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O-5: POSTHUMOUS CONFERRAL OF DEGREES

Policy:

On rare occasions, a student who has completed all or nearly all of the requirements for a degree meets an untimely death before the degree is conferred. In such cases, it may be appropriate for this student to be recognized for his/her work by means of conferring a degree posthumously.

Procedure:

With the support of the academic unit and the family of the student, a request is initiated by the student’s college dean/chancellor. Undergraduate students who are in good academic standing and in the judgment of the college dean/chancellor are within a semester of completing their studies (usually 18 credits or less) may be recommended for a posthumous degree. Other forms of recognition may be available for students who do not meet the requirements for the awarding of a posthumous degree. The college dean/chancellor will provide a recommendation along with a verification of the student’s academic standing and degree progress. Petitions shall be forwarded to the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education for review and recommendation, then to the President for approval.

Graduate students shall be in good academic standing and substantially complete with courses and the required culminating experience for the graduate degree, including thesis/dissertation if required, and as confirmed in the petition by the graduate program head and the student’s primary adviser. Graduate students who may not meet the requirements for the awarding of a posthumous degree may be recognized by other means. Petitions shall be forwarded to the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School for review and recommendation, then to the President for approval.

If approved, the President will notify the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education or the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School (whichever is appropriate). In the case of undergraduate degrees, the Dean for Undergraduate Education will notify the college dean/chancellor who will then inform the Registrar’s Office; in the case of graduate degrees, the Dean of the Graduate School will notify the Registrar’s Office. For doctoral students, the Registrar’s Office will obtain the appropriate diploma and forward it to the Dean of the Graduate School for presentation at commencement. The official commencement program will include the student’s name with the annotation that the degree was conferred posthumously. The student’s record will be similarly annotated.

Approved:  President Jordan (12-11-87)
Revised and Effective:  President Spanier (7-15-96)
Revised: ACUE (3-14-02)
Revised: Editorial (6-5-06)
Approved: ACUE (5-7-15)