Residence Hall Re-naming Process

Carolina Housing and the Residence Hall Association (RHA) have been dedicated to addressing Residence Hall names so they better align with the department's mission to create a space that is: "Safe, Inclusive, and Supportive."

During her two-year term as RHA President, Kira Griffith, was heavily involved in the
process to remove building names on campus and consider ways to go about renaming.
Since her graduation, RHA has continued to partner with Carolina Housing to
continue this important work.

RHA and Carolina Housing Residence Hall Renaming Committee

Mission Statement:

The Residence Hall Renaming Committee is a group of Residence Hall Association student leaders, Carolina Housing staff, and residents across UNC whose mission is to support the University’s Carolina Next Objective 1.1 of “Invest[ing] in policies, systems, and infrastructure that promote belonging, community and transparency throughout the University community”. The group aims to do so through educating on the history of residence hall names, highlighting the experiences of students living on-campus, and advocate for a more inclusive Carolina.

Background Timeline

June 2020 - Board of Trustees votes to lift moratorium on changing building names.
July 16, 2020 - Board of Trustees creates formal Name Removal Policy.
July 21, 2020 - Chancellor-appointed committee reviews first 4 building names.
July 29, 2020 - Board of Trustees votes to remove first 4 building names.
November 2020 - Chancellor appoints Honorific naming Committee to review the existing naming policy and make revisions
- Work is currently on pause, but some of what was discussed has been incorporated into the eligibility criteria shared by the Chancellor for name submissions.
Spring 2021 - RHA begins to solidify relationship with Commission on History, Race, and A Way Forward
March 23, 2021 - Joint RHA/Carolina Housing Residence Hall Renaming Committee (RHRC) convenes to discuss approach to re-naming of residence halls.
March 26, 2021 - Chancellor calls on community to submit names to consider for re-naming.
April 9, 2021 -The RHRC releases Residence Hall One Statement, recommended that the hall be renamed in recognition of an individual identifying as a woman.
December 3, 2021 - Chancellor announces the renaming of Residence Hall One (formerly Aycock) to be renamed after Hortense McClinton, the first Black professor hired at Carolina in 1966.
May 13, 2022 - Building Dedication for McClinton Hall after Hortense McClinton.
June 11, 2022 - The RHRC submitted survey results collected during the Spring Semester, asking on-campus residents the impact of the Building Renaming Process taking place on campus. This Report from the Campus-Wide Survey includes graphs showing the survey results, direct quotes from students who completed the survey, and a video of four on-campus students expressing the need for renaming buildings on campus. Full Appendix Report and YouTube video are listed below.

Process for Re-Naming a Building

The current process is broken down into 2 parts: Name Removal and Renaming.

Name Removal

The Commission on History, Race and A Way Forward submits names to the Chancellor for removal. (Anyone can submit a name for removal; however, the Commission ensures quality research and a robust proposal)
The chancellor appoints a small committee to review the anmes being considered for removal.
This committee make a recommendation to the Chancellor about which names should be removed.
The Chancellor brings this to the Board of Trustees, which votes on whether to remove the names.

Re-naming

Community members submit names to be considered - link for submission form.
- Names that have already been submitted can be found on the Commission on History, Race, and a Way Forward's Website
The Chancellor and the Chancellor's Naming Committee review the names and decide which names they will use.
The Chancellor brings this to the Board of Trustees which votes on approval of the names.

Policy on Naming University Facilities and Units

Current Re-Naming

As of June 2021, the University has selected two residence halls for the re-naming process:
Charles B. Aycock Residence Hall has been temporarily renamed Residence Hall
One
Ruffin Residence Hall was formerly named for both Thomas Ruffin, Sr. and Thomas Ruffin, Jr. It has been renamed only in honor of Thomas Ruffin, Jr.

Several additional residence halls are being considered for renaming along with other University buildings. For a full list of identified names created by the Commission on History, Race, and A Way Forward, click the button below.

Names on the Landscape, UNC - Chapel Hill

The Commission on History, Race, and A Way Forward is the body charged by the Chancellor to review which building names need to be removed (among other tasks). The total list of building names they have recommended be removed thus far can be found on their website. This link will continuously be updated by the Commission with new names they propose be removed.

Questions?

Are you considering a recommendation to re-name a residence hall but aren't sure of what to
include in your proposal or how to go about researching a new name? These faculty co-chairs
of the university's committee can point you in the right direction.

Contacts:

Commission on History, Race, and A Way Forward Committee Members:
- Co-Chair: Dr. Jim Leloudis (leloudis@unc.edu)
- Co-Chair: Dr. Patricia Parker (psparker@email.unc.edu)
RHA President - Nate Worley
Carolina Housing: Director of Administrative Services - Rick Bradley