The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) holds the authority to name its real estate and facilities and has established Board Policy, 7.4.1 Naming or Places, Colleges or School to govern the place naming process.

This policy requires each institution to maintain their own naming policy, including established minimum financial commitments corresponding to each naming opportunity that are benchmarked against institutions similar in size, scope and mission. Each institution shall provide a copy of its naming policy to the USG Chief Operating Officer for approval. A draft place naming guidelines template is also available for institution use, as needed, in developing the appropriate guidelines for implementing their naming policy.

Board Policy 7.4.1 also includes expectations for naming of academic units - colleges and schools - of all USG institutions; however, the procedures that follow are specific to the naming of real estate and facilities.

To facilitate the submittal of real estate and facilities naming information as required by this policy, the University System’s Real Estate & Facilities Office hosts a web-based Naming Application database through which institutions can report interior namings and submit exterior namings for review and possible Board action. It is recommended that each president appoint a Facilities/Place Naming Representative to be the main point of contact for entering and maintaining place naming information in this database. Each institution has unique login information and can only view and modify its own entries.

Interior Spaces

The president of an institution is authorized to name and/or to remove names, without prior approval of the Board of Regents, for interior spaces. This includes rooms, hallways, floors, and features, as well as other enclosed or conditioned space(s) within buildings.

Institutions shall maintain a report on interior namings and interior naming removals as information, and shall provide that report to the USG Chief Operating Officer at the end of each calendar year. As mentioned above, this information should be reported through the Naming Application database.

Facilities and/or Exterior Spaces

A proposal for naming a facility or exterior space should originate at the institution and be promulgated through the president of the institution.

Before submitting a formal naming proposal to the Board of Regents, the president shall ensure that the proposed naming conforms to the institution naming guidelines and that any gift(s) associated with the naming comply with the specific guidelines in the Board policy. The president shall then submit the proposed naming to the USG Chief Operating Officer. This submittal must include a written explanation of the naming as well as basic place naming information in a standard format as identified in the Naming Application database. While the submittal can be accomplished solely through entry of all required information in the database, it is recommended that the president also contact the Chief Operating Officer directly to discuss the request.

The Chief Operating Officer will ensure the proposed naming undergoes integrated review and, in conjunction with the Chancellor, submit the request to the Board of Regents for action. A ceremony or event celebrating the naming of a facility shall be handled in accordance with appropriate protocol for the institution and the Board of Regents and shall not occur prior to Board approval of the naming. The Board of Regents and the Chancellor shall have sufficient prior notice of naming ceremonies or events should they be available to attend.