Honorary Doctoral Degrees

Nominations may be submitted by faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, alums, Methodist leadership, and friends of the University.

Submission deadlines:

• January 15 — Candidates for May and summer commencements
• August 15 — Candidates for winter commencement

All nominations must be submitted to the Office of the President.

The review process ensures careful consideration and broad institutional input.

1. Presidential Review
   The President reviews nominations in consultation with an appropriate faculty group. Comments are added, and nominations are forwarded to the Trusteeship Committee of the Board of Trustees by:
   • February 10 for spring and summer commencement
   • September 10 for winter commencement
2. Trusteeship Committee Evaluation
   The Trusteeship Committee reviews submitted nominations, may introduce additional nominations, and evaluates the level of support for each candidate. The Committee then forwards recommendations to the full Board of Trustees.
3. Board of Trustees Approval
   The Board of Trustees votes on recommended candidates. A nominee must receive a two-thirds affirmative vote of trustees present for approval.

To preserve the focus on students receiving earned degrees, the University maintains the following guidelines:

• A maximum of three honorary degrees may be awarded in a single academic year.
• No more than two honorary degrees should be conferred at any single commencement ceremony.
• The University is not obligated to award honorary degrees each year.

The Trusteeship Committee recommends the appropriate honorary degree based on the recipient’s field of distinction.

When submitting a nomination, nominators are encouraged to suggest the most appropriate honorary degree designation for consideration during the review process.

Once approved by the Board of Trustees:

• The President contacts the selected candidates and coordinates arrangements for conferring the degree.
• Degrees are typically conferred within the same academic year in which they are approved, when possible.
• Honorary degrees are generally not awarded in absentia, though they may be conferred posthumously in special circumstances.
• The President or designee determines whether an honorary degree recipient will also serve as a commencement speaker.