BU Invites Faculty, Staff, Trustees to Submit Honorary Degree Nominations
President Melissa L. Gilliam opens the process to a broader community with a focus on faculty submissions and academic excellence
The economic historian Claudia Goldin (right) was presented with an honorary degree during the 2024 Boston University Commencement at Nickerson Field on May 19, 2024. Photo by Michael D. Spencer
BU Invites Faculty, Staff, Trustees to Submit Honorary Degree Nominations
President Melissa L. Gilliam opens the process to a broader community with a focus on faculty submissions and academic excellence
Boston University is changing how it chooses who will receive honorary degrees at its annual Commencement, and putting emphasis on a “commitment to excellence and impact.” The University is inviting faculty, staff, and trustees to submit nominations for people deserving of honorary degrees. (Previously, the selection of candidates rested solely with the president and BU Board of Trustees.)
The deadline for submission for the May 18, 2025, Commencement is fast approaching—January 29—to allow time to review submissions and make decisions.
The decision to open up the nominating process to more of the BU community—a process similar in scope to peer institutions in the Association of American Universities, including University of Pennsylvania, New York University, and the University of Southern California—was made by BU’s new president, Melissa L. Gilliam.
She shared the plan in a letter to faculty last month. Details about the submission process along with a link to submit a nomination can be found here.
“Boston University was founded to be an institution of intellectual rigor representing the highest ideals of higher education, while being open to all people regardless of background,” Gilliam wrote. “An honorary degree from Boston University must reflect these founding values and our commitment to excellence and impact.”
A number of principles will guide the decision-making process, including that “recipients are individuals who have distinguished themselves by making exceptional contributions in scholarship, scientific discovery, the arts, public service, and/or humanitarian leadership, or demonstrated outstanding service to the University.” And “recipients should have made significant contributions to the betterment of society and the world,” and they should “reflect the diversity of the University, the United States, and the international community.”
Nominations should include a letter describing the individual, their career, and the impact of their contribution(s), and a curriculum vitae or biography when possible.
“The choice of people to whom honors are bestowed by BU reflects on the entire University community,” says Nancy Kopell, a William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor at BU, and codirector of the Center for Computational Neuroscience and Neural Technology. “I’m very pleased that the faculty will have the opportunity to participate meaningfully in this process.”
The nomination process will be kept confidential, and a faculty committee will review nominee submissions and provide Gilliam with a list of finalists to be considered; that list will be reviewed by the BU Board of Trustees. Anyone with questions can email honorary@bu.edu.
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