Honorary Degree Nominations

Invitation to Nominate a Person for an Honorary Doctorate Degree 

Do you know of a distinguished individual whose achievements and/or contributions to society on the state, national or international levels justify them for an honorary doctorate degree from the State University of New York? If so, the Honorary Degree Committee at SUNY Plattsburgh is soliciting nominations for the honorary doctorate degree, which is the highest form of recognition offered by SUNY to persons of exceptional distinction.

The Honorary Degree Committee, chaired by Dr. Tracie Church Guzzio, is currently accepting nominations. To submit a name, please provide at minimum a one-page convincing statement regarding the relevance and/or appropriateness of the nominee. Please include a justification why SUNY Plattsburgh should recommend the individual for an honorary doctorate degree. Detailed curriculum vitae, Who's Who entries, reviews or articles about the nominee's work, and/or list of major awards should also be submitted if possible.

All nominations submitted by May 11, 2012, will receive immediate review by the Honorary Degree Committee. If a nomination is deemed appropriate, the nominator may be asked to assist the committee in completing the justification for recommendation. The President will review the committee's recommendations prior to submitting the nominees to the Chancellor in mid August. The University-wide Committee on Honorary Degrees will review all nominations submitted to the Chancellor in November and then make a recommendation to the Chancellor and SUNY Board of Trustees.

Please submit your nominations by May 11, 2012, to:

Dr. Tracie Church Guzzio
Associate Professor of English
Office: 213 Champlain Valley Hall
E-mail: guzziotc@plattsburgh.edu

Information to Consider in Recommending Someone for an Honorary Doctorate Degree:

The purposes of honorary degrees awarded by the State University of New York are to:

• Recognize excellence in the fields of public affairs, the sciences, Humanities and the arts, scholarship and education, business and philanthropy, and socials services, which exemplify the mission and purposes of the State University of New York;
• Honor meritorious and outstanding  service to the University, the State of New York, the United States, or to humanity at large; and,
• Recognize persons whose lives serve as examples of the University's aspirations for its students.

In making a nomination of an individual for an honorary degree, please consider the following:

• Nominees must be distinguished, and the person's achievements must be both relevant and appropriate to the campus.
• Nominees who have made extraordinary contributions to the campus can be considered, but must have made significant contributions beyond the institution and the local region.
• Service to the State University of New York is not sufficient justification alone for an honorary degree.

Except under unique and unusual circumstances, honorary degrees shall not be awarded to:

• Members of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, the College Councils at the state-operated campus, the Board of Trustees of the State University college of Environmental Science and Forestry, and the Board of Trustees of the Community colleges, during their terms of service to the University;
• Members of the teaching or administrative staff, or any other employee in the University system while employed by the University;
• Current holders of New York elective public office or active candidates for elective public office; and,
• Individuals who have already received an honorary degree from the State University of New York.

For more information on the Guidelines, please visit http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=150

Contact Information

Office of the President
Office: 159 Hawkins Hall
Address: 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, New York 12901

Phone: (518) 564-2010
Fax: (518) 564-3932
E-mail: president_office@plattsburgh.edu