The University’s Naming Principles

In spring 2021, the University’s Board of Trustees established the Naming Principles Commission to recommend principles to guide future decisions about naming and removal or modification of names for buildings and other named entities at Richmond. The Commission comprised student, staff, faculty, alumni, Trustee, and external expert representation.

In the 2021-22 academic year, the Commission undertook a thorough review of naming issues, seeking to engage every member of the University community in the process. Through a Gallup survey, listening sessions, letters, e-mails, and individual discussions, more than 7,500 students, staff, faculty, alumni, and parents shared their opinions, suggestions, and experiences. In February 2022, the Commission released an Interim Report and Draft Recommendations, and at the Board of Trustees’ meeting later that month, Commission members discussed the draft recommendations and the process that informed their development. Student, staff, faculty, and alumni leaders also addressed the Board about the draft recommendations. In March 2022, the Board, having carefully reviewed and discussed the draft principles at previous meetings, adopted the final principles as presented by the Commission. The approved principles are available here.

This virtual institutional history, which will expand over time, seeks to capture a full history of the University, including former namesakes and others who have played significant roles in fostering and furthering the institution we know today.