The Eastern Naming Committee met and discussed the process for data collection.

The committee will be using a SharePoint folder to collect feedback received from the constituencies.

Information the committee members are expected to record in the folder includes emails, phone call transcripts, letters to the editor and other things regarding the potential name change.

Those interested in speaking to a member of the committee can reach out to Don Holly (representing the Faculty Senate), Claudia Janssen-Danyi (representing the Council on Academic Affairs), Angie Campbell (committee chair and representative of the Staff Senate), Diane Burns (representing the Council of Chairs), Noor-ul-Haash Khamisani (representing the Student Senate), Carlos Amaya (presidential appointee), Mona Davenport (presidential appointee) or Ken Wetstein, Vice President of University Advancement and ex officio convener of the committee.

Burns led a discussion on how the committee can utilize Qualtrics to gather opinions from the constituencies.

Burns said it would be wise to keep the questions as minimal as possible so more people are interested in filling out the survey. They also discussed using questions that could gather the thoughts of constituents on what outcome the committee should go in the direction of recommending.

The committee is expected to give one of the following recommendations to University President David Glassman and the Board of Trustees:

· The Committee may consider recommending retaining the name of Douglas Hall as originally chosen by the Board of Trustees in 19xx along with Lincoln Hall to commemorate the historic Coles County Lincoln-Douglas debate.

· The Committee may consider recommending retaining the name of Douglas Hall with specific caveats –such as, but not exclusive to—educational opportunities provided to EIU students and employees explaining the debate issues and ideological differences of Lincoln and Douglas and/or signage prominently posted in front of each of the Halls documenting the history of the Coles County debate and the naming of the Halls being specifically to commemorate the historical debate and its location in Coles County.

· The Committee may consider recommending renaming both halls to names that would commemorate the historic Coles County Lincoln-Douglas Debate (such as Debate Hall East and Debate Hall West, for example).

· Or, the Committee may consider recommending that Lincoln Hall can stand alone as commemorating the historic Coles County Lincoln-Douglas debate, and Douglas Hall should be renamed to commemorate an individual worthy of a naming honor, totally unrelated to the Coles County Lincoln-Douglas Debate. If the naming committee decides to make this recommendation, they have been asked to not at this time propose possible names.

Burns also recommended asking for name suggestions in the questionnaire in case the committee decides to recommend a name change and the Board of Trustees approves the change.

The committee is also planning to host forums to hear from constituents.

Wetstein and Davenport will discuss questions that will be best to lead the forum as well as the format of the forum.

Holly expressed interest in leading a forum with the Faculty Senate.

Campbell also discussed having a guest speaker, David Kent Coy, to speak to the committee on the Lincoln-Douglas debate, a topic he is well-versed in.

The next Naming Committee meeting will be Feb. 17.

Corryn Brock can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].