Conferring Academic Degrees

Policy Statement

Earned Degrees

The Board of Trustees delegates to the President of the University its authority, stated in the Bylaws, to approve and authorize earned academic degrees. It is the Board's intention to extend this delegation to the person now holding the office of President and to her successors in that position.

1. The President, as chief executive officer, will see that there are systems in place to assure the satisfactory completion of degree requirements before a degree is conferred.
2. The President will provide to each graduate a document in the form of a diploma, attesting to the completion of the formal educational program leading to the degree. The diploma head will be Marywood University, and the document will carry the signatures of the President of the University and the academic dean of the college through which the degree was earned. The seal of the University will be affixed thereto.

Posthumous Degrees

A student in good standing who dies while enrolled at Marywood University will be considered eligible for receiving a degree posthumously if s/he has completed successfully at least 75 percent of the credits required for graduation in the program in which s/he was enrolled. Students in good standing who die before completing 75 percent of the credits for graduation may be designated honorary alumni.

Honorary Degrees

The Board of Trustees reserves to itself the approval and authorization to confer honorary degrees, as stated in the Bylaws. An honorary degree may be conferred at commencement exercises or, with Board of Trustees permission, at a special University convocation. No honorary degrees will be conferred in absentia. A recipient will be

• a person of national or international prominence, who has made a distinguished contribution in a chosen field, usually related to the mission of the University;
• a person who holds at least a bachelor's degree, or one who would be a role model for students and faculty;
• a living person;
• a person present at the commencement exercises or other convocation, who may be requested to be the keynote speaker.

1. The President of the University will establish and maintain procedures for soliciting recommendations from administrators, faculty, and students. Ordinarily, she will receive recommendations in writing from the Faculty Senate with pertinent information attached.
2. The President will present her recommendations to the Board of Trustees for vote.
3. The President will provide to the honoree a document in the form of a diploma, attesting to the honorary degree conferred. The diploma head will be Marywood University, and the document will carry the signature of the President of the University. The seal of the University will be affixed thereto.

History

01/23/1999 - Adopted by the Board of Trustees and placed in Board of Trustees Manual
01/20/2001 - Policy regarding granting degrees posthumously adopted by the Board of Trustees