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Board approves honorary doctorate for Michelle Marie Heinemann after public objections about process
Summary
The New College of Florida Board of Trustees voted to authorize President Richard Corcoran to bestow an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on Michelle Marie Heinemann. A public commenter challenged the nomination process and said it bypassed faculty shared governance.
The New College of Florida Board of Trustees voted Aug. 27 to authorize President Richard Corcoran to bestow an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on Michelle Marie Heinemann after the board accepted a recommendation from its newly formed honorary degree committee.
John O'Miller, speaking during the public-comment period, opposed the award and said the selection process bypassed long‑standing faculty review. "I do not believe that Miss Heinemann embodies the goals and values of New College, nor can I point to outstanding achievements that she has accomplished," O'Miller said. He added that administrators had "devised a workaround to avoid the long standing process of approving honorary degrees at New College" and that the change "demeans the college."
David Brickhouse, vice president for legal affairs, told the trustees the recommendation came from the honorary degree committee, which met Aug. 20 and forwarded its nomination to the president. "We're asking to authorize the President Corcoran to bestow an honorary Doctor in Humane Letters to Michelle Marie Heinemann," Brickhouse said as he presented the committee's transmittal material.
Trustee Karp moved to approve the authorization and the motion was seconded. After brief procedural remarks and no questions from trustees, the board voted orally; the chair announced the motion carried with no opposition.
Why it matters: honorary degrees are symbolic recognitions that, at many universities, involve faculty review. The public comment and questions from trustees about the process highlight tensions between the institution's established faculty handbook practices and a recently adopted committee-based policy for honorary degrees.
What trustees said and did: the board accepted the committee's nomination, authorized the president to confer the degree and recorded no vocal opposition at the meeting. The board packet included the nomination materials and the new honorary‑degree policy described as meeting Board of Governors requirements.
Next steps: The institution will proceed with the honorary-degree conferment under the authority granted at the meeting. Public commenters asked the trustees to review whether the new committee and policy replicate the prior faculty review role; the transcript records that concern but contains no formal follow‑up motion to change the policy.
