Award Barack Obama an Honorary ASU Degree

  • Author:
    n/a
  • Send To:
    ASU Honorary Degree Committee
  • Sponsored By:
    ASU Students, Faculty, and Alumni
  • More Info at:
Are you the Author?
Arizona State University has chosen to not award President Barack Obama with an honorary degree when he speaks at the ASU commencement on May 13th, 2009.

According to ASU spokeswoman Sharon Keeler this is because:
Its normally awarded to someone who has been in their field for some time, she said. Considering that the president is at the beginning of his presidency, his body of work is just beginning.

As a 2008 graduate of ASU, I would have been very honored to have him speak at my commencement ceremony. It is in fact an honor that such an important figure has chosen to speak at the commencement ceremony for Arizona State University. It is a travesty that he is not deemed worthy enough of an honorary degree. This decision has brought ridicule and shame to the university, and this is not appreciated by the students and alumni of ASU.

This petition is for the ASU Honorary Degree committee, the administrators of ASU, and the Arizona Board of Regents. All of the undersigned believe that Barack Obama should in fact be presented an Honorary Degree at the commencement ceremony on May 13th.

8 Signatures

  • Tom Greenhaw
    • Comments
    • В
    • ASU student or alumni
    • No
  • Adrian Trujillo
    • ASU student or alumni
    • No
  • Ben Walters
    • Comments
    • As an ASU alum I find it sickening that my University will not give this honor to Obama. If becoming the first African-American president isn't a lifetime achievement, I don't know what is.
    • ASU student or alumni
    • No
  • Bonita Christianson
    • Comments
    • YOU should consider it an honor if he would ACCEPT your honorary degree.
    • ASU student or alumni
    • No
  • Michelle Sanchez
    • Comments
    • Our university is a first-class institution and it would be our honor to be the first to bestow President Obama since his taking office. I have been proud donate to my alma mater and now this slight makes me think twice about it.
    • ASU student or alumni
    • No
  • Robert Silverman
    • Comments
    • President of the United States, Leader of the Free World, Honorary Degree, Any Questions?
    • ASU student or alumni
    • No
  • Charles Jencks
    • Comments
    • Michael M. Crow you have committed a great disservice.
    • ASU student or alumni
    • No
  • Tarrick Peyton
    • Comments
    • I am Alumni of Oxford University and MIT, and I have to say,how can you not give an honorary degree to the president of the united sates whom is the first black president who graduated from harvard univeristy and and has been in a field of expertise longer than most professors at ASU. That is a slap in the face and honestly i think culturally biased and racist, you give degrees to students who graduate in flip flops and hide flasks under there robes and has an acceptance at the university of 93.5\% where Harvard only accepts 32\% into there university whick makes it harder to get into the University. ASU is a disgrace by doing that and I promise that one little action will put a tremendous damper on the universities rapport and the student body acceptance will drop quite a bit.
    • ASU student or alumni
    • No