You’re Invited: President’s Advisory Panel on University Namings and Recognitions Town Halls

This message has been approved by Renisha Gibbs, Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Chair of the President’s Advisory Panel on Namings and Recognitions for distribution to all faculty, staff, and students.

This past fall, President Thrasher announced the creation of the President’s Advisory Panel on University Namings and Recognitions. Since that time, the panel of appointed university students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni has been working to review and make recommendations on current university policies concerning campus names and markers, including statues and other recognitions.

Based on public input thus far, President Thrasher recently asked the panel to prioritize B.K. Roberts Hall, Francis Eppes Hall, and the Eppes statue as we continue our work, recognizing that there are members of our community who feel very passionately about these campus landmarks in particular. He also requested that the panel submit its recommendations on these items first before returning their focus to the rest of their charge.

As the panel moves forward to consider these three priorities, we are seeking input from the entire university community, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of our local community. We invite you to attend one of the Town Hall forums listed below to share your valuable feedback.

Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2018 Time: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Location: FSU Alumni Center, Grand Ballroom 1030 West Tennessee Street, Tallahassee	Date: Monday, March 5, 2018 Time: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Location: Askew Student Life Center, Room 101A-D 942 Learning Way, Tallahassee
Date: Thursday, March 1, 2018 Time: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Location: Roberts Hall, Room 102 425 West Jefferson Street, Tallahassee	Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2018 Time: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Location: Florida State Conference Center (Turnbull Center), Room 103 555 West Pensacola Street, Tallahassee
Date: Thursday, March 1, 2018 Time: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Location: Black Student Union House, Multipurpose Room 921 West Jefferson Street, Tallahassee

Details: In order to hear from as many people as possible, comments will be limited to no more than five minutes per speaker, with the option to supplement feedback by submitting additional comments via the panel’s website: http://president.fsu.edu/namings/.

Speakers will also be asked to consider and provide feedback on the following:

With regard to B.K. Roberts Hall, the Francis Eppes Hall, and the Francis Eppes statue:

What impact have these landmarks had on you and/or others? What message do you and/or others think these landmarks are communicating?
What role should university history play in our current day campus environment?
What do you think should be done and why (i.e., suggestions for solutions)? Are there additional options besides removing and/or renaming?

We encourage you to attend. Your feedback is important to ensure that the Panel makes a recommendation that is inclusive of the feedback provided by our university community.

Article Date

February 22, 2018