University Policies: Academic Affairs | University of Montana-Missoula

University Policies

Policy Number: 102

Policy: Awarding Honorary Degrees

Date Adopted: 04/93

Revision Date: 07/03

References: MUS 322.1

Approved By: George M. Dennison, President

The University of Montana-Missoula honors distinguished persons with the appropriate Honorary Degrees after careful review and approval by the faculty, administration, and Board of Regents of the Montana University System. Employees, alumni, students, and friends of The University of Montana may nominate individuals qualified for Honorary Degrees.

  • Candidates usually will have a connection to Montana by birth, residence, education, or service. Those nominees lacking a direct connection but whose extraordinary accomplishments have either benefited Montanans directly, or whose stature will serve as an outstanding role model to young people, require special justification.
  • Current employees of the Montana University System cannot qualify.
  • To protect the privacy of nominees, all involved must maintain complete confidentiality at every step of the nomination and approval process. The President will contact the successful nominees after the Board of Regents has approved their nominations.

PROCEDURES

Those wishing to do so should submit letters of nomination to the President, Provost, or appropriate Dean, including a résumé or listing of the candidate’s major accomplishments and at least three letters of support documenting the candidate’s contributions. If submitted to the President or Dean(s), those receiving the nominations will forward them to the Provost.

  • The Provost forwards completed nominations through the Dean to the faculty of the appropriate Department or School for review and recommendation.
  • The Dean and the faculty will contact members of the broader professional community, when necessary, to secure counsel concerning the nominees.
  • The Dean returns the nominations with recommendations and the responses of the faculty to the Provost, who recommends to the President.
  • The President submits the nominations to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, which after appropriate review submits the nominations to the Faculty Senate for consideration.
  • After Senate consideration and action, the President submits the nominations of approved candidates to the Board of Regents for final consideration.
  • The President contacts all approved candidates following action by the Board of Regents.
  • The President will coordinate all communication with the candidates at the appropriate time.

TIME FRAME AND DEGREE

The nomination process begins in September annually to allow sufficient time for the various reviews and timely contact of approved candidates. September-November: Nominations received and reviewed by the Provost. November-January: Nominations reviewed and approved by faculty and Deans, with recommendations to the President from the Provost. February: Nominations reviewed and approved by ECOS and the Faculty Senate. March: Nominations approved by the Board of Regents.

March: Invitations extended by the President. The President, Provost, and Registrar will decide the appropriate Honorary Degrees to confer prior to Faculty Senate consideration.

No Applicable Procedure