The honorary doctorate degree is the highest form of recognition offered by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (“SUNY Trustees”) to persons of exceptional distinction.
A. The Purposes of Honorary Degrees Awarded by the SUNY Trustees
- To recognize excellence in the fields of the degrees authorized at SUNY campuses as well as business, philanthropy, public affairs, and public service, which exemplify the mission and purposes of SUNY.
- To honor meritorious and outstanding service to a campus, SUNY as a whole, the United States, or to humanity at large.
- To recognize men and women whose lives and significant achievements serve as examples of a campus’s aspirations for its diverse student body.
- To elevate a campus and SUNY in the eyes of the world by honoring individuals who are widely known and highly regarded for achievements in their respective fields of endeavor.
B. The Nature of the Honorary Degree
- The SUNY Trustees shall award all honorary degrees in the name of the State University of New York. As authorized by law1 and in accordance with the Rules of the Board of Regents, the SUNY Trustees have selected to offer the following registered honorary degrees:
- Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.)
- Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D)
- Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
- Doctor of Letters (Litt.D)
- Doctor of Music (Mus.D.)
- Doctor of Science (Sc.D.)
2. The specific honorary degree awarded shall be appropriate to the nature of the achievement which is being recognized.
C. Criteria for Selection of Degree Recipients
- The basis for the selection of a degree recipient shall be consistent with the Purposes of Honorary Degrees stated above.
- The nominee must be distinguished, and the person’s achievements must be both relevant and appropriate to the nominating campus. Eligibility for nomination is restricted to persons of state, national, or international stature.
- The nominee should have a connection with the campus or SUNY as a whole. He/she may be an alumna/us. The nominee could have participated in campus programs, partnered in scholarly or creative activity with its faculty or students, or assisted the campus with programmatic development. Furthermore, the connection could be national or international prominence in a particular discipline in which the campus has a program. Alternatively, the candidate may have achieved national or international prominence in their field.
- Substantive service to the SUNY system or a particular campus is not sufficient justification for an honorary degree if the individual does not meet the other criteria for honorary degrees. Instead, a campus award is recommended.
D. Time, Place and Method of Awarding Degrees
- Honorary degrees shall be conferred at campus ceremonies authorized by the SUNY Trustees, including commencement exercises. The presentation of honorary degrees may also be permitted outside the normal procedures in unusual circumstances, such as to recognize visiting dignitaries and, in other special cases, as recommended to the SUNY Trustees by the Chancellor.
- Honorary degrees may be awarded in absentia, but only upon recommendation to the SUNY Trustees by the Chancellor in the case of extraordinary and compelling circumstances. In the event of an unexpected inability to appear at the scheduled time, the conferral may be postponed to the next appropriate ceremony, provided that the degree is conferred within one year after being authorized. A degree may be awarded posthumously if a recipient dies after notification of selection but before the ceremony.
- Honorary degrees shall be bestowed by the Chancellor, by the Chairman of the SUNY Trustees, or by a Trustee designated by the Chairman or, in their absence, on behalf of the SUNY Trustees by the Campus President if the ceremony is conducted on a campus. If no Trustee is available, and the Campus President desires a SUNY System Administration representative, the Campus President should contact the Chancellor.
- Campuses must use the existing System-wide format for the diploma and citation.
E. Number of Degrees to be Awarded
The SUNY Trustees shall determine the number of honorary degrees to be awarded in any academic year, not to exceed 75. Subject to this authority, the Chancellor may issue additional guidelines on numbers of degrees to be awarded.
F. Number of Nominations per Campus
Campuses should limit the number of nominations to those who would be certain to enhance the prestige of the campus and SUNY as a whole. In no case shall a campus submit more than five nominations, nor award more than four in any academic year.
G. Limitations on Eligibility
- Except under unique and unusual circumstances, honorary degrees shall not be awarded to:
- Members of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, the Councils at the State-operated campuses, the Board of Trustees of the State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and the Board of Trustees of the Community Colleges during their terms of service to the University.
- Members of the teaching or administrative staff, or any other employee in the SUNY system while employed by SUNY.
- Current holders of New York elective public office or active candidates for elective public office.
2. Since honorary degrees are conferred by the SUNY Trustees and not individual campuses, no one already holding an honorary degree from SUNY shall be eligible to receive a second honorary degree.
H. Procedures for Selection of Degree Recipients
All SUNY campuses, the University Faculty Senate, the Faculty Council of Community Colleges, and SUNY System Administration are eligible to submit honorary degree nominations.
Coordination of the selection and nomination process for honorary degree recipients is the responsibility of the campus President who shall empanel an advisory committee and review thoroughly that committee’s recommendations. Throughout the procedure, the utmost care should be taken to ensure confidentiality. To verify the qualifications of nominees, campus nominating committees should consult confidentially with appropriate academic departments for review of proposed candidates.
- Nominations for degree recipients shall be encouraged from any member of the campus community, including students, faculty, administrative staff, alumni and alumnae, members of Councils, Trustees, and friends of the campus.
- Nominations originating on a campus should be submitted to the Campus President. The nomination submission must [also] include a clear and convincing statement regarding the relevance and/or appropriateness of the nominee to the nominating campus, directly addressing each of the purposes and criteria for the honorary degree. Additional suggested elements of the nominating portfolio include a detailed curriculum vitae, reviews or articles about the nominee’s work, list of major awards, and any other resource material that supports the selection criteria in C above.
- Nominations from other sources within the SUNY community should be made directly to the Chancellor with the same documentation as above.
- Campus Presidents shall empanel either an advisory committee or a selection committee which includes representatives from faculty and staff, and which may also include representatives from other constituencies such as College Councils and the campus community, including Alumni and Foundation Board members. Small enough to ensure confidentiality, the committee shall have the responsibility of recommending nominees to the President. The Campus President shall review the campus committee’s recommendations, ensure that a rigorous review of the qualifications of nominees has been conducted, and be responsible for recommending nominees to the Chancellor. The Campus President shall make the final selection and forward the name(s) to the Chancellor for consideration.
- The Chancellor shall submit all nominations to the System-wide Committee on Honorary Degrees at a time determined by the Chancellor. If multiple campuses submit the same nominee, the Chancellor may designate the campus for which the award will be considered.
- The System-wide Committee on Honorary Degrees, chaired by the System Provost, will review the nominees to ensure that they meet the qualifications established by the SUNY Trustees. The Provost will forward a list to the Chancellor and the SUNY Trustees for final selection. The Committee shall consist of 15 persons: 10 eminent faculty members from across SUNY appointed by the Chancellor for three-year staggered terms, two senior administrators, two members of the SUNY Trustees and the Provost. The Committee shall follow these Guidelines in its deliberations and the Provost will submit the list of qualified nominees to the Chancellor. In those rare cases where the request to award the degree is submitted outside the established timetable for such submissions, the Honorary Degree Committee Chair will not reconvene the University-wide Committee for review, but will, instead, discuss the nomination with three or four Committee members and then inform the entire Committee of the recommendation.
- The Chancellor shall submit the list of qualified nominees, with appropriate recommendations, to the SUNY Trustees which shall make the final selection of degree recipients. In certain circumstances, the Chancellor may forward nominations or make recommendations on campus and other submitted candidates directly to the SUNY Trustees.
- The Chancellor shall notify Campus Presidents regarding the SUNY Trustees’ initial review of degree recipients (which may be done by consensus of the SUNY Trustees’ Academic Affairs Committee). Upon receipt of the SUNY Trustees’ approval to proceed, Campus Presidents shall issue invitations to nominees directly, on behalf of the Chancellor, the SUNY Trustees, and themselves. Copies of these invitations must be provided to the Provost.
- Nominees’ responses to Campus Presidents must then be forwarded to the Provost in a timely manner, so that resolutions for vote by the SUNY Trustees’ can be prepared for those who accept the invitation.
- The SUNY Trustees require that confidentiality be maintained throughout the procedure as a matter of professional courtesy to candidates.