Boston Honorary Degree Nomination Procedures

The process for selecting honorary degree recipients begins in the spring semester of each academic year for degrees to be conferred at the June commencement of the following academic year.

The Office of the Chancellor will issue a memorandum to the campus community outlining the process and timetable for making honorary degree nominations. The announcement will include the following profile of qualifications of acceptable nominees:

Candidates for honorary degrees will be persons of great accomplishment and high ethical standards who exemplify the ideals of the University of Massachusetts Boston. Factors to be considered in awarding degrees include:

1. National or international intellectual, artistic, cultural, or public service in a particular field.
2. Outstanding achievement that the university wishes to acknowledge.
3. Outstanding contributions to the university and/or the Commonwealth.

The Provost will appoint a Provost’s Committee on Honorary Degrees, which will receive nominations from the faculty, staff, students, student government organizations, and the UMass Alumni Association. The committee will submit its recommendations to the provost who, after seeking advice from the Faculty Council, will make recommendations to the chancellor. The chancellor, after discussions with the Executive Staff, will make honorary degree recommendations to the president and the Board of Trustees in time for Board action in November of that academic year.

Nominations will be accompanied by biographical information and the reason(s) why the honor should be bestowed.

Strict confidentiality will be maintained at all stages of the process.

Campus procedures will comply with the University of Massachusetts Trustee Policy for awarding honorary degrees Doc. T93-060, as amended February 17, 2005. The Trustee Policy is attached.

Revised: 8/3/2007