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TO: Chancellors, Provosts, Vice Chancellors, Deans, Directors, Department Heads and Chairs, Faculty, CU Foundation, Alumni Associations, and Members of the Public

FROM: Patrick T. O’Rourke Vice President, University Counsel and Secretary of the Board of Regents

SUBJECT: Solicitation of Nominations for 2017 Honorary Degrees, University Medals, and Distinguished Service Awards

The purpose of this letter is to request your assistance in soliciting nominations for University of Colorado 2017 Honorary Degrees, University Medals, and Distinguished Service Awards.

An Honorary Degree (Doctor of Humane Letters or Doctor of Science) is the highest award the University of Colorado can bestow. It is the policy of the Board of Regents to award Honorary Degrees in recognition of outstanding intellectual achievement in one or more of the following areas: intellectual contributions, university service, and/or public service.

University Medals are awarded in recognition of those persons whose achievements and contributions are particularly associated with the university, while Distinguished Service Awards are awarded in recognition of achievements and contributions particularly associated with the state and/or nation.

Nominations must meet the following criteria (Laws of the Regents, Article 9, and Regent Policy 9-A):

Nomination Process:

(a) Each year the vice president, university counsel and secretary of the Board of Regents will solicit names of nominees for these awards. The nomination deadline is November 15, 2016. Late or incomplete nomination packages will not be considered.

(b) Honorary Degree, University Medal, and Distinguished Service Award nominations must be submitted on the award nomination form and supported by three and not more than five letters of recommendation. The nominator will provide the recommendation letters and the nominee's current vitae/resume, address, and telephone number. The complete nomination package must be submitted to the Office of the vice president, university counsel and secretary of the Board of Regents by the deadline date.

(c) Nomination Guidelines

• No person may nominate him/herself, nor may current university employees be nominated.
• Current public officials may not be nominated. Public officials are elected or appointed officials in policy making positions with the ability to directly affect the university through an official act.
• Public officials may be nominated two years after completion of their terms of office.

View the complete policy at

Being nominated is no guarantee of an award. All nominations will be considered confidential. The list of approved honorees will be made public during the spring 2017 semester.

Award selectees will be invited to attend commencement of the nominating campus, but can opt to attend any University of Colorado 2017 or 2018 commencement. Some of the expenses for the honoree to attend commencement ceremony activities will be funded by the host campus.

Nominations are due to campus canvassing committees prior to the Nov. 15, 2016 deadline, the date to be determined by the respective canvassing committee.

It will be the responsibility of the nominator to obtain the required letters of support, vitae or resume, and nominee data. Nominations received by the campus canvassing committees, and judged to be qualified and complete, will be referred to the 2017 Regents Awards Committee by Nov. 15, 2016.

Please direct questions about the process to the respective campuses canvassing committee: