King’s officially announces Namesake Review Committee

As a part of the review process of all 10 house namesakes, the Namesake Review Committee had their first meeting on October 8. I I Graphic by The King’s College

King’s officially announced the formation of their Namesake Review Committee on October 17. 

Appointed by President Tim Gibson, the NRC is comprised of staff, faculty, the Student Body President and alumni. 

The committee’s first meeting took place on October 8. 

According to the college’s response to former President Reagan’s racist comments, the review process was proposed Spring 2019 during the discussion of the college’s Theological Commitment to Diversity, prior to the audio surfacing of Reagan’s racist comments.

Published in the college’s statement announcing the committee’s formation, NRC members include: Student Body President Koby Jackson, Dr. David Talcott, Dr. Kimberly Reeve, Dr. David Tubbs, Dr. Anthony Bradley, Leticia Mosqueda, Tyler Cochran (’17), Jonathan Sheaffer (’12) and Rebecca Au-Mullaney (’15). 

Dean David Leedy is the chair of the NRC, and will be the deciding vote if there is a tie.

“Since the House System encompasses the entire student body, the historical leaders who give the ten Houses their names play a role in shaping students’ perceptions of what kind of character they ought to cultivate and what kind of life they should pursue,” Leedy said in the college’s statement, released Thursday. “It’s worth our time to periodically examine how these namesakes contribute to the King’s mission and students’ formation.”

According to the college’s statement, the President also assembled a non-voting advisory panel, which includes the Founding President of the House of Ronald Reagan Kurtis Cochran (‘07) and President of the Alumni Association Executive Committee, Sarah Keenan (‘12). 

Members of this panel can contribute ideas and discuss with the NRC, but will not vote in the official NRC proceedings.

According to Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Development, Eric Bennett, who read the college’s official stance, the NRC will not make the final decision on namesakes. They will instead submit their recommendation to the President’s Cabinet.

“We are an educational community. This is how educational communities specifically make decisions. We want to engage with all members, not just the current members of Houses,” Bennett said. 

In the midst of controversy, President Gibson said that the mission of the college has not changed, and that the review process was not a result of student-led activism.

According to the college’s statement, the President chose each committee member based on “their fair-mindedness, discernment, care for students, and commitment to the distinctives of the College.” 

Student Body President Koby Jackson wrote in an email to EST that the committee will meet every other week for an hour until the early part of next semester.

“We had a great initial discussion and hearing everyone speaking thoughtfully on the subject at hand made me very confident in our team's ability to handle the tasks of the committee,” Jackson wrote. 

Committee member Dr. David Tubbs thought the NRC’s first meeting was productive. 

“I am delighted to be working with everyone who has agreed to serve on this committee, and in my judgment, President Gibson has done an excellent job in putting the committee together,” said Tubbs in an email to EST.

According to Senior Editor of Marketing and Communications, Rebecca Au-Mullaney, in addition to the scheduled meetings, Au-Mullaney wrote that committee members plan on reading further about the personal histories and legacies of the college’s namesakes.

“I expect that our conversations over the next several months will challenge any initial ideas we bring to the table, and we would rather speak with a unified voice come spring, when we present our recommendations to the President's Cabinet,” Au-Mullaney wrote in an email to EST. 

EST reached out individually to each member of the committee. However, according to Au-Mullaney, all individuals on the NRC have agreed not to publicly share their opinions about the house namesakes.