Naming Policy #315

Effective March 2, 2017

1. GENERAL

Community College of Philadelphia seeks to recognize individuals, corporations or foundations who have supported the College or the Foundation through substantial financial contributions or through distinguished service by naming facilities and funds in their honor.  This policy governs the procedure for such naming.  Facilities and Funds encompassed by the Naming Policy include:

• Buildings or parts of buildings, such as wings, where the identification focuses on the external feature;
• Parts of buildings, such as laboratories or classrooms, where the identification deals with an internal feature;
• Other facilities as recommended for naming; and
• Endowments (endowed chairs and scholarships).

For purposes of this policy, the benefactor is defined as any individual, corporation, foundation, or other entity who has made a substantial financial or other contribution to the College.

When recognition is the result of a financial donation, the facility may be named directly after the benefactor, or it may retain or be given a functional title, and the benefactor will be recorded as its sponsor. In the case of distinguished service, the facility may be named directly after the honoree.

College assets and facilities may be named after exceptional individuals, living or deceased; corporations; foundations; or any other entity, provided due regard is given to the College’s identity and philosophy.  The College’s Board of Trustees has the right to deny a request for naming if the request is deemed inappropriate, i.e., if the mission and vision of the benefactor is not consistent with the mission and vision of the College, or if such naming could be construed as promoting a particular political, economic, or moral issue inconsistent with the College’s mission.  Likewise, the College may rescind the use of a name awarded hereunder in the event that circumstances cause the College to reasonably believe that continued use of such name is inappropriate.

2. GUIDELINES FOR NAMING

2.1 Buildings

The College will consider the naming of new buildings in recognition of individuals, corporations, or foundations according to the following guidelines:

• The benefactor contributes 50 percent or more of the capital cost of the building; or
• The benefactor supports the College, faculty or other divisions through the establishment of a gift exceeding $10 million.

The College will consider naming existing structures or parts of existing structures according to the following guidelines:

• An existing building may be named for a gift or endowment equal to a minimum of 20% of the current market value of the structure, with additional considerations taken into account (e.g., prominence of the building, historical profile of the structure, etc.) that might increase the value of the naming opportunity. The Board of Trustees will make the final determination.

2.2  Classrooms, Auditoriums, Laboratories

The College will consider naming parts of buildings in recognition of a benefactor who contributes the following amounts:

                                Classroom                                                $50,000 to $200,000

                                Computer Class/Lab                               $250,000 to $1,000,000

                                Small Auditorium                                    $300,000 to $500,000

                                Large Auditorium                                   $500,000 to $1,000,000

                                Gymnasium                                              $1,000,000 to $2,500,000

                                Library                                                      $1,000,000 to $2,500,000

 

2.3    Capital Campaign Naming Opportunities

In the event of a capital campaign, additional naming opportunities may become available. These additional opportunities will follow the same approval process identified in Section 3. Buildings and parts of a building will be “valued” as a naming opportunity on the “base value of each unit of space.” Typically, this is accomplished by dividing the campaign fundraising goal by the total square feet available for naming. The base value may be increased or decreased depending on the following:  location and physical prominence (visibility) of the space; utilization and function of space; and unusual costs for space (i.e., interior design finishes, outfitting, etc.). Using the above criteria, naming opportunities will be identified and minimum levels of contributions for the naming right for each space established.

2.4  Regional Center, Departments and Other Units

The College will consider naming a regional center, department or unit in recognition of a gift if the gift enables transformational change to take place in the unit, meaning the gift allows the unit to undertake a well-defined set of program improvements that will elevate the unit within its group of peer institutions.  Any proposal for naming should be consonant with the reputation and aspirations of the unit.  The background, character and reputation of the namesake benefactor should be consistent with the reputation of the College.

2.5  Endowments (endowed chairs and scholarships)

The College will consider the naming of chairs or scholarships after a benefactor who contributes the following amounts:

                                Endowment (Scholarship)                  $10,000 (minimum)

                                Endowment (Chair)                             $1,000,000 - $5,000,000

 

2.6  Honoring of an Individual for Distinguished Service

• In exceptional cases, the College may seek to recognize individuals who have supported Community College of Philadelphia through distinguished service by naming facilities or endowments in their honor.

• Naming a building in honor of a person who has given extraordinary service to the College will not normally be considered until after that individual’s substantive formal relationship with the College has concluded.

2.7  General Guidelines

• Naming rights will not be considered binding until at least 50 percent of the benefactor’s pledge has been paid.

• Naming rights for benefactors will normally remain in place for the life of the building, classroom, auditorium, laboratory, etc.
• In the event that ongoing payments on a pledged donation cease before the agreed dollar amount is achieved, the Board of Trustees may discontinue the use of the benefactor's name for an endowment, scholarship, chair, etc.
• Nothing herein shall be deemed to prevent the College from improving, renovating or replacing any structure named hereunder in the normal course of its business.  Naming rights shall not survive the replacement of any such structure and shall not be deemed to prevent naming any new structure resulting from any such improvement (e.g., naming an addition to the original structure).

3.  PROCESS

• Negotiations with a benefactor or other interested party for the naming rights for a particular facility may be initiated by the Office of Institutional Advancement or by the President.
• Proposals for naming facilities should be submitted to the Office of Institutional Advancement and should contain specific information in support of naming.  Proposals will be forwarded to the College President for endorsement.  If endorsed by the President, the proposal will be forwarded to the College’s Board of Trustees, which will make the final determination for approval. When a proposal involves the use of the name of a living person, the Board of Trustees’ approval is contingent on the agreement of that person or that person’s legal representative.
• When a proposal involves the use of the name of a deceased person, the Board of Trustees’ approval is contingent on the agreement of that person's legal representative.
• If an individual or organization, after whom a facility has been named, comes into disrepute in the College or in the community-at-large, the Board of Trustees may discontinue the use of the name as set forth in section 1.
• The formal and final authority to name assets and facilities (and discontinue the use of a name for assets and facilities) resides with the College’s Board of Trustees.

• The College’s Board of Trustees shall use this Naming Policy as a guide but may, in its discretion, make exceptions to any provision contained in this policy.

 

Approved by Board of Trustees (May 1, 2003)

Revision Approved by Board of Trustees (December 4, 2008)

Revisions submitted to CCP Foundation’s Finance & Investment Committee (January 6, 2016)

Submitted to CCP Foundation Board for comment (January 14, 2016)

Submitted to CCP Business Affairs Committee for approval (January 20, 2016)

Approved by Board of Trustees (March 2, 2017)