MONTANA BOARD OF REGENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Policy and Procedures Manual
SUBJECT:
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Policy 322.1 - Honorary Degree
Effective January
20, 2005; Issued February 1, 2005
Board
Policy:
1.
An honorary doctoral degree may be awarded by any campus of the Montana
University System if the campus has authority to award earned baccalaureate
degrees.
2.
The honorary doctoral degree will be awarded by the Board of Regents on
the basis of a recommendation from:
a.
the Commissioner of Higher Education;
b.
the President of The University of Montana-Missoula or Montana State University-Bozeman; and
c.
the Chancellor of one of the other four baccalaureate-granting
institutions, when the degree originates from that campus.
3.
No other campus of the Montana University System, or any community
college under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents of Higher Education, has
the authority to award honorary degrees.
Procedures:
1.
An honorary degree shall be conferred by a campus of the Montana
University System only after it has been approved by the Board of Regents upon
recommendation of the Commissioner, one of the Presidents, and the appropriate
Chancellor.
2.
In order to avoid any embarrassment, no suggestion shall be made to any
person nominated for an honorary degree until the Board of Regents has taken
action to approve the degree.
3.
No honorary degree shall be conferred upon a current employee of the
Montana University System.
4.
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.) will be used to designate the degree, although appropriately
titled degrees may be used to recognize achievement in specific professions.
5.
Campuses planning to award honorary degrees shall develop written
procedures which must be approved by the appropriate President.
6.
If the Montana University System awards an honorary degree on behalf of
the System and at the initiative of the Commissioner of Higher Education, the
degree will be announced and the citation read during commencement ceremonies on
all campuses, and the Regents will designate the campus where the formal
presentation will take place. If
the award is made on the basis of a recommendation from one of the presidents,
or a chancellor of a campus, then the formal presentation will take place on the
campus awarding the degree and the degree will be announced and the citation
read at that campus only.
7.
Each of the following criteria will be used in evaluating candidates for
a Montana University System honorary degree:
a.
the candidate should have an association with the State of Montana.
This association may be by virtue of birth, of residence, of education,
of service to the state, the Montana University System or one of the campuses 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: