The recent changes in the building names are an issue that has made a lot of noise in Virginia over the last several years. I know last year, Virginia Tech and James Madison University had the same issue where buildings were named after former slave owners, confederate generals, or segregationists. The students on those campuses also spoke out and asked for the names to be changed. Additionally, in Northern Virginia, several schools in the county have had their names changed including Jeb Stuart High School which was changed to Justice High School.
When comparing the situation between UR and the other state universities there is one alarming difference between them. The buildings that were problematic at JMU and VT were dorms or administrative buildings, not academic buildings. Ryland Hall is an academic building and by leaving the name to represent a former slave owner you are intrinsically accepting that the principles that Ryland lived under are something that should be tolerated by the following generations. Additionally, the board of visitors for both universities voted unanimously for the removal of the previous names. The fact that there is so much administrative support from the Board of Trustees is alarming and concerning. It not only hurts the reputation of the school but decreases the pride of the students that attend the university.
Overall, this decision could be just a consideration of monetary gain. The Board wants to support its donors and alumni more than students and future students. This entire discussion brings into question if the Board really has any pride. It seems as if money is everything to them.
https://wset.com/news/local/jmu-to-change-3-buildings-named-after-confederate-soldiers
https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2020/08/bov-buildings-resolutions.html
I agree with you that I think a large part of this decision was financially based, and I wonder if maybe change could be made if a large portion of the alumni refuse to donate any more money until the University changes the names to ones that do not work to honor racist individuals. Additionally, I wonder if there is any way for students to challenge the school financially in a way that will push them to change the names.
Money controls most things in our world. One of the Board of Trustees main roles is to ensure the University’s financial health. While I disagree with what they are doing with regards to the building names, it is not at all surprising.
I think it’s also concerning that the Board of Trustees must see these things happening at other schools, and still feels no push to change the names of the buildings. It shows the cultural gap between UR’s biggest donors and those of other school. It also reveals a lack of empathy for a group of students that feels harmed by these measures.