Current through all regulations passed and filed through December 16, 2024
(A) Policy statement. Kent state university
may name facilities and academic programs in order to recognize donors who make
gifts that significantly advance the university's ability to carry out its
instruction, research and public-service missions.
(B) Scope. This policy applies to all naming
opportunities involving facilities and endowments meeting the minimum levels of
support throughout the eight-campus system of Kent state university as provided
for in rule
3342-5-13 of the Administrative
Code.
(C) Definition. For the
purposes of this policy, "facilities" means any university property owned by
the university including but not limited to buildings, structures, roads, and
other similar features.
(D) Types
of gifts for named facilities and endowments.
(1) Naming of facilities. Opportunities for
naming facilities includes, but is not limited to, new construction,
renovations, and space designations. At all times, the university retains the
discretion to rename buildings, renovated areas, and spaces when renovation or
replacement is required while continuing to acknowledge the donor's original
gift in an appropriate way. The university reserves the right to discontinue or
eliminate a naming on a facility or space after its useful life at the sole
determination of the board. A time limit may be placed on a naming opportunity
if the donation is not endowed or permanently established.
(2) Endowed chair. This designation of a
named "chair" is available to gifts seeking to provide a permanently funded
opportunity for truly outstanding scholars according to rigorous, nationally
accepted standards and is the highest honor Kent state university may award to
a faculty member. The reputations of individuals recruited as chairs will
reflect their special understanding of their particular field of study and
their nurturing of the leading scholars of the future. Chairs at Kent state
university, as at other prestigious universities, will constitute that small
cadre of exceptionally-gifted professors whose names evoke immediate
acknowledgement and respect in academic circles. This award typically
supplements existing budgeted salaries, but is also available to support the
teaching and research activities (including but not limited to the purchase of
university equipment) of the individual selected to occupy the endowed chair.
The gift may further be designated as follows: distinguished
endowed chair, endowed research chair, and endowed chair.
(3) Endowed professorship. This designation
is available to gifts seeking to provide for the designation of a named
"professorship" to those positions held by exceptionally-gifted scholars.
Professorships are typically held by those faculty members whose
accomplishments indicate great potential. Their efforts are focused on honing
their teaching skills and carving out areas of research performance. This award
typically supplements existing budgeted salaries and may be awarded at the
professor, associate professor or assistant professor levels with
qualifications for each endowment to be determined on a case-by-case
basis.
(4) Endowed administrator.
This designation is available to gifts seeking to provide for a designation
related to an administrative position at Kent state university. This award
typically supplements existing budgeted salaries, but may also be used to fund
university-wide initiatives in further of the university's strategic plan
and/or mission.
(5) Undergraduate
endowed scholarship, founder's medallion scholarship, or graduate endowed
fellowship. These three funds will be used to endow significant fellowships and
scholarships at Kent state university. Fellowships are reserved for graduate
students, and scholarships are generally given to undergraduate
students.
(6) Library endowments.
(a) Library endowment fund. Income from the
principal will provide unrestricted support to the annual operation of the Kent
state university libraries. This endowment is very valuable because of the
critical nature of the library as it serves a technical and research-oriented
university.
(b) Unrestricted
scholarship or other endowment. Named unrestricted scholarship endowments rank
as top priority in establishing scholarship endowments at Kent due to the
flexibility they present. These scholarships can be used to recruit and retain
the brightest and most capable students without any restrictions.
(c) Library media endowment. This endowment
will be used to place new media, which may include things such as but not
limited to books, magazines, periodicals, electronic media or subscriptions in
honor or memory of those who have elected to endow a library book fund in the
Kent state university libraries.
(7) Other such gifts as may be approved by
the board upon recommendation of the president. From time to time, a donor may
present a naming opportunity or endowment that may not be specifically provided
for or described under this rule (including but not limited to programs,
centers and institutes, schools and departments, and colleges).
To ensure that the university and its donors may engage in such
opportunities and as to not impede or limit the university's options under this
rule, the board may approve other such gifts as may be contemplated for naming
facilities or endowments upon recommendation of the president.
(E) Procedures.
(1) Review of publicly available information.
In order to protect the reputation and best interests of the university, the
vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement shall
conduct a reasonable review of publicly available information on donors prior
to submitting the naming resolution to the board of trustees.
(2) Gift opportunities under this policy
shall be presented by the vice president for
philanthropy and alumni engagement to the
president, and the president shall provided approval of such opportunity, prior
to any presentation to the board of trustees for approval as may be required by
the Administrative Code.
(3) Any
written agreements in which Kent state university is a contracting party under
this rule shall be reviewed and executed pursuant to rules
3342-5-04 and
3342-5-04.1 of the
Administrative Code.