Ohio State’s process for formally reviewing requests to remove the names associated with institutional spaces and entities is thorough and deliberate, underscoring the significance of a request to remove a name from a building. Given this serious and comprehensive consideration, it may take an extended period of time to move through the several decision steps in the process. Current Ohio State students, faculty, staff and alumni can submit requests for the review of university space and entity names.
This process, established in 2022 and developed in partnership with the Board of Trustees, is below.
Procedure Overview
Requests to review a space or entity name follow a thorough and deliberate five-step process that will continue until the committee has deemed it complete. Once submitted, requests that contain all required information are considered as follows:
- A Standing Advisory Committee for the Review of University Space and Entity Names (Committee) will conduct an initial review to determine whether the request provides substantial evidence of misconduct or other inappropriate behavior harmful to Ohio State’s reputation for excellence and its values of integrity and inclusiveness. Based on the initial review, the Committee will issue a recommendation to the provost as to whether further consideration should occur.
- Within 30 days of receiving the recommendation, the provost will review the Committee recommendation and determine whether to advance the request for further review, or deny it such that no further action is taken.
- If the request is advanced, the Committee will conduct a thorough review of all facts surrounding the name and evaluate how those facts inform a recommendation as to whether to make a change based on the reasons set forth by the requestor. Ultimately, the Committee will determine whether the name at issue should be removed, some other action should be taken, or no action should be taken, and will issue a recommendation to the university president.
- Within 60 days of receiving the recommendation, the president will review the Committee recommendation in consultation with the provost and other officials as appropriate, and determine whether to remove the name, take some other action, or take no action. The president’s decision to take no action is final. If the president decides to remove a name or otherwise modify it, the matter must be advanced to the Board of Trustees for approval.
- The Board of Trustees has the final authority to remove or modify a name.
Requests
Removing a naming designation is a serious step that will only occur under exceptional and narrow circumstances that prove a person’s name should not be associated with Ohio State. Allegations may not be enough to rename a building, and each request deserves rigorous review before a decision is proposed.
For a request to be valid and eligible for Committee review, the requestor must be either a current Ohio State faculty member, staff member, student, or an alumnus, who must identify themselves; anonymous requests are not permitted.
Requests must provide substantial evidence of misconduct or other inappropriate behavior by the individual or entity at issue and demonstrate that that conduct or behavior is harmful to Ohio State’s reputation for excellence and its values of integrity and inclusiveness. Only reasons set forth by the requestor will be considered at each stage of the process to support a name removal, and requestors bear the burden of providing full, accurate and convincing information as to why the name should be removed in submitting their request. Requestors are responsible for thoroughly documenting the sources used to support their request and explaining why those sources are reliable. Requestors shall complete the form linked below to provide this information and may likewise submit additional documents to accompany the request and supplement the information provided on the form.
In completing the request form, requestors must specifically meet these duties in the course of providing the following information:
- Name and affiliation with Ohio State, including contact information.
- The space/entity name requested to be reviewed.
- Why was the building named after this person? Was the name honorific or in recognition of a philanthropic gift (donation)? If it was honorific, briefly describe the honoree’s significant contributions to Ohio State.
- Why is the legacy of the namesake fundamentally at odds with the principles guiding the campus today? That is, explain why the legacy’s effects outweigh the individual’s contributions. What substantial evidence is there to support this claim?
- What is the likely impact on members of the university community if the name is retained and/or removed?
- Any other relevant information or arguments that should be considered by the Committee.
If a request is rejected or a decision is made not to change the name at issue for the reason(s) provided by the requestor, it does not preclude additional requests regarding the same name from being submitted. However, the university will not reconsider a request based on the same reason(s) already provided absent substantial new evidence that justifies a new review.
The Committee will not review requests unless they fully meet all of the criteria identified by the Board of Trustees, as determined by the committee chair. The committee chair will determine if the form has been completed sufficiently so as to warrant review under the above process. Requestors will be notified if their request does not include sufficient information to warrant review and will be afforded an opportunity to resubmit with appropriate information.
University Naming Review Procedure Committee Members
Committee members are selected by the university provost and must be a student, faculty or staff member at Ohio State. Each person’s inclusion is meant to provide a range of expertise and experience to the committee. There is no formal term for membership and any modifications fall solely within the provost’s discretion.
Students
- Devarth Patel, undergraduate
- Blaise Tayese, Moritz College of Law
Faculty
- Russell Hassan, Ambassador Milton A. and Roslyn Z. Wolf Chair in Public and International Affairs and Professor, John Glenn College of Public Affairs
- Scott Levi, Professor and Chair of the Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
- Helen Malone, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Office of Academic Affairs
- Brian Mittendorf, H.P. Wolfe Chair in Accounting and Professor of Accounting, Fisher College of Business
- Jody Patterson, Associate Professor of History of Art, Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Chair of Art History, College of Arts and Sciences
- Eric Schoon, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology; Faculty Council Chair-Elect
Staff
- Molly Calhoun, President and CEO of the Alumni Association
- Tamar Chute, University Archivist and Head of Archives
- Ben Kanzeg, Associate Vice President for Strategy and Operations, Office of Government Affairs
- Brandon Lester, Committee Chair; Senior Associate General Counsel and Associate Secretary for the Board of Trustees
- Anne McDaniel, Associate Vice President for Strategy, Impact and Academic Partnerships, Office of Student Life