Each year, distinguished professionals in a wide variety of careers and hailing from various backgrounds join the list of more than a thousand honorary degree recipients from the University. But despite the University’s strive for diversity in their selection, women appeared to be underrepresented this year.

Five men were chosen to receive honorary degrees at the University’s Spring Commencement ceremony on April 30, including keynote speaker, Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. Over the past ten years, only 25 of the 88 — or about 28 percent — of recipients have been women, according to the University’s official list of honorary degree award winners.

University Provost Philip Hanlon said University President Mary Sue Coleman strives to select a diverse mix of recipients, adding that she invited women this year, but their schedules didn’t permit them to be present at commencement — a stipulation required in order for to receive an honorary degree.

“President Coleman works very hard each year to put together the honorary degree recipients for both the winter and spring commencements,” he said. “As it turned out this year, none of the women invited by President Coleman worked out which is quite unusual as you will see from our history of honorary degree recipients.”

“We are pleased that, taken as a group, our honorary degree recipients over the prior two decades have been a very diverse group,” Hanlon added.

This year’s recipients included Stephen Ross, a University alum who has made substantial monetary contributions to the University including funding for the Ross School of Business, Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, former U.S. Rep. and physicist Vernon Ehlers executive chair of Ford Motor Company William Clay Ford, Jr. and film producer, director and writer Spike Lee.

According to Lisa Connolly, project manager of the Honorary Degree Committee at the University, recipients of the degrees are accomplished in a way that relates to education or service and have a connection to the University or do work that aligns with the University’s efforts.

While Connolly said these characteristics are important, diversity of the honorees is also taken into account as well as the schedules of nominees, as they must be present at the graduation ceremonies.

“We had a distinguished slate of recipients, but the mix changes from year to year,” she said. “Efforts are taken each commencement to confirm a diverse slate of honorary degree recipients, but timing of the process and availability of invitees both play a significant role in the outcome.”

Each fall, students have the opportunity to nominate people they think are worthy of honorary degrees, Connolly said.

She added that after the nominations have been submitted, the Honorary Degree Committee — which is comprised of the Dean of Rackham, heads of executive offices, students, faculty and alumni — consider the nominations and recommend their choices to Coleman and Vice President and Secretary of the University, Sally Churchill. The last step is for the University’s Board of Regents to approve the decision, Connolly said.

It’s tradition to give an honorary degree to the commencement speaker as well, and that just as much consideration goes into recipients for winter commencement as for spring, Connolly said.