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In order to receive an honorary degree from Syracuse University, one must meet a number of criteria not explicitly stated by the university or its Committee on Honorary Degrees. 

The Committee on Honorary Degrees listed on its website several considerations for nominees: outstanding achievement in their specific academic, artistic or business field; innovative or creative achievements; humanitarian work; achievements in a field that show prolonged dedication to that field; being a good model for SU graduates; or the honor that the candidate would bring to SU by accepting. 

In past years, people from varying fields have received honorary degrees from the university. At the 2020 commencement, SU granted Daniel D’Aniello, most known for being co-founder of The Carlyle Group, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. SU also gave Kevin Richardson, a member of the Exonerated Five who dreamed of attending SU, an honorary bachelor of fine arts degree. 

In order to receive a degree, the committee must recommend nominees to the University Senate. Anyone in the SU community can submit nominations. Individual schools or colleges may also award honorary degrees, but they are only permitted to award one per year. If a nominated person remains on the nomination list for four years but has not been given the degree, they will be dropped from the list but can potentially be renominated. 

Honorary degrees cannot be given if the recipient is not present for the event. There have been recipients who received the honor posthumously, such as Wangari Muta Maathai, who received an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 2013. Maathai was the first African woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, and she started the Green Belt Movement in Africa, which had women across the continent plant over 30 million trees. 

The committee discusses the nomination packets completed by SU community members before making a final nominee list to present to the University Senate. 

In previous years, SU granted honorary degrees to numerous people, giving the majority of degrees as master’s and doctorates. Richardson received the first honorary bachelor’s degree at SU. 

SU grants Doctor of Fine Arts degrees to professionals in artistic fields, like musicians, artists and directors of museums. Some past recipients include Paul Kellogg, Peter David Eisenman and Jacques d’Amboise.

Doctor of Humane Letters degrees go to professors and professionals of literature, humanities and historians. This honor can also be given to a person who contributes to “general welfare” or the “quality of life.” SU previously gave the honor to Floyd Little, Florence Schorske Wald, Mary Karr, Robert Moses, Alan Gerry and Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, among others. 

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Doctors of Laws are given to people who work in government, are public servants, lawyers, judges, business people, and champions of human rights. William Walsh, Dave Bing, Carolyn Dineen King and Charles Rangel previously received this degree. 

SU gives Doctor of Letters degrees to professional authors, poets and journalists, with some previous recipients being Catherine Liggins Hughes, Bob Costas and Frank McCourt. 

The Doctor of Music degrees go to singers, musicians and composers. Previously, SU gave these to Billy Joel, Joanne Shenandoah-Tekalihwakhwa and Helen Boatwright, among others. 

The Doctor of Science degrees are given to scientists, researchers, administrators and academics in a scientific field, with some past recipients being George Campbell Jr., Jane Goodall, Bruce Alberts and P. Ole Fanger.

Published on November 8, 2021 at 1:03 am

Contact Karoline: kaleonar@syr.edu