive Council.

Renaming Due to Conflict

The University reserves the right to withdraw from a naming agreement if the name of an individual or organization, which has been bestowed upon a property, facility or program, comes into disrepute in the University or in the general community.

When conflicts arise related to an existing name, the president will convene a group to consider any proposal to remove a name. That group will collect information related to the decision to name the building, facility, space, program, position or function at the time it was named, the historical societal/legal changes since, the impact on relationships related to the name and/or removing/changing the name. Advice should be given on historical issues.  All of these principles shall be considered by the president, who will then make a recommendation to the NMU Board of Trustees.

Functional Naming

Functional namings shall be determined by the president if a donor or honorific name has not been assigned to the facility. A functional name may later be replaced by an honorific or donor name in accordance with these guidelines.