Criteria for Naming the Center for International and Public Affairs

Published

We are seeking names of highly accomplished individuals with direct links to the Trojan Community (with a preference for non-living alumni, faculty, staff, or community members). We are looking for individuals who have had some combination of the following:

  • a significant influence on advancing the university mission for excellence and societal impact;
  • a legacy of leadership exemplifying USC’s vision to be diverse, inclusive, and welcoming to all;
  • a direct link to international relations, social science, education, and/or research, all of which take place in this prominently placed building.

As the committee reviews name, we will be guided by principles developed by the Provost Taskforce on University Nomenclature that met during the 2019-20 academic year.

Guiding Principles:

  1. Institutional Responsibility: USC should consider the impact on all members of the university and the wider community of the names attached to prominent university buildings, monuments, and programs.
  2. Pedagogy: Naming decisions present opportunities to celebrate the best of the university’s past and to reflect on its shortcomings, activities that are central for an institution committed to the evolution of all knowledge.
  3. Perspective: Research of the highest quality is fundamental to USC’s mission. Our shared built environment can be an important stimulus for “university wide discussions of our current values and those new values we need to embrace” (2018 Strategic Plan).
  4. Respect and Inclusivity: USC aspires to nurture a pluralistic, welcoming environment that is based on mutual respect and tolerance and that rejects denigration of any person or group. Naming choices should reflect the diversity of the university and the broader world, and should result from a process that the community regards as fair and that promotes equality.
  5. Commitment: Naming decisions reflect a decision by the university to bestow an honor, which should reflect a commitment to USC’s stated values. Before bestowing such an honor, due diligence requires that the university engage in substantial research on the person to be honored.