Effective March 30, 2016

Policy on the Awarding of Posthumous Degrees

The achievements and contributions of Valparaiso University students are formally recognized at graduation.  In case of the death of a student who has made substantial progress toward a degree, it is important that the University acknowledge the work of this individual. To this end, the University will inform the family that, upon written request from a family member to the Registrar, the appropriate faculty committee may recommend conferral of the posthumous degree under the following policy requirements:

• The student should have completed at least 75% of their degree-seeking, active program’s credit hour requirements at the time of his/her death.  Students in certificate programs only are not degree-seeking.
• The student should have been in good academic (at least the minimum GPA required for graduation in the student’s program of study) and social standing at the University at the time of his/her death.
• The student should have been enrolled for coursework at the University at the time of his/her death.
• Courses in progress will be marked with the grade of ‘S’ for satisfactory to avoid any changes to the student’s current semester and cumulative GPA.
• As with other candidates for graduation, the posthumous degree will be recommended to the appropriate committee (Educational Policy Committee or Graduate Educational Policy Committee).
• The student's name will appear in the graduation program. The student's family will decide if the name will be read and the degree conferred during the next graduation ceremony immediately following the death or in a private ceremony.
• The degree will be marked as awarded posthumously on the student’s transcript/academic record as well as on the diploma, which will additionally note the appropriate degree/major and will be available to the family.