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Effective: August 3, 2011
Policy Review Date: YEAR
Policy Executive: Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs
Responsible Office/Unit: Provost’s Office
Policy Statement:
Applicability:
Content:
Policy
Appendix A – Procedures, Criteria, and Nomination Forms for the Award of Honorary Degrees
(1) Consistent with RCW 28B.35.205, the Board of Trustees may confer honorary bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate level degrees. Procedures, criteria, and application forms can be found in the Central Washington University Procedures Manual, see Appendix A.
History:
PAC: 5/21/03, BOT: 6/13/03; PAC: 10/09; Responsibility: President’s Office; Reviewed/Endorsed by: Cabinet/UPAC; Review/Effective Date: 08/03/2011; Approved by: James L. Gaudino, President
Reformatted and Assigned new Policy Number - Previous Policy CWUP 2-20-060, June 2025
Attached Procedure CWUR 1-60-020 as Appendix A, June 2025
Appendix A - Procedures, Criteria, and Nomination Forms for the Award of Honorary Degrees
(1) As authorized by CWU 504-22, honorary degrees provide Central Washington University with a means to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the university over an extended period of time or whose outstanding personal or professional achievements and attainments exemplify the role and mission of the university. Typically, recipients of honorary degrees will have close connections to Central Washington University, either as graduates of the institution or as citizens who have rendered significant service to the institution. To preserve the integrity of the process, the award of honorary degrees should be justified on the basis of unusual and distinctive circumstances.
(2) Honorary degrees that may be awarded are Master of Humane Letters (MHL), Master of Literature (M Lit), Master of Natural Science (MNS), and Master of Social Science (MSS) or Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL), Doctor of Literature (D Lit), Doctor of Natural Science (DNS) and Doctor of Social Science (DSS). Degrees earned as a result of completion of a program of study shall not be awarded as honorary degrees.
(3) Nominations for honorary degrees may be made by the following:
A. Permanent employees of CWU
B. Members of the Board of Trustees, the CWU Foundation Board, or the CWU Alumni Board
(4) The Provost will appoint a faculty Ad Hoc Honorary Degree Committee by November 20 of each academic year to review and recommend action on honorary degree nominations.
(5) The timeline for selection of honorary degree recipients is:
(6) The president or his or her designee will notify selectees and will arrange activities surrounding actual granting of the degree and commemoration of the occasion.