To: All Faculty <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "Harry Hilton" <h-hilton@uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: djmorris@uiuc.edu

 Subject: MASSMAIL - Honorary Degree Nominations - May 2003 and 2004

DATE:  August 19, 2002
TO:    UIUC Senators, Deans, Directors, Faculty
FROM:  Harry H. Hilton, Chair, Senate Committee on Honorary Degrees
RE:    Nominations for Honorary Degrees for May 2003 and 2004 Commencements

The Senate Committee on Honorary Degrees is pleased to invite nominations 
for the May 2003 and 2004 honorary degree awards.  Nomination procedures 
are detailed below.   You are urged to nominate, through your unit, 
outstanding candidates for Honorary Degree awards.  

Although nominations will be considered throughout the year, the committee 
requests that nominations and supporting materials for the 2003 
commencement be submitted by September 30, 2002, and for the 2004 ceremony 
by October 28, 2002.  The Committee urges all units contemplating 
submitting a nomination to begin their preparation as soon as possible. 

Please note that in order to maintain absolute confidentiality and avoid 
possible embarrassment to the candidate and to the University in case of 
lack of approval, under no circumstances is any potential candidate to be 
contacted even to obtain lists of references. You may contact her/his 
secretary, colleague, etc., swear the person to absolute secrecy and 
obtain such a list. Only the President and/or Chancellor may contact 
candidates.

The Committee appreciates your help in identifying outstanding individuals 
whom the University can honor and, in so doing, honor itself.  If you have 
any questions or need additional information, please contact the Senate 
Office (333-6805).  For your convenience, a nomination form is at: 
http://www.uiuc.edu/providers/senate/hd_form.html

REQUEST FOR NOMINATIONS FOR HONORARY DEGREES

The prime, controlling consideration should be distinction.  The person 
should have made a distinguished contribution to knowledge and creativity 
in the relevant field of endeavor, and have shown sustained activity of 
uncommon merit.  The contributions may be made in a wide range of 
activities; the following list is not exhaustive:

* Scholarship, in any discipline:  major breakthroughs in 
knowledge in fields of scholarly work.

* Creative Arts, in the broad sense of the term:  literature, 
music, architecture, engineering, et al; the development of new frontiers 
of creativity.

* Professions:  distinguished contributions, innovative work of 
distinction.

* Public Service:  outstanding achievement in statesmanship, 
administration, legislative activity, the judiciary.

* Business and Industry:  outstanding, innovative activity in the 
business community.

Following Senate guidelines, the Committee will consider, but not be bound 
by, the degree to which the candidate has had some association with 
Illinois - the University or the State.  While alumni of the University 
should not be excluded, honorary degrees are not a means of recognizing 
their contributions; other awards exist for this purpose.  Current 
administrators, faculty, or staff of the University ordinarily are not 
eligible; emeriti are eligible even if engaged in teaching or research at 
the University.  Elected officials of the State of Illinois and its 
subordinate units and members of the Legislature, during their terms of 
office, ordinarily are not eligible.

Senate guidelines emphasize recommendations by departments and other 
academic units.  A nomination coming to the Committee from a member of the 
Board of Trustees, an alumnus/alumna or friend of the University, will be 
referred to the proper academic unit for support of the faculty.

For full consideration by the Committee, the nominator or nominating unit 
should supply the following information to the Committee by September 30, 
or October 28, 2002, as indicated above:

1.     A brief letter of nomination, summarizing the candidate's 
qualifications for this honor, and certifying the support of the 
appropriate academic unit.

2.     A brief curriculum vitae of the nominee, including addresses, 
telephone numbers, or other means by which the nominee can be reached.  If 
the nomination finds substantial initial support in the Honorary Degrees 
Committee, additional information may be requested from the department to 
develop the case and to provide the Senate with the materials it needs for 
the final decision.

3.     The names and addresses of at least four professionally-
distinguished individuals who could be contacted for letters of support or 
further information about the candidate.  It is hoped that oral 
communications among professional colleagues will help assure the 
confidentiality of the decision process.

Nominations and full dossiers should be marked confidential and sent to 
the Committee on Honorary Degrees, c/o Senate Office, 228 English 
Building, MC-461.

This mailing approved by:
The Office of the Chancellor

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