TEMPE, Ariz.
Stung by criticism of its decision not to award President Barack Obama an honorary degree when he makes a commencement address next month, Arizona State University announced Saturday it will rename a scholarship program for the president.
ASU President Michael Crow also issued an apology for the “confusion” surrounding the honorary degree decision.
“It has always been our intention to recognize and honor President Obama’s accomplishments during his visit, but we had not yet determined the best or most appropriate way to do so,” Crow said in a statement. “Although the focus and attention of the media and others has been on an honorary degree, we never felt that was the only, or even the best, means of honoring his tremendous service to our country.”
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University spokeswoman Sharon Keeler told The Associated Press on Wednesday that ASU’s practice was to give honorary degrees to people who had a body of work and had been in their positions for a long time. “His body of work is yet to come. That’s why we’re not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency,” Keeler said.
Crow then told the Arizona Republic on Thursday that the university has a policy of not awarding honorary degrees to sitting politicians.
