Michael McKinney may receive the degree he was only a semesteraway from earning before he died.
"It seems like the right thing to do given the circumstances,"Brien Smith, chairman of the marketing department, said.
Smith, along with Lynne Richardson, dean of the Miller Collegeof Business and Beverley Pitts, provost, recommended McKinneyreceive a bachelor's degree in marketing. The decision will now bemade by the Board of Trustees.
"Michael was doing fine in his classes," Smith said. "We haveevery reason to believe he would have finished on time."
McKinney was a marketing major and by the end of the fallsemester would have been a senior.
McKinney was expected to graduate in May 2004, Randy Hyman, deanof students, said.
The Board of Trustees made a policy in March of 1994 permittingthe university to award a posthumous degree to a student who hadpassed away if they were in good academic standing and had reachedtheir senior year.
In order for a posthumous degree to be considered by the boardof trustees, the department chairperson must request it, Hymansaid. Then the college's dean and the provost must approve therequest. The trustees can then make their decision.
Richardson said McKinney was close enough to having enoughcredits to graduate.
Katie McKinney, Michael McKinney's sister knows how important itwas for her brother to graduate and receive his degree.
"He was really working hard to (graduate)," Katie McKinney said."It was important for him to be successful."
The posthumous degree will be presented at the May commencementceremony if the trustees approve it, Hyman said.
Hyman said he believes the board of trustees will probably agreeto it.
The family will then have the choice to attend the ceremony andaccept the degree.
If they choose not to, the degree will be sent to the family,Hyman said.
The McKinney family hasn't made any decisions on whether theywill attend the ceremony, but Katie McKinney said she believes theywill.
"We're very happy about this," Katie said. "I feel that hedeserves it."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
