Approved by President’s Cabinet 5/27/14
Revisions Adopted by President’s Cabinet 7/25/17
Revisions Adopted by President’s Cabinet 9/25/18
Revisions Adopted by President’s Cabinet 12/18/18
In appropriate circumstances, East Georgia State College (EGSC) may honor an undergraduate student or former student within two semesters of last attendance, by granting a degree posthumously. This status will be reserved for those students who have made substantial progress toward completion of degree requirements as indicated below. The process for granting the posthumous degree will begin with Enrollment Management–Registrar’s Office upon notification and confirmation of the student’s death. If, at the time of death:
-
- The student is within 15 credit hours of completing their degree requirements, a degree audit shall be initiated by the Registrar to confirm credit hours completed at the time of the student’s death.
- The student must have had a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average.
- The student should have been in good academic standing, should have met the residency requirements and should have had no student conduct issues.
- The President will have been notified via the Death of a Student - Institutional Response Policy concerning deceased student’s eligibility to receive a posthumous degree.
- Requests for a posthumous degree to be awarded to a deceased student may be submitted by faculty, staff, students, family, or friends of the deceased. The request shall be submitted to the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. The VPASA shall confirm the deceased student’s eligibility with the Registrar. The VPASA shall then make a recommendation to the President for consideration.
- If permission is granted by the President to award the degree, the Registrar will ensure that the student’s name is included in the next commencement program or the ceremony of the family’s choosing.
- The President will notify the student’s immediate family of the granting of the degree and invite them to attend the next upcoming graduation ceremony (confirmation by the family is necessary). If the family is unable to attend due to the close proximity of the ceremony and the date of the student’s death, the family will be invited to the next graduation ceremony.
- Immediate family is defined for the purposes of this policy to include in contact priority order: the emergency contact as defined by deceased student on Banner record, spouse, domestic partner, maternal parent, paternal parent, and child of legal age in order of earliest birth.
- The President’s Office will notify the Registrar of the family’s decision.
- In cases where the family chooses not to attend the commencement exercise, the diploma and commencement program will be mailed to the deceased student’s last permanent address.
- It shall be incumbent upon the Registrar to inform the Business Office concerning the death and total withdrawal of the student for the refund of tuition monies or the execution of a tuition waiver.
A letter of condolence shall be issued to the families of deceased students who have attended EGSC but do not meet the qualifications for a posthumous degree.
On the transcript the degree name and program appears with “Awarded Posthumously” but will not appear on the diploma.
