Regents could rename law school

Randy Metcalf Arizona Daily Wildcat Jerry Hogle, chair of the Committee on the Naming of Buildings, stands in front of the Forbes Building. The committee follows a policy set by the Arizona Board of Regents when deciding how and when to name structures after people.

But as the Arizona Board of Regents consider a new name for the University of Arizona College of Law, it appears the great English bard's words could apply to the UA as well.

At their November meeting at Arizona State University regents will consider altering the law school's name to the James E. Rogers College of Law - a move that would drop Rogers' name from the UA Law Center, and apply it to the college instead.

Rogers, who owns Las Vegas-based Sunbelt Communications, is a UA law alumnus who has donated about $50 million to the school.

"They discussed the idea of dropping the name from the building and reapplying it to the college," said Terence Burke, associate to UA President Peter Likins.

The UA facilities naming committee in September voted unanimously to approve the name change, but the regents must approve the idea during their November meeting at Arizona State University.

"It is the largest gift ever donated to any American law school," Burke said, adding Rogers' contribution made it possible to develop a master's program in international trade law.

"It has emerged to be one of the nation's leading master's program," Burke said.

In addition, Rogers, who earned UA master's degrees in business and law, gave the university free reign on how to spend the money.

"The faculty of the college will decide what to do with the money," said Jerry Hogle, chair of the Committee on the Naming of Buildings and chair of the faculty. "He's not dictating."

Donations for posterity

The idea of naming buildings after large donors is nothing new, as more than a dozen of the 138 main campus buildings have been named after contributors.

"It's done to honor the individual and the university for being associated with the individual," Burke said, adding the university uses building names to convey the importance of the contributor.

"If we only put up plaques (to honor donors), we wouldn't be able to see any of the buildings - only plaques," Burke said.

Naming policy

The UA naming committee follows a policy set by the Arizona Board of Regents, which mandates an individual donate at least 50 percent of renovation costs or at least 15 percent of construction costs for a new building.

Even then, however, contributors are not guaranteed a building in their honor.

"There's no policy that says if you make a donation the building will be named after you," Burke said. "The university controls the names, not the donators."

Contributors who do not meet the percentage requirements may find their name on a door of a room in the building to which they donated money.

"There's a number of operating units named after people," Burke said, speaking of places such as the Leon Levy Cancer Center and the Saover Heart Center.

And the naming committee itself tries to represent the UA community with members from the Associated Students, alumni and faculty.

"It's important to give the constituencies a voice as to whether this should be done," Hogle said.

Once proposals are sent to the naming committee and approved, it is sent to the board of regents, with a request for approval - just like the proposed law school name change.

"We don't just do these things at the drop of a hat," Hogle said.

Stephanie Corns can be reached via e-mail at Stephanie.Corns@wildcat.arizona.edu.