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Community and Ethical Standards

Student Death

University Notification and Assistance

When there is a student death, the main point of contact is the Office of Advocacy and Success. The Office of Advocacy and Success staff will notify all appropriate people and departments on campus. Information needed includes the student’s full name and the contact name and phone number for the student’s family. A staff member will be identified by the Office of Advocacy and Success to make direct contact with the family and serve as the University’s liaison to assist the family as needed. The names of student friends should also be given to the Office of Advocacy and Success for the purpose of outreach to those affected by the death. Details of the funeral arrangements will be shared with students and staff via an Inside Clemson e-mail.

Memorial Service

The Office of Advocacy and Success staff will contact the deceased student’s family and close Clemson University friends to determine whether a memorial service on the Clemson campus is desired after the student’s funeral has occurred. If the family and/or students desire an on-campus memorial service, information will be shared via an Inside Clemson e-mail. Memorial services will be coordinated with the appropriate Campus Minister or local faith leader as indicated by the family. These services may be held in Tillman Hall Auditorium and will end with the placing of a wreath in the student’s memory at Heritage Military Plaza.

Posthumous Degree

When the Office of Advocacy and Success notifies the campus of the death of a student, the Registrar's Office will review the student’s record and confirm the student's eligibility for the awarding of a degree posthumously. Academic Regulations for awarding posthumous degrees can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog and the Graduate Catalog. The faculty of the college make the official recommendation to award the degree, and their decision is communicated through their College Dean to the Registrar's Office, the Dean of Students and the Dean of the Graduate School as appropriate. At graduation, the President of the University announces that the student who has died will receive his/her degree posthumously. After graduation, the Office of Advocacy and Success staff coordinates the delivery of the degree to the family of the deceased student.

Certificate of Attendance

If a student has not reached the point academically where he/she would have been eligible for the awarding of a degree posthumously, the student’s family may request a certificate of attendance from Clemson University. The Office of Advocacy and Success is the point of contact for a Certificate of Attendance.

Office of Community and Ethical Standards
Office of Community and Ethical Standards | 202 Sikes Hall, Clemson, SC 29634