Nominate Candidates for 2025 Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degrees

The Office of the Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary invites the Class of 2025, faculty, and staff to nominate candidates for the 2025 Commencement Speaker and the annual presentation of honorary degrees and award for distinguished service to the community.

Please observe the following guidelines in submitting nominations:

For each person nominated, please submit a one to two page letter including biographical information (including their educational background and, if available, their contact information) and reasons for your nomination, according to the Board of Trustees guidelines as summarized below.  This letter is required for a nomination to be considered.

Nominations should be no more than two pages in length and should be submitted to the Office of the Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary, by email at secretary.office@oberlin.edu by end of day Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

If the nominee is an Oberlin alumnus, please include the year of graduation.

HONORARY DEGREES: The purpose in awarding honorary degrees is to honor persons who have made distinguished contributions in scholarship, music, the arts, business, the professions, or in social service. Generally, recipients should be persons who have not already received wide recognition (numerous honorary degrees, public awards, and citations, etc.) for their achievements, and in no instance should the college award an honorary degree for the sake of publicity. Persons with an Oberlin connection should be given special consideration. In selecting candidates to be honored for “social service,” special attention should be given to Oberlin graduates whose lives and work have exemplified the values of the Oberlin College and Conservatory community.

AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY: This award is to be conferred upon “persons from the Lorain County area who have made significant contributions to the welfare of the community and its residents.” Oberlin College and Conservatory employees are not eligible.

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER: If you would like to suggest that your nominee be considered as a Commencement Speaker, please indicate accordingly in your nomination.

The General Faculty Honorary Degrees Committee will consider candidates for these designations. The Board of Trustees will then review the committee’s recommendations and, if the Board deems it appropriate, will vote on the committee’s recommendations.