Award, honorary degree nominations sought

The Honorary Degree and Distinguished Service Award Committee of SIUC requests your nominations for awards to be given at the 2006 commencements. Although nominations are accepted at any time each year, the current deadline for receiving nomination letters from any source to the Committee is Friday, Oct. 21.

The committee will begin its deliberations soon after this date and will make its recommendations for 2006 awards by Nov. 18.

An Honorary Degree at SIUC is reserved for outstanding scholarly contributors and for persons of considerable renown in any field of activity. If given for other than scholarly contribution, the honorary degree should be awarded only to those persons who have uniquely contributed to human well being or whose accomplishments have resulted in marked benefit to society.

The Distinguished Service Award is reserved for persons who have contributed significantly to Southern Illinois, to the state, and/or the University. No university employee shall be considered for the service award in the year of her or his retirement. However, this does not preclude consideration of an exceptionally qualified employee for an award at the time either before or after the year of retirement.

For either the Honorary Degree or the Distinguished Service Award, the reputation of persons recommended should be sustained or developed over a period of years. In rare instances, a single contribution may be so significant that it is adequate for award.

To be considered, all letters of nomination must be accompanied by a two-three page resume, or curriculum vita, and/or a biographical sketch -- such as an entry in Who's Who in America -- of the candidate that includes a description of the unique contributions of the nominee.

The committee may request additional supportive materials, such as letters of recommendation and copies of representative publications or works, after the initial submission of a nomination. Authoritatively appropriate validation of a nominee's stature should be as broadly substantive and comprehensive as feasible.

Prior to submitting a nomination, we ask that nominators consult with the committee chair to ensure that consistent standards of confidentiality and propriety are followed.

Please direct all inquiries and nominations to the Chair of the Committee, Gary L. Minish, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. The telephone number is 618/453-2469; fax number, 618/453-2505.