Effective: June 10,
2003
PURPOSE
To establish procedures for awarding posthumous graduate degrees.
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.
