UPPS 08.03.02 - Building Dedications, Groundbreakings, and Similar Events

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University will maintain guidelines for building dedications, groundbreakings, and similar events.

1. SCOPE

   1. The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures for ceremonies associated with the groundbreaking, opening, re-opening, or renaming of Texas State University buildings.

   2. Chapter III of The Texas State University System (TSUS) Rules and Regulations determines policies concerning naming a facility and which text to include on a plaque for that building.

2. DEFINITIONS

   The following terms are used to identify the various kinds of ceremonies, all of which are presidential events, associated with the groundbreaking, opening, or re-opening of facilities on Texas State campuses:

   1. Dedication – a special event held to celebrate the completion of a new facility. This ceremony may or may not include a ribbon-cutting.

   2. Groundbreaking – a special event held in conjunction with the beginning of construction of a major campus facility.

   3. Rededication – a special event held to celebrate the completion of a major facility renovation or expansion. Depending on the timing of the event, this ceremony may or may not include a ribbon-cutting.

   4. Renaming – a special event held to celebrate the assignment of a new name to an existing facility. While renaming ceremonies are normally held in association with a significant gift to the university, in rare situations, renaming ceremonies may be held in celebration of other special occasions (e.g., Centennial Hall). A renaming does not normally include a ribbon-cutting.

   5. Ribbon-Cutting – a special event held in association with the opening of a new or renovated facility (normally, in close proximity to the actual opening date of the facility for operations). A ribbon-cutting may be a part of a dedication or rededication ceremony, or it may be held as a stand-alone event in place of a dedication or rededication ceremony.

3. PROCEDURES

   1. Types of building ceremonies include:

      1. New buildings

         1. The ceremony celebrating the dedication of a new building may be a free-standing event or may be held in conjunction with a meeting of the TSUS Board of Regents on campus.

         2. The decision about whether a building dedication will be held in conjunction with a TSUS Board of Regents meeting on campus will be made by the president in consultation with the vice president for Finance and Support Services (VPFSS) in association with their discussion of the need to appoint a building dedication committee (see Section 03.02 a.).

      2. Renamed buildings and rededication of renovated or reconstructed buildings

         1. The university will normally not hold the dedication of a renamed building or rededication of a renovated or reconstructed building in conjunction with a TSUS Board of Regents meeting.

         2. While the university welcomes TSUS Board of Regents’ participation, this will likely involve only representatives of the local committee of the TSUS Board of Regents.

      3. New or renamed, renovated, or reconstructed building dedications that honor major donors may require special consideration for ceremony scheduling, involvement of the TSUS Board of Regents, and invitation list development.

   2. Formulation and Approval of Plans

      1. Upon approval of a contractor for a new building or immediately following the President’s Cabinet meeting recommending the renaming of a building, the VPFSS will call the president’s attention to the need to appoint an event steering committee. The VPFSS office will retain the procedure documents for appointment of the dedication committee.

      2. Every steering committee will include the VPFSS, or designee, the director of Special Projects, the director of Auxiliary Services, the associate vice president for Facilities, and other members as deemed appropriate by the VPFSS.

      3. The event steering committee will develop plans and a recommended budget for review by the President’s Cabinet and approval by the president. The VPFSS office will retain the guideline documents for formulation of plans.

      4. Every May, the VPFSS will contact the director of Special Projects to obtain an estimated budget for building celebrations anticipated in the following year for inclusion in the discretionary budget approved by the president.

   3. Follow-up and Evaluation

      1. Within one week following the dedication, the dedication committee chair will prepare appropriate letters of appreciation to all distinguished guests for the president’s signature.

      2. Within two weeks following the ceremony, the chair will call a meeting of the committee to evaluate procedures and policies. The committee will forward a final evaluation to the president as soon as possible but no later than six weeks following the building celebration.

4. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS

   1. Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

      Position	Date
      Vice President for Finance and Support Services	October 1 E6Y
      Director, Special Projects	October 1 E6Y

5. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

   This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents UPPS policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

   Vice President for Finance and Support Services; senior reviewer of this UPPS

   President