Academic Policies

Honorary Degrees

Honorary Degree

I. Purpose

The California Institute of the Arts bestows Honorary Degrees to individuals in recognition of extraordinary achievements; to highlight the values of the Institute and the contributions that an individual makes or has made to the community or the broader society; and to provide positive acknowledgement of the importance of these contributions to the Institute, its mission, its values, and its community. The recipient shall embody the statement “Through artistic practice, we transform ourselves, each other, and the world.”

The process of selection of an Honorary Degree recipient shall reflect our values, which include agency, empathy, persistence, distinction, equity, rigor, diversity, inclusivity, social justice,  openness, experimentation, critical engagement, and creative freedom. 

II. Selection Criteria

The Board of Trustees seeks to highlight the broadest spectrum of achievements  inclusive of all callings, careers and services which impact the Institute and more importantly the broader  world whether local, regional, national or international. Affiliation with or affinity for the Institute is important, but a lack thereof shall not be a disqualifying factor in awarding an honorary degree. The following factors represent  important criteria for consideration during the review of nominees for an Honorary Degree:

A. Achievements of extraordinary and lasting distinction in an activity consonant with the mission of the Institute. (examples of an ideal candidate can include one or more of the following: the advancement of learning and creation in the arts; distinguished contribution in elective or appointive office; demonstrated advocacy, leadership, or philanthropy related the Institute’s mission; or career service notable for demonstrated qualities of intellect and character)

B. Sound justification for recognition by the Institute of such achievement and distinction: either an association of the individual with the Institute, or a recognizable relationship of a nominee’s achievement to the mission of the Institute;

C. High qualities of personal and professional character and competence;

D. Appropriateness of recognition at a ceremony attended by undergraduate and advanced degree candidates reflecting a diversity of interests and concerns.

E. Current employees and Trustees are not eligible. Provided the above factors are met, a former employee or Trustee may be considered for an Honorary Degree after five years of separation from California Institute of the Arts. Alumni are always eligible.

III. Honorary Degree Types

The Institute always grants the honorary degree title of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa. This designation happens regardless of an honoree’s vocation, or the nature of their accomplishments.

IV. The Institute Committee on Honorary Degrees; Membership. 

The Institute Committee on Honorary Degrees (hereinafter “the Committee”) shall administer the solicitation, collection and review of nominations for Honorary Degrees. The Committee shall be chaired by the Provost. Its membership shall be appointed by the President and shall include the following: The Provost (Chair), The Senior Vice President for Advancement (Vice-Chair),, three (3) faculty members recommended by the academic council, one (1) academic dean, and two (2) members selected by the President (to include, without limitation, individuals from amongst the faculty at various ranks, the Deans or other administrators, alumni, staff, Trustees, or other members of the community). All appointments should take into consideration community participation and diversity, which shall be broadly defined. Terms shall be staggered as three-year (academic year) appointments. Each member, including the Provost and Senior Vice President for Advancement, shall have one vote.

V. Procedures 

The procedures for proposing and awarding Honorary Degrees are as follows:

A. The Committee shall establish its own schedule regarding the nomination and selection process, which shall be coordinated with the meeting schedule of the Board of Trustees. The solicitation for nominees for Honorary Degrees shall normally be undertaken in the fall semester of each academic year.

B. Nominations shall be solicited in writing for review by the Academic Council from all members of the campus community, including the Board of Trustees. All nominations shall be made in writing in accordance with application guidelines and shall be considered in strictest confidence. Following their review the Academic Council will pass along their recommendations to the Committee for their consideration. 

C. The Committee shall establish a process to assure that nominees are thoroughly reviewed and vetted prior to the Committee making its nominations to the Academic and Campus Affairs Committee and the Board of Trustees.

D. The Committee shall present its nominations to the Academic and Campus Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees during the fourth quarter of the current fiscal year. The Committee’s recommendation shall be presented by the Provost, acting as Chair of the Committee, shall be based on the Committee’s deliberations, and shall represent the majority consensus of the Committee. The honorary degree recipient shall be finalized by vote at the annual meeting of the full Board of Trustees. 

E. The Board of Trustees shall consider only those nominations recommended by the Committee.

F. Awardees are expected to be present to receive an Honorary Degree, although it is within the Board of Trustees discretion to make an award in absentia assuming an alternate engagement plan is possible.

G. It is the goal of the Institute to present at least one Honorary Degree each year.

H. Honorary Degrees shall be awarded only at a Commencement.

I. The Committee and/or the Board of Trustees may maintain in its pool for consideration any person recommended, but not selected by the Board of Trustees, for a period of five years. Any person not selected from the pool at the conclusion of the five-year period will be ineligible for re-nomination in the following two years, unless waived by the Board of Trustees.

J. The Board of Trustees on its own motion may revoke, or the Committee may recommend to the Board of Trustees the revocation of, an Honorary Degree if there is a material change in the reputation of the honoree which would compromise the public trust, dishonor the Institute's standards, or otherwise be contrary to the best interest of the Institute. The mere passage of time shall not be a justification for the revocation of an Honorary Degree and shall not constitute a material change in reputation. Honors should not be altered simply because later observers would have made different judgments.

VI. Nomination and Approval of Honorary Degrees by the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the final authority in granting an Honorary Degree. It may be that individuals nominated in a given year may be proposed to the Board to receive an Honorary Degree in a later academic year, depending on the total number of nominations in a given year, and other considerations.

The Honorary Degrees Committee will submit a recommendation to the Academic and Campus Affairs Committee of which nominees should receive Honorary Degrees. The Full Board of Trustees shall receive the recommendation from the Academic and Campus Affairs Committee and vote to grant final approval of Honorary Degree recipients.

The Board of Trustees may approve multiple nominees in a given year with the understanding that, due to scheduling and logistics, an individual nominee may receive the award that year or in a subsequent year’s commencement. Only another vote of the Board of Trustees can rescind the Board’s approval for an Honorary Doctorate after it has been made.

Upon final action by the Board of Trustees, the President or designee shall notify the awardee(s) of their selection. In the event of the death of a nominee after the Board of Trustees has given final approval of the award, a posthumous award of the Honorary Degree may be bestowed by the Institute. If appropriate, a designee may represent the recipient at the award ceremony.