Most American colleges and universities honor alumni, donors, and others through not only degrees, but also named buildings, chairs, and other forms of recognition. Recent controversies, however, suggest that boards should think twice before bestowing such honors. Trustees should establish transparent and consistent standards for the process by which an honorary degree is conferred. The author contends that academic freedom and free expression should heavily influence decisions concerning honorary degrees, and that the governing boards should adopt and implement guiding principles that reflect abiding values such as academic freedom and due process. (Contains 1 online resource.)

Citation
Robert M. O’Neil, Keeping the Honor in Honorary Degrees, Trusteeship 19–23 (July, 2011).
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