LSU has announced the members of a committee that will evaluate the names on campus buildings.
In June, the name of Troy Middleton was removed from the campus library, because of his role and efforts to maintain segregation at LSU.
In a letter to students, faculty and staff, the interim president listed the committee's members, and explained the purpose of the committee.
Here's the letter:
As part of our ongoing work to cultivate a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse campus community that is welcoming to all, it is my honor to announce the 16 members who will comprise the Building Name Evaluation Committee. The LSU faculty, staff, students, and alumni serving on the committee are:
- Verge Ausberry (staff) — LSU Athletics Executive Deputy AD/Executive Director of External Relations
- DeMetris Causer (student) — Black Law Students Association Member
- Stone Cox (student) — LSU Student Government President, Board of Supervisors Member
- Jason Droddy (staff) — Associate Vice President for the LSU Board of Supervisors
- Katrina Dunn (alumna) — LSU National Diversity Advisory Board, President of the A.P. Tureaud Sr. Black Alumni Chapter, Practice Administrator, Co-owner, Auburn Urogynecology and Women’s Health
- Theresa Gallion (alumna) — LSU Foundation National Board member, TAF Board of Directors, Partner at Cornell Smith Mierl Brutocao Burton, LLP
- Tina M. Harris (faculty) — Douglas L. Manship Sr.-Dori Maynard Endowed Chair of Race, Media, and Cultural Literacy in the Manship School of Mass Communication
- Tyler Hunt (student) — Black Women’s Empowerment Initiative Scholar
- Dawn Jenkins (staff) — College of Science Director of Communications
- Trey Jones (staff, ex-officio member) — Deputy General Counsel
- Jonathan Levesque (staff) — IT Manager and Building Coordinator, President of LSU Staff Senate
- Mandi Lopez (faculty) — Director Laboratory for Equine and Comparative Orthopedic Research, LSU Faculty Senate President
- Theda Daniels-Race (faculty) — Michel B. Voorhies Distinguished Professor
- Dereck Rovaris (staff) — Vice Provost for Diversity
- James Stoner (professor) — Hermann Moyse, Jr. Professor of Political Science
- Devin Woodson (student) — Black Male Leadership Initiative Co-Chair
LSU is committed to eliminating building and place names that are a reminder of a racist and segregated past and that inhibit our students’ learning and full inclusion on campus. To that end, the Board instructed me as interim president to put together a committee to consider building names on campus.
Going forward, the members of this important committee will review and study building names on our campus to determine if they are symbols of or monuments to racism. The committee will consider existing names as they see fit and as suggested. Any committee recommendation to remove a building name will first be evaluated by the existing Naming Committee, followed by Executive Vice President and Provost Stacia Haynie, myself, the Board Academics Committee, and finally the LSU Board of Supervisors.
This committee is just one part of our broader effort to eliminate racism on our campus and create a living and learning environment that not only embraces individual difference but thrives because of it. At our Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity Leadership Retreat on July 1, nine committees were created to bring the action items outlined in our Diversity & Inclusion Roadmap 2020-2022 [lsu.edu] to fruition in a timely manner. The committees recently submitted their reports to be included in the final roadmap document, they have already met with Executive Vice President and Provost Stacia Haynie, and I will meet with them in September. Their work will continue throughout the academic year.
While we have made significant progress in recent years and months on our work, we recognize that we are in the early stages of a long journey that will be measured by our actions. I thank the members of our newly-formed LSU Building Name Evaluation Committee for their service, as well as those on the nine Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity Leadership Retreat committees. Together, we will make real and lasting changes that will strengthen our LSU Family, and I look forward to updating you on our progress as we achieve additional milestones.
Sincerely,
Thomas C. Galligan, Jr.LSU Interim President and Professor of Law
