Posthumous Degree

UMass Lowell Policy on Conferral of Posthumous Degrees

Rationale: The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a caring and humane institution that takes special responsibility to recognize our students’ achievements. This includes recognizing the achievements of students who have passed away during pursuit of his or her degree. This policy is meant to make clear the University’s position, avoid confusion, and empower Colleges and Provost to award a diploma when appropriate. They are in the best situation to determine if a student has completed enough of the planned degree program to warrant granting a degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Policy: The University may grant undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees posthumously. If a College determines that a deceased student was in good standing and had completed enough credits towards a degree, the Chancellor has the authority to grant the degree posthumously, on the recommendation of the academic department, the dean of the college and approval by the Provost. Undergraduate students should have entered his or her senior year. Graduate students should have completed enough work toward the thesis or dissertation, if required for the degree, for there to be a draft that the thesis/dissertation committee can review. Other graduate and professional degree candidates should have substantially completed requirements. The request should give in writing the rationale for awarding the degree posthumously, and it must indicate the Dean’s approval on behalf of the faculty in the student’s major department that any remaining credits required for the degree are waived. The award of a posthumous degree does not require action on the part Board of Trustees.

Direct Certification of a Student Who Has Died: If a student dies and is far enough advanced in his or her final term that the instructors can give grades in all courses and all other requirements are also satisfied, then the degree will be awarded as earned. In this case, the transcript does not carry any special notation of posthumous award. The procedure in this case will be the Registrar’s Office degree certification process with the usual approvals, accompanied by a memorandum of explanation from the department.

**The special posthumous degree policy detailed here is invoked when a student cannot be certified as having completed all required academic work.

Procedure: A request may be made to the Office of the Registrar or may also be initiated by an academic department.  The academic department will be responsible for reviewing the student’s academic record to determine if enough of the degree requirements have been completed. In most cases the student should have completed at least 75% or more of his or her curricular requirements. The recommendation goes to the dean of the college for review and approval and then to the Provost approval. If the Provost grants approval, the Dean of the student’s college and the registrar will be notified. (If the Provost does not approve the posthumous degree, the Dean of the student’s college will be so notified.)

After the posthumous degree has been approved, the Office of the Registrar will mail the diploma to the family member, or, if desired, give it to the dean or other appropriate University official(s) for presentation in a private gathering as a special gesture to the family; or a family member may choose to receive the diploma on the student’s behalf at the commencement ceremony. The Office of the Registrar will add the student’s name and posthumous designation to the graduation lists and up-coming commencement program. The Registrar shall enter final grades of “IP” in classes that were in progress. The degree will be posted on the student’s permanent record as follows (example):

BACHELOR OF ARTS (B.A.)
MAJOR: ENGLISH
DEGREE CONFERRED POSTHUMOUSLY

No special notation will be made on the diploma.