Honoring George W. Bush: Academic Awards and University Governance

Abstract: Over the past several years, colleges and universities in the United States have gone through the embarrassment of inviting and then disinviting distinguished and well known individuals to give commencement speeches, receive awards, and to be honored by the school. This paper does not attempt to resolve the problem of who should be chosen and who should not but addresses the issue of process. Is there not a better way to avoid the conflict and protests that have accompanied academic honors in recent years? The example here focuses on honoring President George W. Bush and suggests a way out for institutions of higher learning.

Key words: George W Bush, academic awards, disinviting speakers, university governance