Conference Recordings

From 2015–2018, amidst a period of heightened activism on campuses and broader societal change, institutions of higher education renamed and de-named campus buildings with namesakes whose legacies were seen to conflict with institutional missions and community values and harmful to members of the campus and surrounding communities. In 2020, the push for addressing problematic namesakes has grown exponentially, expanding beyond buildings and postsecondary education. Effectively managing naming issues on campus and the expectations and interests of internal and external stakeholder groups is challenging, emotional, and time consuming work that has a lasting impact on the physical campus as well as, institutional legacy. We’ll describe the trends, challenges, and opportunities related to re-naming and de-naming on campus.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Summarize the role of higher education in the global conversation about naming and renaming as it relates to institutional legacies, history, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
2. Outline the factors, attributes, and characteristics that may impact how a contested name is perceived and how it might be managed.
3. Identify the primary challenges and opportunities facing institutions addressing a contested name on campus.
4. Describe common approaches to handling contentious naming issues on campus in U.S. higher education.

Presenters:

Jonathan Holloway, President and Professor, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Erin Johnson, 2020–21 SCUP Fellow; Interim Director of Strategic Initiatives, Rutgers University-Newark
David Neuman, Founding Principal, Neu Campus Planning, Inc.
Michelle Packer, Chief Development Officer, Undergraduate Studies, University of Maryland-College Park

Continuing Education Units: AIA LU 1 Unit (SCUP56C014) | AICP CM 1 Unit

Recorded 7/14/21.

Looking to earn CEUs? You can earn Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) by watching this session recording and passing a short quiz. Learn more here.