President Louis Caldera announced today that the University of New Mexico has changed its honorary degree policies in a way that will allow the university to award an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters to actor and humanitarian Ricardo Montalban without his having to travel to New Mexico.
Ricardo Montalban was recommended by the university’s faculty and president and approved by the regents to receive an honorary degree to have been awarded at the University’s May 14th Spring Commencement Ceremony. However, due to Mr. Montalban’s inability to attend the ceremony because of ill health he did not receive the award.
“Although the university’s long standing policy has been that honorary degrees are only awarded at commencement, and that the individual must be present to receive the degree, the unique circumstances of Mr. Montalban’s inability to travel due to ill health warrants an exception to that requirement,” said President Caldera.
Mr. Montalban’s inability to attend the ceremony became known only at the last minute; however, in the subsequent days, the university’s faculty, regents and president have reviewed the university’s policies and practices and explored the possibility of making an exception to the policy so that the degree could be awarded at a different time and place.
“ I appreciate the Faculty Honorary Degree Subcommittee and Graduate Degree Committee’s looking into these matters and their recommendation that the commencement attendance requirement be waived in emergencies,” said President Caldera. The change in policy allows for recipients to be awarded the degree in another forum within one year of the selection.
“We had not dealt with emergency situations such as this, where the recipient is unable, due to failing health, to attend the ceremony. We understand that Mr. Montalban is quite ill and may likely not be able to attend an academic event even if rescheduled for the fall semester,” said Claudia Isaac, chair of the Senate Graduate Committee and Honorary Degree Subcommittee. “In this exceptional situation it is very appropriate to honor him in California.”
Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989
Posted by scarr at May 25, 2005 04:01 PM