The Guilford College Board of Trustees may choose to award one or more honorary degrees to recognize individuals who have a sustained record of achievements of lasting significance.
Purpose/Reason for Policy: To establish the criteria and process for recommending and awarding honorary degrees from Guilford College.
Scope/Covered Persons: This policy applies to all members of the Guilford College Community involved in the nomination or selection of candidates for honorary degrees.
The Policy:
The awarding of honorary degrees is a long standing tradition of many colleges and universities, including colleges founded by the Religious Society of Friends. The honorary degree is one of the highest recognitions any college can bestow and is intended to honor an individual who has a sustained record of achievements of lasting significance. Due to the significance of receiving an honorary degree, other awards or forms of recognition should be considered for individuals who would not easily meet these standards. Associating these honorees more closely with Guilford is anticipated to raise the profile of the College, thereby benefiting admissions, overall engagement, and philanthropy. The Doctor of Letters, Doctor of Humane Letters, Doctor of Science, Bachelor of Letters, or Bachelor of Humane Letters may be awarded to individuals who meet the stated criteria. The Honorary Bachelor Degrees are given less typically, but might be used to recognize an exemplary and impactful member of the Guilford Community who attended and participated in classes at Guilford but did not complete their degree at the College. Typically, only one honorary degree would be awarded in any academic year; however the President may select and the Board of Trustees may approve up to two additional recipients on rare occasions.
Criteria:
Persons nominated for consideration for honorary degrees should have made distinguished and broad contributions to society. These may be in the traditional areas of scholarship and creative arts, research and development, the learned professions, public service, philanthropy or business and industry. It would be desirable for these contributions to reflect all or most of Guilford’s core values (Community, Diversity, Equality, Excellence, Integrity, Justice, and Stewardship), with an emphasis on Excellence and Integrity. Contributions to society that reflect principled problem solving are also desirable.
It is desirable, but not required, that the people selected have had some connection with Guilford College and its mission. It is also desirable, but not required, that some recipients of an honorary degree be widely known by the general public. Persons currently serving on the faculty or staff of the College are not normally eligible.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Any member of the community: May submit nomination for consideration to the ad hoc Honorary Degree Committee which is appointed by the Clerk’s Committee pursuant to the process below.
- ad hoc Honorary Degree Committee: Considers and evaluates the nominations and recommends up to three nominees to the faculty for approval.
- Faculty: will review nominees and approve up to three to add to the list of faculty-approved candidates.
- The President: (1) Solicits confidential nominations for an honorary degree recipient from faculty, staff, students, alumni, the Board of Trustees and the Board of Visitors. (2) In consultation with the chair of the subcommittee, the President prioritizes the list of faculty-approved candidates maintained by the Clerk’s Committee, which includes all candidates who have been approved through this process over the previous five years, and (3) The president selects candidates from this list of faculty-approved candidates to receive the honorary degree(s).
- Board of Trustees: Final approval authority for all honorary degrees.
Other related Policies, Regulations, Statutes and Documents: The Nomination form is a draft that is intended to be consistent with the policy information herein. Any changes to this form would need to preserve that consistency. LINK
Revocation of Degrees: The authority to revoke a previously awarded honorary degree rests solely with the Board of Trustees of the College. The Board of Trustees may revoke an honorary degree if, in its judgment, the recipient of the degree has engaged in conduct that: 1) is inconsistent with the mission and/or values of the College; 2) undermines the accomplishments that were cited as the basis for awarding the honorary degree; or 3) is injurious to the reputation of the College. The same procedures articulated in this policy for the selection and nomination of an honorary degree recipient will be applied to the revocation process: community members can raise a request for revocation, the faculty may recommend revocation to the President, who will evaluate the necessity for such action and forward a recommendation to the Board of Trustees for a final decision. .
Procedures: The preferred timeline is as follows: Early in the academic year, but no later than September 15, the Office of the President will solicit confidential nominations for an honorary degree recipient from faculty, staff, students, alumni, the Board of Trustees and the Board of Visitors. Nominations will be due on or before November 1. Those making and supporting nominations should be knowledgeable in the nominee's field of accomplishment and therefore in a position to make an evaluation.
Each nomination must be accompanied by a letter of nomination including a biographical sketch of the individual. Nominations may be co-sponsored by up to two individuals from the Guilford community. Nominations will be submitted to the Office of the President.
In any year in which nominations are received, the Clerk’s Committee will appoint an ad hoc Honorary Degree Committee, in consultation with the President, to review the nominations and supporting material. The ad hoc Honorary Degree Committee will include at least two staff members: The Clerk of Staff (or their designee) and another staff member solicited through the Staff Nominating Committee. The committee may choose to seek additional information provided that the confidentiality of the process is preserved. The committee should consider any potential conflicts of interest for any of the nominees.
No later than December 1, the committee will recommend to the faculty up to three nominees to receive an honorary degree. These nominations will be considered at the December faculty meeting, and the faculty may approve any or none of the current nominees be awarded an honorary degree. If the President agrees to confer an honorary degree, the President will select from the faculty-approved list of candidates that includes the past 5 years of approved candidates. The President’s selection will be presented to the Board of Trustees at an open board meeting for their review and approval.
Honorary degrees may be conferred at the spring commencement exercises, at the opening academic convocation, or at special events or occasions befitting the solemnity of the award.
Approval Authority: The Guilford College Board of Trustees
Responsible Office: The Office of the President
Revision History:
Revised August 2023
October 2023 – Policy approved by the Board of Trustees