Call for Nominations: 2022 Honorary Degrees

Members of the campus community are invited to nominate candidates to receive honorary doctorates from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Candidates for an honorary degree may be nominated by faculty, staff, students or alumni of the UMass Amherst campus. Nominees should be especially outstanding and renowned in their field. Factors that are considered include distinguished intellectual, social or creative achievements in a specific field of endeavor and/or having made extraordinary contributions to the University or to the Commonwealth. In recognition of UMass Amherst’s commitment to diversity, nominations should take into consideration social, economic, national, racial, gender and cultural diversity. The Board of Trustees policy concerning the nomination and awarding of honorary degrees is available at University of Massachusetts Policy on Awarding Honorary Degrees.

To ensure full consideration, the nomination package must include the official nomination form, found online and a cover letter explaining in detail how the candidate meets the criteria for selection. Be sure to outline the nominee’s achievements and contributions, and include biographical and other supporting information. If the person has a connection or relationship to UMass Amherst, that information should be included as well.

There is a lengthy, selective process with several steps of consideration and approval. Deliberations must remain confidential at all stages; the advisory committee will not be able to discuss the status of nominees once the process is underway. In addition, it is important that nominees not be notified of their nomination. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, April 21. For nominations received by Wednesday, April 21, 2021 the earliest an honorary degree will be awarded is 2022.