Posthumous Degrees

David R. Colburn, Interim Provost

On the rare occasions when it is deemed appropriate to award a degree posthumously, there is often uncertainty as to the appropriate procedures to follow. To respond to these situations in a sensitive and consistent manner, the following University guidelines that were established by Dr. Andrew Sorensen are being continued:

Conferring of Degrees:

Undergraduate Degree:

• Departments should notify their college dean of a proposed degree to be awarded posthumously.
• The dean supporting the department’s wish to award a degree posthumously should address a letter to the Provost requesting permission to grant a posthumous degree.
• The letter should include the degree and the term for which the student should be awarded the degree posthumously. It also should indicate the student’s proximity to the completion of the degree.
• If the Provost approves the request, the requester will be notified in writing, with a copy to the Office of the University Registrar.

Professional Degree:

• This includes Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, and Pharmacy.
• A college wishing to award a degree posthumously should address a letter to the Provost requesting permission to grant a posthumous degree.
• The letter should include the degree and the term for which the student should be awarded the degree posthumously. It also should indicate the student’s proximity to the completion of the degree.
• If the Provost approves the request, the requester will be notified in writing, with a copy to the Office of the University Registrar.

Graduate Degree:

• A department wishing to award a degree posthumously should address a letter to the Dean of the Graduate School, requesting permission to grant the posthumous degree.
• If the Dean approves, a request in writing will be submitted to the Provost.
• The Dean’s letter should include the degree and the term for which the student should be awarded the degree posthumously.
• It also should indicate the student’s proximity to the completion of the degree.
• If the Provost approves the request, the requester will be notified in writing, with a copy to the Office of the University Registrar and to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Diploma/Transcripts/Commencement Program:

Undergraduate, Professional, and Graduate Degrees:

• The Office of the University Registrar will order a diploma and will apply the appropriate degree remarks to the student’s transcript.
• The Office of the University Registrar will release the diploma for mailing or presentation to the family to the Department, College, or Graduate School.
• Depending on the time of the approval, the posthumous recipient may be included in the commencement program with the appropriate annotation. It is most appropriate that the diploma be presented to the family either privately or at individual college ceremonies.

Family Notification:

Undergraduate, Professional and Graduate Degrees:

• The Provost/President will write a letter to include with the diploma if the college requests such a letter. No notification to the family should occur until the award of the degree is officially approved.
• The Provost’s/President’s letter will officially confer the degree posthumously and express sympathy on behalf of the university community. It can be mailed or presented to the family with the diploma.
• If the family of the recipient of the posthumous degree wishes to attend a commencement ceremony, the department or college or Graduate School should contact the President’s Office to make arrangements for family members who attend the ceremony to be seated in the reserved section. After the last person from the college has crossed the stage, the dean will step up to the microphone and announce the deceased candidate’s name, the degree awarded, and state, “posthumous.” The department, college or Graduate School should make arrangements to acquire the diploma from the Office of the University Registrar the day before commencement to present to the parents privately after the ceremony.
• Only degree recipients may walk across the stage.
• The Provost/President letter does note preclude the student’s department, college, or the Graduate School from writing a letter to the family of the student expressing sympathy with, perhaps, a personal note regarding the student’s academic performance or contributions.

If you have any questions regarding these procedures, please call Betsy L. Worley (bworley@ufl.edu) or Dee Dugger (ddugger@ufl.edu) at 392-1374, extension 7242 or 7202.