In renaming Northeast Hall to Munday Hall, the Board of Regents took a significant step in the history of WKU by naming its first building on campus to be named after an African American during their third quarterly meeting Friday.

The idea for the renaming of Northeast to Munday Hall came from the recommendations put forward by the Symbols and Naming Task Force last month.

“Being a native of Bowling Green,” Regent George Nichols III said. “I didn’t know there was nothing here named after an African American, yet I don’t know what it would have been. For us to take this action at this point in time, it is long overdue, but I do commend the work and the recommendation of the president.”

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Margaret Munday was the first African American student at WKU. She studied music and graduated in 1960. She then went on to teach at every school in Logan County.

“I’m really excited that we’ve honored Ms. Munday,” Timothy Caboni, WKU president said. “Her contribution to this campus was remarkable. She was a trailblazer. It was not easy for her, but she persisted through challenges for years not just academically, but also socially, and got her degree.”

With the renaming of Northeast, questions are being raised about the possibility of renaming Southwest.

“I think that as we continue our work to develop names and symbols on campus that represent who we are and who we aspire to be,” Caboni said. Southwest is actually one of those places. I think the conversation on campus will continue, and we look forward to finding other ways in which we demonstrate that we’re a diverse and inclusive community.”

Naming and Academic Decisions

Two other name decisions the regents approved today included the ROTC Cadet lounge in Diddle Arena being named after lieutenant Eric D. Yates, and the naming of the Ted Hornback W-Room in Diddle Arena.

While discussing academic affairs, the regents approved three new undergraduate certificates in floristry, athletic coaching, and spanish language, and a new degree in legal studies.

Name, Image, Likeness

As of July 1, student athletes at WKU are able to monetize off their name, image and likeness, meaning they are able to work with brands and businesses to “monetize or promote themselves,” Todd Stewart, director of athletics, said.

While the student athletes are able to grow their own personal brand, they are unable to use any WKU markings.

“They can’t use any of that for their transactional activity towards their promotional activity, all the way down to our university colors,” Olivia Higgins, associate athletic director of marketing, sales and ticket promotion, said. “It has to be promoting their name, image and their likeness, nothing that involves our institutional marks or branding.”

The student-athletes are using an application called Influencer Plus which allows students to connect with brands, provides them with the estimated money they should make, and a storyteller playbook, which provides educational resources.

“Influencers partnered with a company called navigate; they’re one of the leaders in this industry,” Zach Greenwell, senior associate director of communications, brand strategy and men’s basketball, said. “Essentially they provide every student athlete with a fair market value of what they could expect to make on a social media post a one time post or annually.”

A day earlier, during the Board of Regents retreat, members were updated on other parts of the university.

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Corinne Murphy, dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Science classes, gave a presentation about the strategy for improving retention, recruitment and enrollment for the CEBS.

The college decreased by 18% in enrollments from fall 2015 until fall 2019, according to the 2020 fact book.

“One particular goal that we have from our strategic plan, which is WKU educator preparation programs, will serve as the national model for enrollment across the lifespan,” Murphy said. “We have looked at the curriculum within our programs, and we started to build a pre-program in high schools under our programming, and a graduate program that actually builds on each other.“

Murphy said their goal is for 80% retention rate the year, and last year, they were at 72% retention rate.

CEBS is aiming for better internal communications through social media, and other ways of contacting students, Murphy said.

“We actually have a bi-monthly newsletter that goes out,“ Murphy said. “It puts all the college accomplishments on there, it has the faculty accomplishments, it has some student profiles.”

Digital News Editor Debra Murray can be reached at debra.murray940@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @debramurrayy