Honorary Degrees

Qualifications include, but are not limited to the following State Board of Higher Education criteria in Policy 430.1.

1. An honorary doctoral, masters, specialist, baccalaureate, or associate degree may be awarded by an institution in accord with this policy when the institution has been granted authority to award the respective degrees.
2. In the name of the North Dakota University System the Board may award honorary degrees on the basis of a recommendation from the Chancellor, or the President of one of the institutions, with the Chancellor's concurrence.
3. An institution may not award an honorary degree until it has been approved by the Board upon nomination by the Chancellor or the president of an institution and recommendation by the Chancellor.
4. In order to avoid any embarrassment, no suggestion shall be made to any person to be so honored until the Board has acted.
5. An honorary degree may not be awarded to any employee of the Board except after that person's retirement or termination has been acted upon by the Board.
6. Recognized earned doctoral degrees shall not be awarded as honorary degrees. 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.) should be used, although appropriately titled degrees could be used to recognize achievement in specific professions. Recognized master, specialist, baccalaureate and associate degrees may be awarded as honorary degrees when the word "honorary" is clearly indicated in the degree title.
7. Institutions authorized to award honorary degrees shall develop written procedures for selecting appropriate candidates. Those procedures shall include, but are not limited to, the following criteria, which also apply to nominations by the Chancellor:
   1. The candidate should have had an association with the State of North Dakota. This association may be by virtue of birth, of residence, of education, of service to the state, the Board, or one of the institutions governed by the Board.
   2. The candidate must have achieved a level of distinction which would merit comparable recognition in his or her profession or area of excellence.
   3. The renown of the candidate should reflect favorably on the Board, the institutions it governs, and the State of North Dakota.

Institutional criteria and standards for the awarding of honorary degrees at the University of North Dakota have been established by the University Senate. It is recommended that the following criteria be used in considering persons for an honorary degree:

1. Achievement of distinction in scholarship, or in comparable professional or creative achievement.
2. Recognized and outstanding service to the nation, to the state, or to the University of North Dakota.
3. Attendance at or graduation from the University of North Dakota, except as the individual is outstanding with reference to the preceding criteria 1 and 2.
4. Non-membership on the faculty of the University of North Dakota.
5. Scholarship or specialization in an area in which the university normally grants an earned degree.

It is recommended that the procedures used for awarding an honorary degree include the following:

1. Nominations may be made by any member of the University Council.
2. Nominations must be accompanied by a factual dossier providing evidence that the nominee meets the criteria and standards established by the University Senate (Nos. 1-5 above). Factual compilation should include the following, in the order listed:
   • • A brief biography
     • A list of scholarly writings, research and publications, and/or evidence of comparable professional or creative achievements
     • Description of public service and achievements
     • List of offices and positions held
     • Other factual justifications for consideration
3. The nominee’s scholarship, professional, or creative achievement must be evaluated by the departmental faculty in the area of the nominee’s specialization; such evaluation is to be a part of the dossier submitted to the Honorary Degrees Committee.
4. A nominee will not be informed that he/she is being considered until the nomination has been approved at the SBHE level.
5. The titles of honorary degrees shall be distinct from those of earned degrees at UND.
6. No honorary bachelor’s or master’s degrees will be awarded.

• Daniel Adjekum (JDOSAS)
• Michael Dodge (JDOSAS)
• Ric Ferraro (A&S)
• Rhoda Owens, (CNPD)
• Dana Harsell (NCoBPA), chair
• Eric Link (VPAA)
• Chris Nelson (GRAD)

Committee Charge

• University Senate Honorary Degrees Committee Manual Guidelines