Policy Development Main Page

Effective

AUTHORITY/SOURCE
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
University Graduate School
Faculty Senate

POLICY
A posthumous degree may be awarded if (1) the successful completion of the academic work for which the student was enrolled at the time of death would have qualified him or her for graduation; or (2) there is good reason to believe that the work would have been successfully completed that semester had death not occurred. A doctoral student who had reached candidacy prior to death, but would not qualify under points (1) or (2) above for receipt of the doctoral degree, may be awarded a posthumous master's degree if he or she had not already received an earned master's degree from FIU in the area of his or her research.

PROCEDURE
A request for a posthumous degree ordinarily originates with faculty who worked closely with the student. The request must include a brief statement about the student's progress and accomplishments at FIU and an explanation of how the student satisfies the requirements for a posthumous degree. Awarding a posthumous degree requires approval. Thus, it is inappropriate to say anything to the deceased's family or friends about the possibility that a degree will be awarded posthumously until such time as the request receives University approval.

The request for a posthumous degree requires review and approval at the following levels:

a. The request must receive the approval of the graduate committee, the graduate program director, departmental faculty, and the chair. Before the request leaves the department, faculty members responsible for any courses in process at the time of death must assign a grade for those courses.
b. The request must receive the approval of the dean of the school or college in which the department is housed.
c. The request must receive the approval of the Dean of the University Graduate School.
d. The request must receive the approval of the Provost on behalf of the President and the Board of Trustees.

After the Provost approves the request, the Dean of the University Graduate School transmits the information to the Registrar and the coordinator of Commencement activities. The graduate dean then works with the department chair and the unit dean to arrange for the family to receive the degree at commencement.

Page last updated: November 19, 2002