11.08.99.R1.01 Awarding Degrees Posthumously
Effective September 1, 1996
Revised April 21, 2005
Supplements System Policy 11.08 and A&M-Commerce Rule 11.08.99.R1

1. General

Texas A&M University-Commerce may award a graduate or undergraduate degree posthumously when a student has substantially completed all requirements for the degree and was in good academic and citizenship standing at the time of death. For a posthumous degree to be awarded, one of the following circumstances must have occurred:

1.1 Bachelor’s Degree

a. The student should be enrolled at Texas A&M University-Commerce in the semester in which the degree would have been conferred. In the case of summer graduation, enrollment in the first summer term would meet this requirement. If the student lacked only one summer term to complete his/her degree but was not enrolled during the first term, anticipated enrollment during the second term would be taken as fulfilling the enrollment requirement.
b. The student's grade point average would have to be a minimum of a 2.00 on a 4.00 scale.
c. The degree would be awarded only upon the recommendation of the student's major department, college dean, the Faculty Senate, the provost and vice president for academic and student affairs (VPASA), and the University president. Any exceptions to the rule or procedure on awarding of posthumous degrees must be approved by the University president.

1.2 Master's Degree

a. Enrollment requirements would be the same as set forth in Section 1(a) above unless the student was writing a thesis.
b. If the student was writing a thesis, all course work must have been completed with passing grades. Substantial progress toward the completion of the thesis should have been made.
c. The student would have to have a graduate grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
d. The degree would be awarded only upon the recommendation of the student's graduate advisory committee, major department, college dean, graduate dean, the Graduate Council, the provost and VPASA, and the University president.

1.3 Doctoral Degree

a. All course work and qualifying exams should have been satisfactorily completed.
b. Substantial progress should have been made toward the completion of the dissertation.
c. There should be a reasonable expectation that the degree would have been conferred in the near future.
d. The degree would be awarded only upon the recommendation of the student's graduate advisory committee, major department, college dean, graduate dean, the Graduate Council, the provost and VPASA, and the University president.

2. PROCEDURES

2.1 The dean of the college in which the student was pursuing the degree at the time of death is responsible for ensuring that the procedures below are followed. Any exceptions to the rule or procedure on awarding of degrees posthumously must be approved by the University president.

2.2 The chair of the department in which the student was pursuing the degree is responsible for certifying the student's academic record with the Registrar’s Office and consulting with the student's professors and, if applicable, the student's graduate advisory committee. The department chair should forward his/her written recommendation, along with the academic record (degree audit) and proof of student’s demise, to the dean of the college. Any recommendations provided by the student's professors or the graduate advisory committee should also be forwarded to the dean.

2.3 The dean of the college should review the recommendations and confer with the graduate dean (if appropriate). The dean of the college should forward his/her own written recommendation and the written recommendation of the graduate dean (if appropriate), along with supporting documentation (academic audit, proof of death, and other relevant materials) to the Faculty Senate or the Graduate Council.

2.4 The Faculty Senate or the Graduate Council will review the written recommendations and the documentation and will forward the materials and a written recommendation to the provost and VPASA.

2.5 The provost and VPASA will review the materials and forward a written recommendation, along with supporting documentation, to the University president.

2.6 The University president makes the final decision on the posthumous awarding of the degree and notifies the registrar through the provost and VPASA.

2.7 Customarily, degrees awarded posthumously will be noted in the commencement program and a member of the deceased student's family will be permitted to participate, upon approval, in the commencement in which the deceased student would have been eligible to participate. The student's diploma will be mailed to the person legally authorized to manage the deceased student's affairs. It shall be noted on the student’s transcript that the degree was awarded posthumously.

References: Prior ETSU Policies II D 2 and B-102 approved November 3, 1975. This procedure replaces A&M-Commerce Procedure A13.09, A11.08
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CONTACT FOR INTERPRETATION: Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs