Distinguished Service Awards and Honorary Degrees Committee

The following information is taken from US06/07-8

• a. To an individual or individuals who has/have shown outstanding scholarship or artistic achievement in their lifetime;
• b. To an individual or individuals who has/have performed extra-ordinary public service or distinguished service in their lifetime.

• 1. The Distinguished Service Award Committee shall include the following:
• The President of the University of Oregon or his/her designee
• Chairperson of the Faculty Advisory Council
• President of the University Senate
• Chairperson of the Graduate Council
• Chairperson of the Undergraduate Council
• Representative of the Vice President for Advancement
• Director of the University of Oregon Alumni Association
• Five (5) members of the teaching faculty
• President of the Student Senate
• President of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon
• 2. This Committee shall in early October commence the eliciting of applications from the University community as well as from the broader community of the State of Oregon the names of individuals who have met the criteria given in a. & b. above.
 
• a. The Committee shall screen applications, ask for more information about the nominees, and investigate, to their satisfaction that the nominee(s) meet the criteria given above.
• b. It is the responsibility of the Committee to judge each nominee and to determine whether it is appropriate to send the name to the University Senate
• c. The Committee shall do all of its work on honorary degrees in the strictest of confidence.
• d. The University Senate, in Executive Session, shall discuss the candidates presented by the Committee. Members of the Committee shall make the presentations in support of the nominee(s) separately.
• e. The University Senators shall discuss, ask questions of the presenters from the Committee if necessary, and shall vote separately on each nominee. A vote of two-thirds is necessary for the nomination to be approved. Approval of a nomination will place a name into a pool of approved nominees.
• f. The President of the University Senate shall formally inform the President of the University of Oregon of positive votes of the Senate only. Nominees failing to get the two-thirds vote shall not be forwarded to the University President. All documentation on successful nominees shall be turned over to the University President by the President of the University Senate.
• g. The Distinguished Service Award Committee will review, on at least an annual basis, the pool of approved nominees to ensure that it remains appropriate.
• h. From among the group of candidates approved by the University Senate for an Honorary Degree, the President will forward up to two nominees to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education. When the State Board of Higher Education has approved of name(s) submitted by the University of Oregon for this honor the President of the University shall formally notify the candidate(s) and invite them to take part in the honoring ceremony. Names of successful candidates must be forwarded to the State Board of Higher Education at least 90 days prior to the awarding of the degree(s).

The following information is taken from Motion US00/01-6 which revises the charges to the standing University Committees.

CHARGE & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Distinguished Service Awards & Honorary Degrees Committee shall be responsible for the screening, investigation and recommendation of candidates to receive the Distinguished Service awards (no more than 3 per year) and Honorary Degrees (no more than 2 per year). The committee‰s recommendations shall be presented to the University Senate for discussion and final approval.The criteria for selection are contained within the pertinent University Assembly minutes and are on file in the President's Office. The Distinguished Service Award cannot be given to current University of Oregon faculty.

MEMBERSHIP:

Membership of the Distinguished Service Awards & Honorary Degrees Committee is fixed and consists of5 teaching faculty, plus the following ex officio members: UO President or designee (chair), Advisory Council chair, University Senate president, Graduate Council chair, Alumni director, A.S.U.O. president, and Student Senate chair.

REPORTING:

The Distinguished Service Awards & Honorary Degrees Committee shall report to the University Senate. At a minimum this report shall be in the form of an annual written report submitted by the Committee Chair to the Secretary of the University Senate no later than the final University Senate meeting in May. The committee shall also make additional written or oral reports to the Senate as necessary.

See also US01/02-4 which is a process for filling vacancies on elected committees:

Exerpts from the Senate Charter dealing with the Distinguished Services Award and Executive Session

Exerpts from US06/07-15 dealing with degrees for students interned in 1942:

(1) The University Senate of the University of Oregon directs the Distinguished Service Award Committee to implement HB 2823 (2007), which grants the University of Oregon authority to award an honorary degree to a person who was a student at the University of Oregon in 1942 and who was ordered to an internment camp, as follows:

1. a. The Committee shall seek and screen requests for degrees, ask for more information about the person(s) in question, and investigate, to its satisfaction, that the person(s) meet the criteria of HB 2823.
2.      b. It is the responsibility of the Committee to judge each request and to determine whether it is appropriate to forward the person's name to the University Senate for consideration.
3.      c. The Committee shall do all of its work in the strictest of confidence.
4.      d. The University Senate, in Executive Session, shall discuss the case(s) presented by the Committee. Members of the Committee shall make the presentations in support of each person separately.
5.      e. The University Senators shall discuss, ask questions of the presenters from the Committee if necessary, and shall vote separately on each person. A vote of two-thirds is necessary for the case to be approved.
6.      f. The President of the University Senate shall formally inform the President of the University of Oregon only of those persons receiving Senate approval. Cases failing to get the two-thirds vote shall not be forwarded to the University President. All documentation on successful cases shall be turned over to the University President by the President of the University Senate.
7.      g. The Distinguished Service Award Committee will review cases periodically and expeditiously.
8.      h. If the President of the University endorses the decision(s) of the University Senate, the President shall take whatever additional actions that are necessary to implement the award(s) appropriately.
9.      i. The chair of the Distinguished Service Award Committee shall notify the President of the University concerning requests denied either by the DSA or by the Senate, and the President shall take what action the President feels appropriate.
1.    (2) The Distinguished Service Award Committee may, in consultation with the Academic Requirements Committee, with the Independent Study Program, and with other appropriate University Committees, recommend instead the award of an academic rather than an honorary degree to a person who was a student at the University of Oregon in 1942 and who was ordered to an internment camp. In such a case, the processes outlined in 1a)-1i) shall be followed.
2.  (3) Effective date: This legislation shall take effect if HB2823 is enacted into law during 2007.

Membership

• 1999-2000: Dave Hubin (Chair); Stuart Thomas, Molly Westling, Wesley Wilson, Jon Erlandson, Grant McKernie. Linda Kintz, Jessica Timpany, Wylie Chen, Dan Rodriguez, Peter Gilkey, David Frank.
• 2001-2002: Ian Duncan, Ken; Ramsing,; Stuart Thomas; Anne McLucas, Deb Merskin; Dave Hubin (chair),; Peter Wright, Nilda Brooklyn, Dan Rodriguez,; Nathan Tublitz,; Larry Dann, Peter Watts.
• 2002-2003: Dave Hubin, chair; Brown, Richard; Merskin, Deb; Djiffack, Andre; Erlandson, Jon; Hurwit, Jeff; Rachael Pilliod; Dan Rodriguez; Greg McLaughlan; Shaul Cohen; Jackie Lyn Ray; Paul Doerksen
• 2003-2004: Dave Hubin, Chair; Andre Djiffack; Jon Erlandson; Jeff Hurwit. Michael Moffitt, Leslie Straka, Dave Hubin, Rachael Pilliod, Dan Rodriguez, Jackie Lyn Ray, Paul Doerksen.
• 2004-2005: Dave Hubin (Chair), Michael Moffitt, Leslie Myron Straka, Andre Djiffack, Raymond King, Tom Wheeler, Dan Rodriguez.
• 2005-2006: Dave Hubin (Chair), Andre Djiffack, Tom Wheeler, Caroline Forell, , Renee Irvin, Dan Rodriguez.
• 2006-2007: Dave Hubin (Chair), Caroline Forell, Renee Irvin, Bruce Blonigen, Alison Kwok, Dan Rodriguez.
• 2007-2008: Bruce Blonigen, Economics; Alison Kwok, Architecture; Frances Cogan, Honors College; Peter Gilkey, Mathematics ; Richard Sundt, Art History; Dave Hubin (Chair), ASUO Pres; Dan Rodriguez; UO Senate Chair; FAC Chair; ASUO Senate Chair; Graduate Council Chair.
• 2008-2009:Dave Hubin (Chair); Frances Cogan, Honors College; Peter Gilkey, Mathematics; Richard Sundt, Art History; James Mohr, John Bergland, Lynn Kahle, Jane Gordon; Ex officio: Graduate Council Chair (designee Professor Chou); Undergraduate Council Chair (TBA) Dave Hubin, President's Office, Chair; ASUO President; Dan Rodriguez, Alumni Director; University Senate President (Paul van Donkelaar); FAC Chair (John Lysaker); President, Student Senate; Betsy Boyd Associate Vice President for Public and Government Affairs.
• The membership for 2009/2010 is available on the University Committee Web Page 2009/10 University Committee Web Page. It will be posted to this archival web page in late May 2010.

Annual reports
1. May 2008