Honorary Doctorate Degree Nomination

Overview & Purpose

There is a long history of academic institutions awarding honorary degrees to recipients who demonstrate significant achievements in the course of their careers. The awarding of such honors is among the highest ways an academic institution can recognize accomplishments. Life Pacific University (LPU) shares in this tradition by awarding Honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees only to individuals of exceptional accomplishment and outstanding character.

The purpose of Life Pacific University (LPU) awarding honorary doctorates is to bring honor and recognition to the University. Granting honorary degrees extends the institution’s prestige and ideals by recognizing individuals whose outstanding accomplishments reflect the University’s mission, vision, and values. Award recipients stand out as models of institutional commitments to biblical higher education, transformational development of students, Spirit-empowerment, Scripture, grace-based community, Foursquare heritage, and global awareness. The awarding of an honorary degree is a means to aid the LPU community in setting and achieving better and higher goals.

Criteria

Life Pacific University awards honorary doctorates to individuals who have distinguished themselves in sustained scholarly achievement, ministry activity, and outstanding service to the Church, the workplace, and the world (business, helping professions, education, etc.) A significant level of achievement in service to the kingdom of God is the overriding criterion. Recipients must have a demonstrated record of outstanding character.

Honorary doctorates:

• • Recognize the person and not the position.
  • Are to contribute in tangible and symbolic ways to the University’s mission and its intellectual, scholarly, and creative ideals.
  • Are not awarded in absentia or posthumously.
  • Are not normally awarded to current employees of the University nor to individuals who have direct legal, political, or budgetary authority over the University.
  • Are not in any case awarded in consideration of any past, present, or future gift or other benefaction to the University.
  • Not limited to alumni or those in ministry fields.

Process

The HDC recommendations will be forwarded to the Administrative Council for review. The President forwards the approved candidate(s) to the Board of Trustees for final approval. If approved by the Trustees, the honorary degree(s) will be awarded by the Trustees of Life Pacific University at the spring commencement.

In order to be considered, nominations must include:

• • A letter explaining why the person should receive the honor, specifically detailing how the person fits the purpose and criteria stated above.
  • Biographical information.
  • A record of accomplishments.
  • Optional: Letters from faculty or peers supporting the record of accomplishments.

Nominations must be kept confidential—the nominee should not know that she/he has been nominated.

The deadline for Submission is Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

Instructions for Submitting Your Nomination

To submit your nomination:

• • Assemble your nomination packet, as outlined in the “Nomination Packet Items” section below, into a single Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF document.
  • Complete the online nomination form.
  • Use the upload button to upload your nomination packet file.
  • Use the submit button to submit your nomination.

Nomination Packet Items

Please assemble the following items listed below. Your packet should be thorough and well-presented and demonstrate your support for the nominee.

Letter of Support

Submit a letter (one page or more) written by you (the nominator) that clearly articulates why the nominee is of exceptional merit and deserving of distinction. Requests to Google or Wiki the nominee in lieu of providing a detailed cover letter is not sufficient material for the Faculty Council Committee to make a determination on the nominee’s merits.

List of Accomplishments

This should highlight the nominee’s major accomplishments and contributions.

Candidate’s Awards/Honors

A list of nationally or internationally renowned awards, honors, or prizes that the nominee has received (e.g., Academy, Emmy or Grammy, or Dove awards; MacArthur, Nobel, or Pulitzer prizes), the year each was received, and the reason they received the award.

Examples of Candidate’s Work

Include any news or journal articles, press, links to radio or television interviews, etc., that highlight and lend credence to the nominee’s accomplishments. You may also wish to submit physical supplementary materials such as books, magazines, CDs, Blu-rays, or DVDs. If so, please indicate in your electronic submission that you will be sending hard copy supplementary material. Copies may be mailed to:

Honorary Doctorate Committee
c/o The Office of the President
Life Pacific University
1100 W Covina Blvd
San Dimas, CA 91773

Questions

If you have any questions, please e-mail us.

Nomination Form

Please complete the online form below to submit your nominee’s information and upload their nomination packet.