College Trustees Approve Acknowledgment and Naming Policy

Approval of the naming policy marks a milestone for the Special Committee on Acknowledgment and Naming which was formed after the 2020 report of the Commission on Race and Slavery.

The Special Committee engaged broadly with the college community to understand both the college’s contemporary naming practices and the range of views on the subject. The Committee shared information about the policy through community information sessions last fall that included Zoom and live audiences from across the country.   

“The Committee has worked hard to develop a policy that ensures the college’s naming practices reflect its Statement of Purpose and values,” Erwin Carter ’79, member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Special Committee, said. “This policy will guide us into the future and sets the procedures for conferring names and, in exceptional circumstances, re-naming requests. It sets a particularly high standard for removing a name designation before the expected duration.

“Davidson is an institution of higher learning that honors the dignity and worth of every person, and we must thoughtfully assess our own history in keeping with the spirit of free inquiry that animates this special community.”

Read the full policy.