Honorary Doctorate Distinction
Honorary Doctorate Nomination Criteria
Florida A&M University (FAMU) wishes to recognize individuals by awarding special honors to those persons who have achieved outstanding original and creative accomplishments in the following areas: arts, letters, and sciences; unusual and fruitful service to humanity; a distinguished career in humanitarian endeavors that advance the value and worth of human existence; and/or exemplified leadership in improving the quality of life, in furthering human relationships, or assisting in the advancement of knowledge. Honorary doctoral degrees are awarded for sustained achievement. A single accomplishment shall not be the sole or principal cause for the awarding of an honorary degree.
FAMU is a public university, the University's policy is that current, elected or appointed officials of the State of Florida or the Federal Government to whom the University is directly or indirectly answerable to are ineligible for honorary doctoral degrees. Faculty members, officers, and employees of the University or other state universities in Florida are also ineligible. The University may grant no more than one honorary degree to an individual. All matters related to the Honorary Doctoral Degree is subject to the Sunshine State Law.
1. Candidates for honorary degrees may be nominated by any member or group such as departments, colleges, schools, and committees of the FAMU community, or by any prominent individual who is knowledgeable in the candidate's field of expertise and who is in a position to judge the candidate's contributions and achievements.
2. A current FAMU employee is not eligible for nomination. FAMU is a public university, the University's policy is that current elected or appointed officials of the State of Florida or the Federal Government to whom the University is directly or indirectly answerable are ineligible for honorary doctoral degrees. Faculty members, officers, and employees of the University or other state universities in Florida are also ineligible.
3. Florida A&M University may grant no more than one honorary degree to an individual. All matters related to the Honorary Doctoral Degree is subject to the Sunshine State Law.
4. Inasmuch as the degrees conferred relate to one of the University disciplines and indicate distinguished accomplishment to those disciplines, the nomination should originate from, or have the endorsement of, the appropriate FAMU academic area.
5. All nominators (whether from the University proper or the FAMU community at large) must submit documentation specifying the nominee's qualifications for being selected as a degree recipient to the appropriate division head or department chair or director of institute and dean of that school/college, i.e., relevant to the degree sought. Documentation must include:
- o A brief letter of nomination summarizing the candidate's qualifications, the honorary degree sought, and certifying the support of the appropriate academic area.
- o Letters of recommendations from Florida A&M University academic area (faculty/administrator) and from professionally distinguished individuals outside FAMU who are prominent in the candidate's field (2 minimum; 5 maximum). Comments: It is the nominator's responsibility to obtain letters of recommendation from both Florida A&M University academic area (faculty/administrator) and from professionally distinguished individuals outside Florida A&M University who are prominent in the candidate's field by [Fall deadline, Spring deadline, and Summer deadline].
- o Current curriculum vitae of the nominee, including details of the nominee's achievements and special recognitions.
- o Other supporting materials, as needed, such as materials to highlight candidate's accomplishments, i.e., media coverage, news articles, critical reviews, patents, review of scholarly work, testimonies, description of awards (not to exceed 10 pages).