Policies & Procedures

AA4031 Awarding of Posthumous Degrees Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish the criteria and institutional process by which SUNY Broome  Community College may award a posthumous degree to a deceased student, in alignment with SUNY  system requirements and applicable New York State law.

 Statement of the Policy

SUNY Broome Community College may award a posthumous degree to a matriculated student who passes  away prior to completing their degree, provided the criteria outlined in this policy are met.

The College recognizes posthumous degrees as a means of honoring the academic achievements and  progress of students whose educational pursuits were interrupted due to death.

All determinations and awards of posthumous degrees must align with SUNY system guidance and be  reviewed through appropriate institutional processes.

Related Procedures

• SUNY System Guidance on Posthumous Degrees
• SUNY Broome Academic Policies
• Student Conduct Policy

To whom it applies

This policy applies to all matriculated students of SUNY Broome Community College and to College officials  responsible for academic records, degree conferral, and student recognition.

General Guidelines

1. Request and Consent

A request for a posthumous degree must be initiated by a family member, survivor, or legal  representative of the student. The College President may also initiate consideration of a  posthumous degree; however, consent from a family member, survivor, or legal representative  must be obtained prior to proceeding.

2. Verification of Death

The College must verify the student’s death through appropriate documentation.

 3.  Academic and Conduct Standing

The student must have been in good academic and conduct standing at the time of death.

Consideration may be given to extenuating circumstances related to the student’s passing that may  have impacted their standing.

 4.  Academic Progress Toward Degree

For associate degrees, the College requires a minimum level of academic progress:  ○  30 credits completed toward the degree, and

○  At least 6 credits completed at SUNY Broome.

 5.  Approval Authority

The President of the College has final authority to approve the awarding of a posthumous degree.  Exceptions to the stated criteria may be approved at the discretion of the President.

 6.  Diploma and Transcript

○  The diploma will be issued in standard format and provided at no cost to the family.

○  The transcript will reflect the awarded degree in accordance with institutional practices  but will not be included in external reporting metrics (e.g., IPEDS).

 7.  Non-Restrictive Criteria

The College will not impose additional restrictive conditions for consideration, including time limits  on when a request may be submitted.

 8.  Alternative Recognition

In cases where a posthumous degree is not appropriate or criteria are not met, the College may  consider alternative forms of recognition.

 Roles and Responsibilities

• Office of the Registrar – Coordinates verification,  academic review, and processing of posthumous  degree requests and records.
• Vice President for Academic Affairs (or Designee) – Reviews, and recommends to the president,  posthumous degree awards.
• College President – May approve exceptions to policy
• Family Member / Legal Representative – Initiates or  consents to the request for a posthumous

 Definitions

For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply :

• Posthumous Degree:
  • degree awarded after a student’s death in recognition of academic progress toward completion of a program
• Matriculated Student:
  • student who has been formally admitted into a degree program at the College.
• Good Academic Standing:
  • status indicating the student was meeting institutional academic requirements at the time of last enrollment, subject to review of extenuating circumstances.