Current through all regulations passed and filed through December 16, 2024
(A) Policy statement. The board of trustees
shall review and authorize the list from which commencement speakers and
honorary degree candidates will be recommended by the academic events committee
of the academic senate to the president. The board of trustees shall grant
honorary degrees in recognition of a significant impact on the university, on
the community, state or nation, or on society. Such degrees will be conferred
at commencements, special convocations, and other events.
The honorary degree shall be clearly designated on the
diploma as "Honorary degree of" followed by the name of the
degree.
(B)
The following honorary degrees are those usually
awarded at Youngstown state university:
(1)
Bus. D. (doctor
of business), customarily awarded to a person making a unique contribution in
the business community.
(2)
LL.D. (doctor of laws), customarily awarded to a person
distinguished in general service to the state, to learning and to
mankind.
(3)
LH.D. (doctor of humane letters), customarily awarded
to a person distinguished in the humanities.
(4)
Sc.D. (doctor of
science), customarily awarded to a person distinguished in the
sciences.
(5)
Lett.D. (doctor of letters), customarily awarded to an
acknowledged scholar in a particular discipline.
(6)
Mus.D. (doctor of
music), customarily awarded to a distinguished performer or
composer.
(C) Procedures for
selecting and approving candidates.
(1)
Criteria for nomination of commencement speakers and honorary degree candidates
are determined by the provost/vice president for academic affairs, subject to
board of trustees' approval.
(2)
Faculty, staff, board of trustees members and/or anyone associated with the
university may submit nominations for commencement speakers and/or honorary
degree candidates to the academic events committee of the academic senate or
directly to the provost/vice president for academic affairs.
(3) Per the academic senate bylaws, the
academic events committee of the academic senate "shall be responsible for
making recommendations concerning policy governing academic events such as
graduation ceremonies, honors convocations, inaugural ceremonies, and recommend
candidates for honorary degrees and commencement speakers to the university's
president."
(4) The academic events
committee will review the credentials of all the nominated candidates and will submit a list of no less than
fifteen and no more than twenty recommended
candidates for approval by the board of trustees during its regular June
meeting. The list may be amended and reapproved by the board at any time
throughout the year.
(D) Selection of the
commencement speaker.
(1) The provost, in
consultation with the president, shall select a commencement speaker from the
board-approved list.
(2) The
president will inform the board of the selection of the commencement speaker no
later than the board meeting preceding the commencement ceremony.
(E) Selection of the honorary degree recipient.
(1) Only the board of trustees is authorized
to approve the awarding of an honorary degree.
(2) The provost, in consultation with the
president, shall recommend candidates for an honorary degree from the approved
list for recognition at an appropriate event.
(3) The board shall approve the awarding of
the degree no later than the board meeting preceding the event at which the
honorary degree is to be conferred.
