About the Committee
As an institution, UCLA aims to ensure that the names of our campus buildings and physical spaces reflect both the diversity and values of our institution. In September 2020, the Campus Honorary Naming Advisory Committee was established to define the principles and criteria for the honorary naming, renaming and unnaming of buildings and major outdoor locations on campus.
The resulting guidelines have informed the next iteration of this effort, the Committee on Honorific Namings. This committee is now responsible for reviewing proposals to name, rename or unname honorary building and spaces, soliciting comments on proposals, applying guiding principles and making final recommendations to the Chancellor and the Office of the President for approval.
A separate committee, the UCLA Philanthropic and Sponsorship Naming Committee, oversees the naming of buildings and spaces resulting from philanthropic gifts.
Honorific namings should recognize and celebrate individuals or groups who have made extraordinary contributions to UCLA’s mission and values. By highlighting exemplary achievements, honorific namings support UCLA’s public mission of research, teaching and service and strengthen connections with local and broader communities.
For questions, please email NamingCommittee@ucla.edu.
Criteria for Honorific Naming
For submissions based on academic excellence:
- The individual must have served UCLA in an academic capacity; AND,
- Demonstrated high scholarly distinction including recognition as a national or international leader in their discipline
For administrative submissions:
- The individual must have served UCLA in an important administrative capacity; AND,
- Rendered distinguished service which warrants recognition of their exceptionally impactful contributions to the welfare of UCLA with a lasting legacy
For submissions that do not fall within an academic or administrative category:
- The individual must have demonstrated a unique and exceptionally impactful contribution to UCLA with a lasting legacy
Proposals must be made more than two years after the individual’s retirement or separation from UCLA and follow a list of specific nomination criteria, including, among other things, an explanation of the nominee’s relationship to UCLA, a biography, additional documentary evidence and 10 letters of support, half of which much come from those with a UCLA affiliation.
For more details, please refer to UCLA Honorific Naming Criteria (PDF)
Call for Submissions
Now through Friday, March 28, the Committee on Honorific Namings invites members of the UCLA community to submit honorific naming applications. All proposals will be considered and closely reviewed by the committee in accordance with program criteria outlined below. Recognizing the limited number of buildings and places that can be named, honorific namings should recognize only those individuals who truly stand out among the large numbers of significant contributors to UCLA. As such, a limited number of submissions will be recommended to the Chancellor and the Office of the President for approval.
During this process, the committee will also accept recommendations for renaming facilities or places if the existing honorific name no longer appropriately reflects UCLA’s values and aspirations.
2024-2025 committee members include:
- Michael Beck, administrative vice chancellor (co-chair)
- Mitchell Chang, interim vice provost for equity, diversity and inclusion
- Eric Greene, associate director, diversity and campus climate
- Athena Jackson, Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian
- Noor Nakheaei, president, Graduate Student Association
- Teo Ruiz, distinguished professor of history, Spanish and Portuguese (co-chair)
- Adam Tfayli, president, Undergraduate Students Association Council
- Judith Tuch, president, Retirees Association
- Belinda Tucker, professor emerita of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences and special liaison for faculty development
- Abel Valenzuela, dean, social sciences and professor of labor studies
- Scott Waugh, president, Emeriti Association