3356-10-05. Honorary degrees and commencement speakers

(A) Policy statement. The board of trustees shall review and authorize the list from which commencement speakers and honorary degree candidates will be recommended by the academic events committee of the academic senate to the president. The board of trustees shall grant honorary degrees in recognition of a significant impact on the university, on the community, state or nation, or on society. Such degrees will be conferred at commencements, special convocations, and other events.

(B) Procedures for selecting and approving candidates.

(1) Criteria for nomination of commencement speakers and honorary degree candidates are determined by the provost/vice president for academic affairs, subject to board of trustees' approval.

(2) Faculty, staff, board of trustees members and/or anyone associated with the university may submit nominations for commencement speakers and/or honorary degree candidates to the academic events committee of the academic senate or directly to the provost/vice president for academic affairs.

(3) Per the academic senate bylaws, the academic events committee of the academic senate "shall be responsible for making recommendations concerning policy governing academic events such as graduation ceremonies, honors convocations, inaugural ceremonies, and recommend candidates for honorary degrees and commencement speakers to the university's president."

(4) The academic events committee will review the credentials of all the candidates recommended and will submit a list of no less than fifteen and no more than twenty candidates for approval by the board of trustees during its regular June meeting. The list may be amended and reapproved by the board at any time throughout the year.

(C) Selection of the commencement speaker.

(1) The provost, in consultation with the president, shall select a commencement speaker from the board-approved list.

(2) The president will inform the board of the selection of the commencement speaker no later than the board meeting preceding the commencement ceremony.

(D) Selection of the honorary degree recipient.

(1) Only the board of trustees is authorized to approve the awarding of an honorary degree.

(2) The provost, in consultation with the president, shall recommend candidates for an honorary degree from the approved list for recognition at an appropriate event.

(3) The board shall approve the awarding of the degree no later than the board meeting preceding the event at which the honorary degree is to be conferred.

Effective: 12/31/2020
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 3356
Rule Amplifies: 3356
Prior Effective Dates: 08/15/1998, 06/16/2003, 08/21/2010, 02/06/2012, 01/17/2016