Glendale Community College trustees approve naming rights list

Glendale Community College trustees this week approved a list of three dozen campus facilities available for benefactors to donate thousands or even millions of dollars for them to carry their name.

The unanimous vote came during the board of trustees meeting Monday, three weeks after the new policy was formally introduced by Glendale College Foundation Executive Director Lisa Brooks. The fundraising push is being timed with the college’s 85th anniversary, to be celebrated during the 2012-13 academic year.

Even at its inception, officials expressed enthusiasm for the program’s potential to bring revenue to the cash-strapped campus.

“I do not want to constrain the process right now,” college trustee Tony Tartaglia said. “I want to have as many naming opportunities as possible.”

The new policy expands on existing language that already grants trustees the power to name facilities in recognition of a significant contribution, financial or otherwise, by designating dollar amounts to specific facilities and spaces on campus.

The newly approved list includes naming rights for the college’s satellite site, known as the Garfield Campus, for $3 million, the yet-to-be-built Lab College Services building for $2.5 million and the library for $1.5 million.

Mid-range opportunities include the physical sciences building for $500,000, the elevator clock tower and courtyard for $200,000, and the media arts lab for $100,000.

Classrooms and offices are listed for $10,000 and $7,500, respectively.

The new policy allows for some flexibility in the exact donation amounts, with all agreements remaining negotiable, President/Supt. Dawn Lindsay said.

“I think the foundation board has really discussed providing as many opportunities with very few limitations,” Lindsay said. “We need as much support as we can get from the community.”

Tartaglia suggested adding to the list outdoor spaces — such as patios and entryways — that donors might like to help maintain.

“I would also like to see this [expanded] beyond buildings,” Tartaglia said. “We have courtyards, we have [outdoor] areas, and the budget doesn’t look like it is going to recover for several years, and those areas are going to deteriorate.”

Foundation officials will not turn down any offers, as long as they are consistent with the college’s mission, Lindsay said.