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307-10-3 - Honorary Degrees Policy

Title:
 Honorary Degrees Policy
Owner: Office of the Provost
Last Update/Revision:  05/01/2024

 

Policy: United States University (USU) awards honorary degrees (Doctor of Humane Letters) to distinguished candidates who merit recognition. A candidate may be suggested by any USU constituent. Eligible candidates are nominated by the President or Provost to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of the Trustees who will present the full nomination to the Board for conferral.

Criteria/standards for eligible candidates:

  • Candidates reflect the scope of interests and activities of USU.

  • Candidates are notable, by outstanding contributions or leadership in the course of a career, in some field of scholarship, or in public service, literary, governmental, religious, financial, or other achievements that exemplify the ideals of USU.

  • Significant reason for recognition by USU in the form of an association or relationship with the University or a valued relationship between the individual's achievement and the mission of USU.

Purpose: United States University views the awarding of an honorary degree as an opportunity to recognize and honor individuals for genuine accomplishments in a field or activity in accordance with the mission of the University.

Procedure:

  1. Nominator completes Request for Honorary Degree Form and emails to the Provost or President.

  2. President or Provost reviews request and either:

    1. Responds the nominator stating the candidate will be nominated and sent forward to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees or will detail the reasons why the request is not moving forward.

    2. The Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees will review all nominations forwarded by the President/Provost, and if consensus is reached, it will move forward to the Board for conferral. The Board will make the final decision about degree conferral.

Scope: Policy is to clearly identify criteria and procedures needed to award an honorary degree.

Documents and Forms:

Request for Honorary Degree Form