Each year, Saint Louis University seeks applicants for the student speaker at both the midyear and May commencement ceremonies. In addition, the University welcomes nominations for the spring commencement speaker, as well as candidates to be considered to receive honorary degrees.
Members of the SLU community - faculty, students, staff, alumni and benefactors - are invited to nominate worthy individuals to receive honorary degrees.
Confidentiality is a requested and required part of the nomination process. The nominee should not be informed of his or her nomination because not all excellent candidates can be recognized, and knowledge of a failed nomination can be embarrassing and hurtful.
About Honorary Degrees at SLU
Honorary degrees are awarded to individuals based upon their personal and professional achievements and are chosen to:
- Honor those whose actions reflect the mission of Saint Louis University and its nearly 500-year-old Catholic,Jesuit tradition to pursue truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity.
- Recognize the outstanding scholarly, professional, service and creative achievements of members of the local, national or international communities.
- Promote the ideals of faith and justice in the spirit of the Gospels by highlighting efforts to maintain and improve the quality of life for all persons.
- Build the University's reputation of recognizing and honoring deserving individuals known and highly respected for accomplishments in their fields.
The University seeks nominations from all racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
To be considered, nominations must include:
- Examples of the candidate's accomplishments that have contributed to the improvement of humankind and represent the essence of the Jesuit mission.
- A description of the candidate's reputation and public perception.
- A brief list of the candidate's previous honors and awards, as well as academic degrees.
Honorees will be selected by the University Recognition Committee, which includes representation from students, faculty, staff and administration. The University's Board of Trustees will make the final decision.
For more information, call the Office of Community Relations at 314-977-5565 or email honorarydegree@slu.edu.
Speaker and Honorary Degrees FAQ
Members of the SLU community may make a nomination.
Anyone from the SLU community - faculty, students, staff, alumni and benefactors - can make a nomination.
There is no hard-and-fast deadline to submit nominations. However, the earlier that nominations are received before spring commencement, the better.
Yes, and like other candidates, they must exhibit the criteria listed here.
By awarding honorary degrees, the University seeks to:
- Honor those whose actions reflect the mission of Saint Louis University and its nearly 500-year-old Catholic, Jesuit tradition to pursue truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity.
- Recognize the outstanding scholarly, professional, service and creative achievements of members of the local, national or international communities.
- Promote the ideals of faith and justice in the spirit of the Gospels by highlighting efforts to maintain and improve the quality of life for all persons.
- Build the University's reputation of recognizing and honoring deserving individuals known and highly respected for accomplishments in their fields.
They are awarded each year at Spring Commencement. Find the date of this year's spring commencement on the University's Academic Calendar.