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         III-3.00-POLICY ON AWARDING OF HONORARY DEGREES
  (Approved by the Board of Regents, November 30, 1989; Amended
                         July 13, 2001)

1.   Each institution is authorized to grant honorary degrees
     with approval by the Board of Regents.

2.   Each year the Chancellor shall solicit nominations from
     institutions with a deadline for receipt of the materials at the
     end of the fall semester.  The Committee on Education Policy will
     review all nominations and make recommendations to the full
     Board.  Full Board action will occur during the February meeting.

3.   In accordance with standard practice at American
     institutions of higher learning, care should be taken to ensure
     strict confidentiality at all stages of the honorary degree
     process.  In particular, there should be no communication with
     prospective degree recipients regarding a likely degree until
     after the Board of Regents has approved the award.  After
     approval, presidents may begin to arrange for the awarding of the
     degree.  Approvals shall remain confidential until the candidate
     is notified of his/her selection.  Degrees may be conferred at
     any time within five years of approval, unless withdrawn by the
     Board of Regents for cause.

4.   Each institution shall establish procedures for recommending
     candidates for these degrees. Procedures shall, in all cases,
     include, at a minimum, a means for soliciting nominations from
     schools, departments, and individual faculty members and shall
     describe the review process and the role of the faculty in the
     process.  Procedures shall be on file in the Chancellor's Office.

5.   Prospective recipients of honorary degrees shall be:

     a.   individuals who have made exceptional contributions in
          intellectual, scholarly, or creative areas; or
     
     b.   individuals who have risen to a position of eminence in
          their chosen field or who have acquired a national or
          international reputation in a selected field or
          endeavor; or

     c.   individuals who have compiled a record of distinguished
          public service.

6.   Normally, honorary degrees may not be conferred on currently
     serving faculty, staff, members of the Board of Regents, or
     current holders of political office in Maryland.  Exceptions
     for compelling reasons can be made only by two-thirds
     majority vote of the Board of Regents.

7.   The president of an institution that wishes to award an
     honorary degree shall submit a recommendation to the
     Chancellor.  The written recommendation shall include the
     following information:

     a.   type of honorary degree to be awarded (e.g., Doctor of
          Humane Letters, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Public Service, Doctor
          of Sciences);
     b.   biographical sketch of the proposed recipients;
     c.   justification for awarding the degree; and
     d.   probable date of award.
  
8.   The Chancellor shall submit the request to the Board for
     consideration and shall inform the president of the
     institution of the Board's decision.

9.   The president shall report to the Chancellor in a timely
     fashion all honorary degrees awarded.






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