E. Honorary Degrees and Awards

1.   The Board of Trustees has exclusive authority to name facilities and to confer honorary degrees and Granite State Awards on all campuses of the University System. The Board of Trustees has developed policy governing the granting of honorary degrees and awards by institutions of the University System of New Hampshire in consultation with appropriate campus representatives. The basic policy has evolved as a result of actions by the Board of Trustees on January 16, 1960; October 22, 1966; December 20, 1969; June 26, 1976; June 21, 1979; June 19, 1980; and June 20, 1987.

1.1   The Board of Trustees will, on a regular basis, accept nominations of individuals deemed by the University and the Colleges as deserving of recognition with honorary degrees according to the following criteria:

1.1.1   Outstanding citizens of the state who bring honor, prestige, and recognition to the state. Consideration of the award of honorary degrees to outstanding citizens of New Hampshire should be made on an annual basis.

1.1.2   Outstanding alumni of the University and Colleges, whether residing in the state, out of the state, or out of the country. The large alumni body and the conspicuous achievement of many of these people merit such consideration on an annual basis.

1.1.3   Outstanding living benefactors of the University and/or the Colleges, whether their contributions are in kind, service or otherwise, should be recognized on an annual basis. Consideration should be given to former members of the University and College family--trustees, faculty, and staff--in considering potential degree recipients in this category.

1.1.4   Individuals of national and/or international importance whose contributions have enhanced society as a whole or who have otherwise brought significant enrichment or benefit to particular groups.

1.1.5   Each Governor of the State of New Hampshire shall be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at some appropriate occasion during his or her first term in office.

2.   Granite State Awards are conferred by the Board of Trustees to recognize leaders of business, industry, agriculture, trade associations, and labor organizations, teachers in high or preparatory schools, professional persons, and citizens whose achievements in their own particular spheres have been outstanding for contributions they have made to New Hampshire (i.e., persons of prominence in their own communities who do not easily fit the categories of those eligible for honorary degrees, but who merit commendation). Granite State Awards are also conferred upon agencies, corporations, and foundations when these have provided extraordinary services, or have otherwise proved of great benefit to the state.

3.   Recommendations for the conferral of honorary degrees and awards shall be developed by local campus committees and submitted to the president or chief executive officer of that campus. The president or chief executive officer, in turn, shall forward appropriate recommendations to the Board of Trustees for those individuals deemed worthy of such recognition.

4.   Procedural Guidelines

4.1   Local campus committees shall be generally representative of students, faculty, alumni, and administrative opinion. Campus committees will convene well enough in advance of dates they report to campus presents (or chief executive officers), to assure ample time to screen for eminently qualified nominees.

4.2   The campus committee shall submit it recommendations (with sufficiently detailed information about each individual as to convincingly demonstrate that individual's qualifications for such recognition) to the president or chief executive officer of the institution.

4.3   The campus president or chief executive officer shall make every effort to forward appropriate recommendations and rationale to the Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs Committees six months before proposed conferral. At a minimum, the supporting materials shall include a summary of the nominee's accomplishments and an endorsement letter from the CEO describing the rationale for the nomination.

4.4   The trustee committee shall review and recommend to the Board of Trustees those nominees whose recognition would bring honor to both the recipient and to the University System.

4.5   At appropriate times each academic year, the Board of Trustees shall be reminded--by the Secretary of the University System--of the opportunity to make nominations to the appropriate campus president and committee.

4.6   If there is substantial evidence of significant distinct additional merit or service, recipients of an Honorary Degree or a Granite State Award may be eligible for a second nomination. (The Secretary of the University System is responsible for maintaining an historical record of all conferrals of degrees and awards, copies of which are made available to the President's Office of each campus.)

4.7   Members of the Board of Trustees and members of the faculty and staff of the University System institutions should not, during their term of service or employment, be eligible for conferral of honorary degrees, Granite State Awards, or the naming of facilities in their honor. Barring unusual and compelling circumstances, a reasonable interim (generally a period of not less than two years) should be allowed between retirement from service or employment and nomination of such individuals for this type of recognition.

4.8   Recipients of an honorary degree or Granite State Award must be present on the occasions at which awards are to be conferred. If the award is to be conferred upon an institution or foundation, a designated recipient shall be present on the occasion of conferral.

4.9   The names of all individuals--and the type of recognition for which they have been nominated--shall be held in strict confidence at each stage of the nomination process. Announcement of individual's names and specific awards shall be made public by the campus president or chief executive officer only upon completion of all necessary arrangements.