Nominations for Honorary Degree Recipients are due April 2, 2008 to the Provost's office in order to be considered for the 2009 Commencement Ceremony. Please check the Honorary Degree Schedule for more details on the typical timeline of this process.

Nomination letters should be addressed to Provost Susan Henrichs and should include a brief statement of the following information on each candidate:

name and pertinent personal information; including contact information for the candidate (address, phone number, fax and email);

education (degrees received and institute name);

contributions to the University, and/or state, or the nominee's discipline or profession; and

rationale for recommendation or honorary degree.

Honorary degree recipients are selected one year in advance of awarding the degree. Nominations may be submitted to the Office of the Provost at any time during the year. Once a letter of nomination is received in the Provost's Office, a file for the candidate is constructed. Each candidate file should contain an initial letter of nomination and a minimum of three or four letters supporting the nomination. The person submitting the initial letter of nomination should also include a curriculum vita or biography for the candidate.

Please keep in mind that Honorary Degree Recipients are chosen one year in advance of the commencement they will receive their degree and that a limited number of Honorary Degree Recipients are chosen each year. It is possible that the person you are nominating may not be chosen for the upcoming commencement - in which case the file would be kept and expanded on for future consideration. Honorary Degree Recipients are selected by a committee comprised of faculty, one student and one community representative. We do not award degrees to sitting faculty, UA administrators including Regents, or local or state politicians.

Please note that honorary degree recipients must be present in order to receive their degree; awards will not be made in abstentia. Nominations for posthumous awards will not be entertained. Nominations will not be considered outside of our normal process. Nominees should also be aware that while travel and accomodation expenses are covered, we do not provide a speaking fee to the commencement speaker.

The University Regulation governing honorary degrees is attached for review.

Please send letters addressed to the Provost at:

Susan Henrichs, Provost
UAF
P.O. Box 757580
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7580
Or by fax: 907-474-1836

For information or assistance contact Sarah Lewis, Academic & Faculty Services Manager, at 474-5178, 302 Signers' Hall, fnskl@uaf.edu.