| Definition: | This policy serves to apply the CSU Board of Trustees policy on Honorary Degrees to the Cal State San Marcos campus. |
| Authority: | Guidelines for Awarding of Honorary Degrees, the California State University |
| Scope: | This set of policy and procedures covers all nominations for honorary degrees emanating from Cal State San Marcos. |
| Responsible Division: | Academic Affairs |
| Approval Date: | 01/24/1996 |
| Originally Implemented: | 01/24/1996 |
| Related Documents and Forms: | Document 1 |
I. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN MARCOS POLICY
A. Honorary Degrees shall be awarded by The California State University, but only
at the doctoral level.
B. All honorary degrees shall be conferred by the Board of Trustees of The California
State University, in the name of The California State University or in the names of
The California State University and the campus.
C. The number of honorary degrees to be awarded in any academic year is determined
by The Board of Trustee. Generally, the Board will consider no more than two recommendations
from each campus in an academic year.
D. The following categories of honorary degrees are recognized for conferral by the
Board of Trustees:
Other categories may be proposed to the Board for consideration; however, the Board will not authorize degree designations which normally are identified as earned doctorates.
II. PURPOSE FOR WHICH HONORARY DEGREE MAY BE CONFERRED
A. To recognize excellence and extraordinary achievement in significant areas of human endeavor, within which are embodied the objectives and ideals of The California State University and of The California State University San Marcos.
B. To honor meritorious and outstanding University, collectively, or to The California
State University San Marcos, individually; to the State of California; to the United
States; or to humanity at large.
C. To recognize men and women whose lives and significant achievements should serve
as examples of The California State University´s and The California State University
San Marcos´ aspirations for its diverse student body.
III. CRITERIA FOR THE AWARDING OF HONORARY DEGREES
A. Honorary degrees may be awarded to recognize achievements in all parts of the world.
Honorary degrees awarded should represent an appropriate balance between local and
non-local, and academic and non-academic recipients, and should represent a wide diversity
of field of endeavor.
B. Nominees for honorary degrees must be distinguished in their respective fields,
and the eminence of persons nominated must be widely recognized. Nominees must have
demonstrated intellectual and humane values that are consistent with the aims of higher
education; with the highest ideals of the person´s chosen fields, and with the goals
and aspirations of California State University San Marcos as specifically set forth
in its Mission Statement.
C. Service or benefaction to The California State University San Marcos do not in
themselves justify the awarding of honorary degrees. However, nothing in these criteria
shall preclude nominees who are benefactors of The California State University.
IV. LIMITATIONS ON ELIGIBILITY
Honorary degrees shall not be awarded to:
A. Incumbent members of the Board of Trustees of The California State University
B The incumbent Chancellor of The California State University
C. Incumbent campus Presidents of The California State University
D. A person who already has been awarded an honorary degree by The California State
University
E. All incumbent elected officials
V. PROCEDURES FOR SELECTING HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS
In all steps of these procedures, utmost care is to be taken to ensure confidentiality.
A. Recommendations of persons to receive honorary degrees may originate from any member
of the CSUSM community, including the President, faculty, students, administrative
staff, alumni, campus Advisory Board Honorary Degree Guidelines members and other
friends of CSUSM. Such recommendations may include the category of honorary degrees
believed appropriate.
B. Recommendations shall be submitted through the CSUSM President. The submission
shall note whether the degree is to be conferred only in the name of The California
State University or in the names of The California State University and The California
State University, San Marcos.
C. The President, after consultation with the Academic Senate, shall establish a
committee, including faculty representation, to review recommendations and to assist
in the development and compilation of materials in support of nominations to be forwarded.
Following appropriate consultation with this committee, the President shall select
no more then two nominations to be forwarded to the Chancellor in any given academic
year. It is important that the nomination materials document solid compelling arguments
for the award of the honorary degree. A curriculum vitae or comparably complete biographical
information on each nominee should be included.
[The chancellor forwards the nominations to a subcommittee on Honorary Degrees of the Committee on Educational Policy. The subcommittee reviews all nominations and forwards them to the full Committee on Educational Policy with a notation of "recommended" or "not recommended". The full committee on Educational Policy either recommends or does not recommend the nominations and forwards them to the Board of Trustees who shall make the final determination and award the degree in the category it considers most appropriate.]
VI. CONFERRAL OF DEGREES
A. Honorary degrees may be conferred during any California State University or California
State University, San Marcos function which the board of Trustees considers appropriate.
B. Normally, if the degree is to be conferred only in the name of The California
State University, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, and the campus
President, where appropriate, will participate in the conferral ceremony as follows:
C. If the degree is to be conferred in the names of The California State University and The California State University, San Marcos, the Chair of the Board of Trustees (or designee) will participate in the conferral ceremony. The CSUSM President (or designee) will normally confer the degree.
