By now you may have heard that ASU is not planning to confer an honorary degree on President Obama when he gives the commencement speech there in June. A few local media outlets have written about it here in Arizona, and I have an article on the front page of HuffPo right now.
But the story doesn't end there -- or rather, it shouldn't end there.
First, a little background from my article:
Universities typically confer an honorary degree on commencement speakers, particularly those who have reached the pinnacle of their career or achieved the top of their field. Arizona State University (ASU), though, says it will not confer an honorary degree on this year's commencement speaker, President Barack Obama, because "his body of work is yet to come."
ASU Media Relations Director Sharon Keeler says, unlike other universities, the processes for selecting commencement speakers and honorary degree recipients are independent. She says that honorary degrees are given "for an achievement of eminence" and that Obama was not considered for an honorary degree because his body of achievements, at this time, does not fit within that criteria.
I'm not the only one who thinks ASU should grant the honorary degree to Obama. The East Valley Tribune posted an editorial by mid day today, just hours after the news came out:
Arizona State University has handed out honorary doctorate degrees to pioneering scientists and college presidents, titans of oil and computer microchips, newspaper publishers and generous donors, a foreign communist educator and a successful movie director.
But no president of the United States has been deemed worthy of ASU’s recognition, not even the nation’s first black president. It’s an odd gap that besmirches the image of an excellent institution.
Here is where you come in. The ASU Honorary Degree Committee accepts nominations for honorary degree recipients from members of the ASU academic community at any time during the year. This includes faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, donors, and so on... That's right. If you have a relationship with ASU, any legitimate relationship, you can make a nomination directly to the committee.
The chairs are Laurie Chassin and Christine Wilkinson. According to ASU's spokesperson, all nominations should be sent directly to the chairs.
One thing I'd like to add. Please BE RESPECTFUL. I honestly think this was more of a bureaucratic snafu than anything, and then ASU just didn't know how to avoid the PR nightmare. Friends of mine at the university are getting undeserved hatemail just for doing their jobs, and they had nothing to do with any decisions -- so please, be respectful if you write in to the university.
UPDATE: Laurie Chassin is on sabbatical this year. She has been and will be uninvolved in this year's honorary degree evaluations.