UBC’s Board of Governors (BoG) approved amendments to the university's naming policy at their meeting on June 29.
Changes to the policy have been ongoing for the past two years and address concerns over the lack of diversity in the names across campus. As the report states, the amendments are intended to create a "welcoming and inclusive environment" and go into effect July 7.
In a written statement from Hubert Lai, the university counsel, the amendments, “will be among the most advanced of any Canadian universities.”
The naming policy was established in 1998 with the purpose “to set out clearly articulated standards for decisions regarding naming.” The report continues that names at UBC have been used to recognize those who have made exceptional contributions to the university. They also fulfill other purposes such as advancing Indigenous reconciliation, expressing gratitude for philanthropy and fostering UBC’s sense of identity.
A few of the key revisions include ensuring the ad hoc panel is formed from a broadly representative group of faculty, staff and students from the academic unit being named and including individuals whose roles involve advancing inclusive excellence or Indigenous reconciliation.
Lai also wrote that the amendments “will require UBC to engage with Indigenous nations upon whose traditional, ancestral territories a place or space to be named is located.”
The revisions also “improve and clarify” sections regarding the principles for naming decisions, separation of academic and operational decisions from naming decisions and references to appropriate UBC positions to name a few.
In 2021, when discussion of amendments began, concerns were raised by Development and Alumni Engagement (DAE) over requiring a more robust naming process which might jeopardize donor confidentiality thereby making donors uncomfortable and reducing donations to the university.
McCaw said she values faculty input, but thinks this won't give donors a sense of security and comfort. She said they're not going to want to risk having their name exposed by being declined.
— Ubyssey News (@UbysseyNews) November 22, 2021
She said this could be damaging to the university's reputation.
Lai stated that the DAE “believes that the proposed amendments to the naming policy achieve an excellent balance between providing an appropriate and necessary consultation process with faculty, staff and students while also ensuring a respectful process for the donor. DAE is very pleased with the final outcome.”
In an interview with The Ubyssey, Senate and BoG member Kareem Hassib said “it's very important that members of the student community and the broader UBC community play an active role in the naming process.”
Feedback was also collected from members of the UBC community such as faculty, the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office, UBC Finance and Operations and Senate.
A majority of the feedback surrounded the language of the policy and included providing further clarity and definitions for terms.
Hassib also said the policy would allow more diverse groups of people to be honoured while previously "there were very accomplished women academics or people of colour academics at the time … [whose names] didn't hit the top of the pile when it came to naming those buildings."
"We should have more diverse naming on campus."
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