Board Policies
Chapter 3 - Educational Policies
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3.18 Honorary Degrees
Honorary degrees offered by colleges and universities shall be guided by the
following policies.
Part 1. General Provisions.
Subpart A. The Board of Trustees grants to each college
and university the authority to award honorary degrees. The decision to use
such authority shall be determined by the college or university President.
Subpart B. A college or university choosing to award an
honorary degree shall establish its own internal process for determining honorary
degree recipients. This process is to include appropriate consultation. That
process must involve faculty and other members of the college or university
community. Any campus committee formed as a part of the honorary degree process
should contain a majority of faculty members.
Part 2. Honorary Degrees.
Subpart A. Colleges may select from the following categories
of honorary degrees based upon the intended recipient's field(s) of contributions,
achievement, service, and distinction:
- Associate of Arts
- Associate of Science
- Associate of Applied Science
Subpart B. Universities may select from the following categories
of honorary degrees based upon the intended recipient's field(s) of contribution,
achievement, service, and distinction:
- Doctor of Fine Arts
- Doctor of Humane Letters
- Doctor of Laws
- Doctor of Literature
- Doctor of Music
- Doctor of Pedagogy
- Doctor of Science
Part 3. Rationale.
Subpart A. To recognize and honor exceptional men and women
who have given a substantial part of their lives to serving others and who
have distinguished themselves through their professional careers and/or volunteer
service;
Subpart B. To establish a public association between Minnesota
State Colleges and Universities and such exceptional men and women, thereby
providing testimony to the values and quality of the state colleges and universities;
Subpart C. To assist the state colleges and universities
with the goals and objectives of their educational programming, their service
missions, and their institutional advancement objectives.
Part 4. Guidelines for Selection.
Following are commonly used criteria for selecting honorary degree recipients
at colleges and universities. They are intended as guidelines:
Subpart A. Eminent contribution to the college or university,
the system, the community, the State of Minnesota, or society;
Subpart B. Eminent achievement in a particular field of
endeavor;
Subpart C. Personal status that will enhance the reputation
of the college or university (or the system) and serve as an example to its
students and its alumni;
Subpart D. Potential for contribution to the goals or welfare
of the college or university;
Subpart E. While recipients may be alumni, former employees,
former Board of Trustees members, or public officials, they may not be (at
the time of the award) current employees, incumbent members of the Board of
Trustees, or incumbent officials of federal, state or local government.
Part 5. Presentation of Honorary Degrees.
Honorary degrees normally will be given during commencement exercises, and
the recipient should agree to be present as a condition of receiving the award.
On occasion, honorary degrees may be awarded at convocations or presidential
inaugurations.
Part 6. Limitations on the Number of Honorary Degrees.
It is expected that colleges and universities granting honorary degrees would
limit their usage to no more than two per academic year.
| Date of Implementation: |
10/16/96, |
| Date of Adoption: |
10/16/96, |
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Date & Subject of Revisions:
There is no additional HISTORY for 3.18 at this time.
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