Proposed Revisions to 322.1 - Honorary Degrees

Board policy:

            1.  An honorary doctoral degree may be awarded by a unit campus of the Montana University System if the unit campus has authority to award earned doctoral degrees.  The following procedures shall be observed.

            2.  Montana University System honorary doctoral degrees may be awarded by the Board of Regents on the basis of a recommendation from the Commissioner of Higher Education or the President of one of the units.

            3.  No other honorary degrees may be awarded by any unit campus of the Montana University System or any community college under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents of Higher Education.

Procedures:

            1.  No honorary degree shall be conferred by a unit campus of the Montana University System until it has been approved by the Board of Regents upon nomination of the president or chancellor of the unit campus.

            2.  In order to avoid any embarrassment no suggestion shall be made to any person to be so honored until the Board of Regents has acted.

            3.  No honorary degree shall be conferred upon any employee of the Montana University System except after that person's retirement or termination has been acted upon by the Board of Regents.

            4.  Recognized earned doctoral degrees shall not be awarded as honorary degrees.  In general, the recognized honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.), Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) and Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) should be used, although appropriately titled degrees could be used to recognize achievement in specific professions.

            5.   Units Campuses able to award honorary degrees shall develop written procedures.

            6.  If the Montana University System honorary degree award is made on the initiative of the Commissioner of Higher Education, it will be announced and the citation read during commencement ceremonies at all units campuses, and the Regents will designate the unit campus where the formal presentation will take place.  If the award is made on the basis of a recommendation from the Ppresident or chancellor of a unit campus, then the formal presentation will take place at that unit campus and the degree will be announced and the citation read at that unit campus only, unless other units campuses wish to participate.

            7.  The following criteria will be used in evaluating candidates for a Montana University System honorary degree:

                      a.  the candidate should have had an association with the State of Montana.  This association may be by virtue of birth, of residence, of education, of service to the state or to the Montana University System or one of the unitscampuses of the System.

                      b.  the candidate must have achieved a level of distinction which would merit comparable recognition in his or her profession or area of excellence.

                      c.  the renown of the candidate should reflect favorably on the Montana University System and the State of Montana.

 

History:

             State Board of Higher Education Minutes, September 10, 1934 and April 10, 1950 (Rescinded); Item 26-014-R0380, Honorary degrees, Montana University System, March 10, 1980, as revised April 13, 1981, July 31, 1981 and October 28, 1983.

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