Posthumous Awards for Students Policy

Board Policy Alignment:

E-1 Ends

Approval Date: September 1, 2026                         

Last Revision Date: September 1, 2026

Responsible Official: Vice President for Student Experience

Purpose


Frederick Community College (“FCC” or the “College”) recognizes that family members, and members of the College community may wish to honor the academic achievement, leadership, or service of students who are deceased.

This Policy establishes consistent, equitable, and institutionally governed standards under which posthumous degrees, certificates, and special recognition awards may be granted, while ensuring appropriate sensitivity to students’ families and alignment with academic integrity and governance expectations.

 

Scope


This policy applies to all requests for posthumous awarding of academic degrees,

certificates and special recognition awards conferred by the College.

 

Policy


Posthumous degrees, certificates, and special recognition awards may be granted at the discretion of the College when the eligibility criteria outlined in the Policy are met.[C1] 

No posthumous award is conferred automatically, and all determinations are subject to institutional review and approval.

Eligibility Criteria for Posthumous Degrees and Certificates

A posthumous degree or certificate may be awarded when all the following conditions are met:

  • The student must have been enrolled at Frederick Community College or had been enrolled within the immediately preceding academic semester (fall or spring).
  • The student had earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 at the time of death.
  • The student had completed at least 75% of the credit requirements of the applicable program or was reasonably expected to meet this threshold upon completion of the semester in which the death occurred.

The College may consider documented exceptions to the criteria above in extraordinary circumstances, including, but not limited to:

  • A disruption in enrollment due to serious illness or injury
  • Served in the armed forces

Eligibility Criteria for Special Recognition Awards

A special recognition award may be conferred posthumously to honor a deceased student whose leadership, service, or contributions had a meaningful impact on the College community.

  • Determination of eligibility for a special recognition award shall be made by the appropriate academic or administrative unit, consistent with institutional values.
  • The student must have earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 at the time of death.

Authority and Institutional Approval

Authority to review and advance recommendations for posthumous degrees, certificates, and special recognition awards is delegated by the College to the Vice President for Student Experience and the Provost, or their designees.

Final approval for the conferral of any posthumous degree, certificate, or special recognition award rests with the President of the College.

Conferral and Recognition

Posthumous degrees, certificates, and special recognition awards shall be formally conferred by the College in a manner that reflects institutional dignity and respect for the student and their family.

The timing, format, and method of recognition are governed by administrative procedure and may include public or private presentation, as appropriate. The format, type, and conferral of any posthumous award are determined by the College consistent with institutional academic standards. Family preference may inform, but does not govern, these determinations.

Exceptions

Exceptions to the Policy may be considered in extraordinary circumstances. Any proposed exception requires joint review by the Provost and the Vice President for Student Experience prior to submission to the President for final determination. Policy vs. Procedure Alignment. General orientation note: Much of the feedback received during the review cycle addresses operational elements (e.g., evaluation criteria, documentation requirements, and process steps) that are more appropriately governed by the accompanying administrative procedure rather than the policy itself. The policy text appropriately focuses on eligibility standards, authority, and institutional governance. Reviewers should direct workflow-level recommendations to the procedure development process.