Honorary Degrees: (CONFIDENTIAL)
The Honorary Degrees Committee recommends nominees for Honorary Degrees to the Faculty Senate. The membership of the committee shall not be announced publicly. Communications to it shall be made through the Secretary of the Faculty Senate.
The Secretary of the Faculty Senate on behalf of the Committee shall seek nominations from all segments of the University - students, faculty, administration, trustees, and alumni. The Secretary shall do this, formally and annually, by written communication to the members or elected offices of each segment and, if possible, by public announcement in appropriate places. All nominations made to the Committee shall be seriously considered if accompanied by sufficient supporting data. The identity of nominators shall not normally be conveyed to the members of the Committee.
The Committee shall not rely merely on recommendations made to it but shall seek energetically on its own to find names of persons deserving honor from the University. The Committee shall be guided in its decisions by the Statement of Policy adopted by the Faculty Senate.
The Affirmative votes of six members are required for the nomination of Honorary Degrees to be submitted to the Senate.
The Committee shall normally submit its nominees, by secret written ballot, to the Senate not later than the February meeting of the Senate. The Senate nominates by secret ballot and by a three-fourths majority of the votes cast. The Secretary of the Faculty Senate shall forward the names of the Senate's nominees to the President of the University.
When a nominee has been elected by the Trustees, his or her degree will be conferred at a regular commencement or at a time mutually agreeable to the President and the recipient. No degrees, however, will be granted in absentia.
When an elected candidate has accepted the offer of a degree, the Committee shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, a citation which, when approved by the Committee, the Provost, and the President, shall be read at the appropriate Commencement or Convocation by a member of the faculty appointed by the Committee.
Members of the Honorary Degree Committee are confidential.