Criteria for the Honorary Degree

1. The honorary degree is awarded to recognize an individual for extraordinary accomplishments and achievements that have ongoing and significant importance. 
   
   
2. A candidate’s special contributions to the purposes and ideals of the University of Cincinnati specifically may be considered. Candidates may be considered who personify the highest ideals of the university and have notably demonstrated these qualities in their actions and accomplishments. 
   
   
3. For a member of the academic world, the contributions should have clearly exceeded the expected high standards of the profession. 
   
   
4. For a member of the non-academic world, the contributions should add significantly to the well-being of society or to the welfare of the University of Cincinnati. 
   
   
5. Honorary degrees should maintain a reasonable balance between local and non-local, academic and non-academic recipients, and various fields of endeavor. 
   
   
6. Honorary degrees are not awarded posthumously or in absentia unless so voted upon by the Board of Trustees to grant a specific exception. 
   
   
7. Current members of the university’s Board of Trustees, faculty or staff are not eligible for nomination.
    

Submission of Nominations for the Honorary Degree

Nomination procedures are described below. A preliminary proposal option has been adopted to encourage the submission of nominations and is intended to provide the opportunity of application without extensive documentation to initiate the review process. It is mandatory to submit a preliminary proposal.

Preliminary Proposal Procedure

The committee will accept a letter of approximately 500 words detailing the individual’s achievements and the reasons why these achievements should be honored. A narrative biographical statement or CV must accompany the letter. The committee will review the information and respond. Based on this preliminary assessment, if the committee judges the candidate to be worthy of further consideration, the nominator will be requested to provide the documentation required for the Formal Nomination Procedure.

Formal Nomination Procedure

Required documentation:

1. A narrative letter must be submitted, indicating in non-technical language, the importance of the achievements and the reasons why these achievements should be honored. 
   
   
2. A full curriculum vitae must be submitted giving the training, experience, activities (professional and general), appointments, offices, distinctions, and awards.  The current address and phone number of the nominee should be included. 
   
   
3. A brief narrative biographical statement must be submitted. 
   
   
4. Four letters supporting the proposal should be written only by persons who have been associated with the proposed candidates or who are particularly competent to evaluate their achievements.  No more than two of these letters may be submitted by University of Cincinnati personnel. 
   
   
5. Other documents and evidence such as reprints should, where appropriate, be submitted.  It is desirable to have highly technical materials abstracted into non-technical language.

Submission Information

As you prepare your nomination(s), please be aware of the following:

1. The Committee will issue a formal call for submission of nominations twice per year in the fall and in the spring.
   
   
2. Honorary Degrees are presented at the Spring and Winter commencement exercises. 
   
   
3. Timeline:  
   1. For a candidate to be considered for the Spring commencement:
      1. A Preliminary Proposal must be received by July 21 of the preceding year.
      2. A complete Formal Nomination dossier must be received by September 21 of the preceding year.
   2. For a candidate to be considered for the December commencement:
      1. A Preliminary Proposal must be received by February 21 of the same year.
      2. A complete Formal Nomination dossier must be received by April 21 of the same year.
          
4. Nominations should be directed to:

Chairperson, Honors Committee

Mailing Address:                       

Office of the Board of Trustees
University of Cincinnati
University Pavilion, Room 614
P. O. Box 210062
Cincinnati, OH  45221-0062

Office Location:

Office of the Board of Trustees
University of Cincinnati
University Pavilion, Room 614
2618 McMicken Circle
Cincinnati, OH  45221-0062