--SOLICITATION FOR COMMENCEMENT 2008--

 

 

September 2006

 

 

 

To Members of the Columbia University Community:

 

            The Trustees and the Executive Committee of the University Senate invite you to nominate candidates for Columbia University honorary degrees and the University Medal for Excellence, which will be awarded at Commencement 2008. 

 

            Please attach current, in-depth biographical and background information (see example on the next page) to each nomination form.  We also request that you include a letter of nomination stating why your proposed candidate(s) should receive a University honor.  Please submit all responses to this solicitation by Friday, October 6, 2006 

 

            Thank you.

 

                                                                       Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

                        William V. Campbell                                                      Paul Duby

                        Chair of the Trustees                                         Chair of the Executive Committee

                                                                                                  of the University Senate

 

 

 

                PLEASE submit NOMINATIONs BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2006 TO:

 

                                                            HONORS AND PRIZES

Office of the Secretary, Columbia University

                                                        211 Low Memorial Library

                                               535 West 116 Street, Mail Code 4324

New York, NY  10027

 

                                ***NOMINATIONS MUST INCLUDE CURRENT AND

                                    IN-DEPTH BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION***

(See example on the next page.)

 

 

SAMPLE FORMAT FOR BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

 

 

RITA DOVE

Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet and

Former Poet Laureate of the United States

 

Year of birth:                1952

Place of birth:                Akron, OH

Education:                     Oberlin College, B.A., 1974

                                    Universität Tübingen (Germany), postgraduate, 1974 – 1975

                                    University of Iowa, MFA, 1977

Honorary degree(s):      Miami University, 1988; Knox College, 1989; Tuskegee University, 1994;

                                    University of Miami, 1994; Washington University, 1994; Case Western Reserve University, 1994; University of Akron, 1994; Arizona State University, 1995;

                                    Boston College, 1995; Dartmouth College, 1995; Spelman College, 1996;

                                    University of Pennsylvania, 1996; University of North Carolina, 1997;

                                    University of Notre Dame, 1997; Northeastern University, 1997

Nominator(s):                Alan Stone, Vice President for Public Affairs

Basis for nomination:     Nomination letter is attached.

 

Background information (professional):  

                                    Arizona State University, assistant professor (1981-1984); associate professor

                                       (1984 – 1987); professor (1987 – 1989)          

                                    Library of Congress, U.S. Poet Laureate/Consultant in Poetry (1993-1995)          

                                    University of Virginia, professor (1989-1993); Commonwealth Professor of

                                       English (1993 – present)        

Author: Ten Poems (1977), The Only Dark Spot in the Sky (1980), The Yellow House on the Corner (1980), Mandolin (1982), Museum (1983), Fifth            Sunday            (1985), Thomas and Beulah (1986), The Other Side of the House (1988),     Grace Notes (1989), Through the Ivory Gate (1992), Lady Freedom

   Among Us (1994), The Darker Face of the Earth (1994), Mother Love (1995),

                                       The Poet’s World (1995)

 

Honors and awards:       Fulbright Scholar, Universität Tübingen (1974-75); National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Writing Fellow (1978 and 1989); Portia Pittman Fellow,  National Endowment for the Humanities, Tuskegee Institute (1982); Guggenheim Fellow (1983-84); Lavan Younger Poet Award, the Academy of American Poets (1986); Callaloo Award (1986); Pulitzer Prize in poetry (1987); Bellagio Residency, The Rockefeller Foundation (1988); Mellon Fellow, National Humanities Center (1988-89); Ohioan Award (1990); Phi Beta Kappa poet, Harvard University (1993); NAACP Great American Artist Award (1993); Virginia College Stores Book Award (1993); Carl Sandburg Award, International Platform Association (1994); Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement (1994); Renaissance Forum Award, Folger, Shakespeare Library (1994)

 

 

 

 

 

                                              HONORS CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHY

 

 

CANDIDATE:                       

 

PRESENT POSITION:

 

CANDIDATE’S ADDRESS:                         

 

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH:                                                     

 

EDUCATION:

 

HONORARY DEGREES RECEIVED (university and year):

 

PROPOSED UNIVERSITY HONOR (please check one):

       Honorary Degree                  University Medal for Excellence

 

NOMINATOR:                                                         

 

NOMINATOR’S ADDRESS:           

 

JUSTIFICATION (Major Accomplishments):

NOTE: Please state why your proposed candidate should receive a University honor.  Also, please provide the Committees with current, in-depth biographical and background information. (If necessary, attach additional pages.)

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

______________________________

Signature of Nominator

 

               PLEASE SEND ALL NOMINATIONS BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2006 TO:

 

HONORS AND PRIZES

Office of the Secretary, Columbia University

211 Low Memorial Library

535 West 116th Street, Mail Code 4324

New York, NY  10027

 

ALL NOMINATIONS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY CURRENT, IN-DEPTH

BIOGRAPHICAL AND BACKGROUND MATERIAL

(See the next page for honorary degree categories.)

 

 

 

 

                                  HONORARY DEGREE CATEGORIES

 

Professor Emeritus/Emerita:

To be awarded to an outstanding professor emeritus/emerita of Columbia University

 

The Arts:

Architecture                                          Urban Planning                         Communications

The Dance                                            Drama                                      Film

Journalism                                             Music                                       Painting and Sculpture

Writing            

 

The Humanities and Social Sciences:

Anthropology                                        Archeology                               Art History

Business Theory                                    Economics                                Geography

History                                                 International Relations               Languages and Literature

Law and Legal History                          Music                                       Philosophy

Political Science                                    Psychology                               Religion

Sociology                                              Teaching

 

The Natural, Applied, and Pure Sciences:

Astronomy                                            Biology                                     Botany 

Chemistry                                             Earth Sciences                          Engineering

Mathematics                                         Health Sciences                                    Meteorology

Oceanology                                           Physics                                     Statistics

Zoology

 

Public Life and Government:

Business Leaders                                  Civil Rights Leaders                  Diplomats

Educational Leaders                              Environmentalists                      Foreign Government officials

Foundation Heads                                  Heads of Research Institutes     Heads of State             

Labor Leaders                                      Lawyers                                   Librarians                    

Museum Directors and Curators             Philanthropists                           Political Leaders           

Religious Leaders                                  Social Leaders                          United States Government

                                                                                                                officials

 

Background and guidelines for honorary degrees and the University Medal for Excellence:

 

Honorary degrees were first awarded in 1758.  Honorees do not need to be graduates of Columbia University.  No honorary degree or University Medal for Excellence will be awarded to any person who is a full-time regular officer of the University. 

 

The University Medal for Excellence was first awarded in 1929.  The current practice is to award one Medal per year at Commencement to an alumnus or alumna.  Hence, graduates from all divisions of the University, including Barnard College and Teachers College, are eligible for the Medal.  The candidate must be a person under 45 years of age whose record in scholarship, public service, and/or professional life is outstanding. 

 

Neither the University Medal for Excellence nor honorary degrees are awarded in absentia.