RPC 05/06 - 3

Modification of Faculty Handbook – 3.IV.B.5

At the Faculty Meeting on April 6, RPC will move following changes to the Faculty Manual.

From the Faculty Manual, in the section describing CEPC responsibilities, 3.IV.B.5, (page 12) the entire part (x) is to be replaced by:

(x)

To recommend to the faculty candidates for honorary degrees. Honorary degrees are reserved for non-alumni of St. Olaf College and should be awarded on the basis of individual merit and accomplishment of an academic or humanitarian nature. The person’s overall contribution to society will be considered along with specific benefit to St. Olaf College. Financial contribution to the college alone is not sufficient to meet these criteria. No one field of interest need be given greater attention than any other. The c ollege has generally limited t he number of honorary degrees to two or three candidates in a single year. The college policy on granting honorary degrees consists of three categories:

The college policy regarding individuals to whom honorary degrees may be granted consists of three categories:

a. Persons of academic, literary or artistic distinction . , especially for work not leading to a degree in course

b. Pastors and other workers within the church for special services, responsibilities, and achievements in the interest of the Kingdom of God.

c. Others who embody the mission of St. Olaf College. It has also been general practice to award degrees on occasion to outstanding teachers in sister Lutheran colleges. Honorary degrees are reserved for non-alumni of St. Olaf College and should be awarded on the basis of individual merit and accomplishment of an academic or humanitarian nature. The person’s overall contribution to society will be considered along with speci fic benefit to St. Olaf College. No one field of interest needs to be given greater attention than any other. The College has generally limited the number of honorary degrees awarded in a single year to two or three candidates.

RATIONALE FOR THE CHANGES:

  1. Criteria listed originally under category (c) were considered to apply to the more general statement in part (x). All statements originally in part (c) except that pertaining to awarding degrees to “outstanding teachers in sister Lutheran colleges” were moved to part (x).
  2. CEPC considers that the criterion that only non-alumni may be considered for honorary degrees is based upon the fact that alumni are already members of the St. Olaf community. Honorary degrees are the means by which non-alumni exemplifying the college’s mission and ideals may be included in the St. Olaf community. Alumni can be nominated for Distinguished Alumni awards.
  3. CEPC recommends eliminating the sentence relating to awarding honorary degrees to “outstanding teachers in sister colleges” because liberal arts colleges now expect scholarship in addition to good teaching as a matter of course.
  4. CEPC added the 4 th sentence to part (x ) to confirm explicitly the college’s longstanding practice of not awarding honorary degrees to contributors to the college who are recognized in other ways.