Brian Hayes '90, a student who died last August after a long battle with cancer, will receive a posthumous degree at this year's commencement.
Several professors and students spearheaded a campaign with the College administration to award Hayes the bachelor of arts degree. He was six credits short of graduating when he died.
The proposal to give Hayes a degree raised discussion in the dean of students office over what requirements should be necessary for an undergraduate who dies to get a degree.
The dean's office has now developed a set of criteria for the awarding of posthumous degrees.
According to Assistant Dean of Students Barbara Strohbehn, Hayes' degree will be the fourth awarded since 1965 to an undergraduate who died before finishing school.
At the time of his death, Hayes had been planning to return to Dartmouth to finish his studies.
When he was not fighting his illness, Hayes worked for the Sports Information Office in Alumni Gymnasium helping prepare public information about Dartmouth sports teams. H also worked at The Dartmouth as a reporter, former Editor in Chief Tig Tillinghast '93 said.
Hayes chronicled his war against testicular cancer in a New York Times Magazine feature story in the spring of 1990.
"The one thing that Brian wanted to accomplish in his short time was to graduate from Dartmouth," Tillinghast said. "It was a primary goal ... he set it as his objective. This, in a way, is very just."
Senior Associate Dean of Students Dan Nelson called Hayes' parents on Wednesday to inform them of the decision, Strohbehn said.
"His parents were very moved by the call," she added.
She said Dean of Students Lee Pelton will present the diploma to Hayes' parents in a private ceremony where those who knew him will be invited.
Hayes' posthumous degree is the first awarded under official guidelines. In the past, the Dean of Students Office did not have guidelines to formally award posthumous degrees. "Each request was handled on an ad hoc basis," Strohbehn said.
She said two of the three previous degrees awarded in the last 20 years came from requests from the departments the students were majoring in and the third came from the Dean's Office.
In Hayes' case, calls were placed to the Dean of Students' and the President's Office last fall after his death asking if it were possible to award him a degree, Strohbehn said.
Government Department Chairman Roger Masters also sent a letter to Pelton to formally inquire about the possibility of awarding Hayes the posthumous degree.
Masters, who did not have Hayes in a class, said he was moved by Hayes' New York Times article. He also said professors who had taught Hayes spoke highly of him.
The creation of a formal set of guidelines was prompted by "a number of inquiries whether it would be appropriate to receive a posthumous degree," Strohbehn added.
Dean of Faculty James Wright, who was involved in the creation of the guidelines, said the procedures to award degrees are now more systematic.
Strohbehn said the new rules stipulate that a student who dies must be at least six credits from graduation and have completed the distributive and physical education requirements. He or she must also be "very" close to completing a major.
Strohbehn said Hayes was one credit away from a government major.
The guidelines passed the College's Committee on Instruction and the Committee of Chairs, before being presented to the Trustees at their April meeting, according to Wright and Strohbehn.
The Board of Trustees approved the new posthumous degree policy in April.
