Policy:

On rare occasions, a student who has completed all or nearly all of the requirements for a degree meets an untimely death before the degree is conferred. In such cases, it may be appropriate for this student to be recognized for his/her work by means of conferring a degree or other recognition posthumously.

Procedure for Undergraduate Students:

With the support of the academic unit and the family of the student, often in consultation with Student Affairs or the college directly, a petition is initiated by an undergraduate student's college dean/chancellor for one of the following forms of recognition:

1. Students enrolled in an integrated undergraduate/graduate (IUG) program who have met all of the requirements for their undergraduate program will be awarded their Bachelor's degree.  The graduate portion of their work will follow the Procedure for Graduate Students below.
2. Undergraduate students who are in good academic standing and in the judgment of the college dean/chancellor are within a semester of completing their studies (usually 19 credits or less) may be recommended for a posthumous degree.
3. Undergraduate students who are in good academic standing and in the judgment of the college dean/chancellor have completed 50% or more of the required credits toward the degree may be recommended for a Degree in Memoriam. For students who have not yet been admitted to a major, the degree may be a Bachelor's Degree in Memoriam or Associate's Degree in Memoriam rather than a degree in a specific major.
4. Undergraduate students who are in good academic standing pursuing a Bachelor's degree who have completed all requirements for the Associate's degree, in a program that awards such a degree, will be awarded the Associate's degree. 
5. Undergraduate students who are in good academic standing and do not meet one of the criteria above may be recommended for a Certificate of Recognition.

The college dean/chancellor will provide a recommendation along with a verification of the student's academic standing and degree progress. Petitions shall be forwarded to the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education for review and recommendation. Petitions for a Posthumous Degree or a Degree in Memoriam shall be forwarded to the President for approval.

If approved, the President will notify the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education. The Dean for Undergraduate Education will notify the college dean/chancellor who will then inform the Registrar's Office.

Procedure for Graduate Students:

With the support of the academic unit and the family of the student, a petition is initiated by a graduate student's graduate program head and primary advisor for one of the following forms of recognition:

1. Students pursuing a doctoral degree
   1. The graduate program should be consulted to determine if awarding a master's degree based on work completed is appropriate in lieu of a Posthumous Doctoral Degree or a Doctoral Degree in Memoriam.
   2. Students pursuing a doctoral degree who are in good academic standing and have passed their Comprehensive Examination may be recommended for a Posthumous Doctoral Degree.
   3. Students pursuing a doctoral degree who are in good academic standing and have passed their Qualifying Examination may be recommended for Doctoral Degree in Memoriam. 
   4. Students pursuing a doctoral degree who are in good standing but do not meet one of the criteria above may be recommended for a Certificate of Recognition. 
2. Students pursuing a master's degree
   1. Students pursuing a master's degree who are in good standing and have completed at least 75% of required credits for the degree may be recommended for a Posthumous Master's Degree.
   2. Students pursuing a master's degree who are in good standing and have completed at least 50% of required credits for the degree may be recommended for a Master's Degree in Memoriam.
   3. Students pursuing a master's degree who are in good standing and do not meet one of the criteria above may be recommended for a Certificate of Recognition.

Petitions shall be forwarded to the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School for review and recommendation. Petitions for a Posthumous Degree or a Degree in Memoriam shall be forwarded to the President for approval.

If approved, the President will notify the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School will notify the Registrar's Office.  The Registrar's Office will obtain the appropriate diploma and forward it to the Dean of the Graduate School for presentation at commencement. The official commencement program will include the student's name with the annotation that the degree was conferred posthumously. The student's record will be similarly annotated.