ASU Official: We'll Consider Giving Obama A Degree When He's Out Of Office

UPDATE: Mike Allen reports:

Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State University, tells POLITICO that the school is reconsidering its widely mocked plans not to give President Barack Obama an honorary degree when he speaks at commencement on May 13 and will “honor him in every way possible.”

“There was no intended slight,” Crow said by telephone from his office in Tempe. “We had not yet talked about what honors we might give him as our commencement speaker, and we still have a month to work all that out. We don’t want anyone to think we do not recognize what he has achieved and what he means in America.”

* * *

Arizona State University's decision to not award Barack Obama and honorary degree despite his role delivering the university's commencement address has left a lot of people puzzled and posing questions: Is politics at play? How will this be resolved? Why would the university invite him in the first place?

Well, here, apparently are some answers. A reader sends over a response she received from Emily Dalton Smith, the director of communication at the Office of the Provost.

The university, it seems, has recently decided to stop giving honorary degrees to major donors or sitting politicians. But the best line comes near the end: "We will be delighted to consider him for an honorary degree once he leaves office at the end of his presidency," Dalton Smith writes.

Mind you, they won't give him the degree once his time in office is over. They will "consider him" for it.

Multiple calls and an email to Dalton Smith went unreturned.

HERE IS THE EMAIL:

Dear xxxxxxxxxxxx,

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We have tremendous respect for President Obama, and that is why we invited him to speak at our graduation ceremony. We are honored that he accepted our invitation, and that we will be the first university in the nation to host him for a commencement ceremony.

In recent years, we have determined not to give honorary degrees to sitting politicians or major donors, but to do so based on an individual's body of work. While President Obama has already achieved remarkable success--including becoming the first African-American president--his greatest work is yet to come. We will be delighted to consider him for an honorary degree once he leaves office at the end of his presidency.

Sincerely,

Emily Dalton Smith
Director of Communication
Office of the Provost

Are you an ASU student or alumnus? HuffPost wants to hear from you. What are people saying on campus? As an alumnus, will this effect your decision to donate to your alma mater? Write us at [e-mail].

Comments

[leftoflennon]

The Man graduated Summa or (Magma) Cum Laude from HARVARD. ASU?

Puh leeze!

[MizLiz]

Magna

[lysistrata]

Stewart and Cobert will have a field day. Can't wait to see it. Crow should hide under a stone and never show his face again. President Obama has a real degree from a real university anyway.

Who else spoke at the ASU and did not receive an honorary degree ?

[Aubreyautumn]

ASU should give him that degree. The White House is low on toilet paper.

[TommyObama]

And Obama should leave it sitting on the podium. I'll earn my ASU degree later this year and am not sure I'll ever bother to frame it. Perhaps we grads should all mail them to the White House.

I hope whatever alumni donors created this mess pony up some real money. Because ASU will never see a non-tuitional dime from this alum.

[gwashington777]

Mr. Crow has to be a small-minded and naive man. How could anyone not understand how bad this looks? If Mr. Crow DOES understand how bad it looks, what kind of person stubbornly still insists that he is right to do it ? Only an angry fool would behave this way.

[AZMcG]

As a native Arizonan, I am embarrassed and offended that the "powers that be" at ASU have made such an obvious political slam against President Obama. Talk about transparency? It's no accident that ASU is in McCain country and that AZ has historically been a red state. We are still experiencing the "push back" effect from the Democratic support and strength that nearly turned the state blue during the presidential election. It's true - the decision made has nothing to do with his qualifications - but rather the humiliating defeat experienced by the political party once in power in Arizona.

I agree with Partyofone "I do not think President Obama should accept an honorary degree from ASU under any circumstance. They had their chance and they blew it big time."

[gwashington777]

Mr. Crow must be almost totally clueless. How can anyone be so hopelessly tone-deaf ? Amazing !!!

[kmswriter]

And the state of AZ pays him $580,000 a year -

[billygore2000]

Wouldn't Arizona be so much more wonderful without Maricopa County and Phoenix? The president should go to Tucson and have a real degree bestowed on him by the University of Arizona.

[wildcat1988]

He should have gone to speak at the UA in the first place. Pima county voted for Obama, unlike Maricopa county. Plus the UA is a better school, in every sense of the word.

[TommyObama]

I graduated UA in 1987, and I'm pretty sure they bestowed an HD on their speaker that year. It was Gov. Evan Mecham.

Nonetheless, I remain a proud Wildcat.

[hamchunk]

If it wasn't for Maricopa County and Phoenix you guys wouldn't have a state.

Oh yeah, just to put this out there: Go Sheriff Joe!!

[proshot22]

Michel Crow donated $1000 to McCain last election and supported him. I guess he and the Republicans are just bitter President Obama won. Just yesterday when asked if he would change the policy of giving President Obama the honorary degree he flatly stated no way. Crow just made ASU the laughingstock of the entire nation. ASU gave a honorary degree to a Communist Chinese Vice Premier and some guy who donated $50 million dollars, but not the POTUS?
I guess the POTUS being held by a guy who was editor of Harvard Law Review, someone who went to Harvard and Colombia, taught at U of Chicago, published two bestselling book, became a Senator of IL, raised the most ever in an election campaign, changed the American campaign process, and not to mention become one of only 44 guys in 233 years to hold the highest office in the United States just doesn't qualify for a honorary degree from a school Playboy has ranked as the best party school in America. What do you gotta do to get a honorary degree from ASU? I guess Barbara McConnell Barrett, a former Reagan administration official is much better than being POTUS in the eyes of ASU. If ASU thought President Obama was not "qualified" to receive a honorary degree, why choose him to be the first commencement speaker at the university in 30 years???

[Cil]

Thank you sooooooooooo much for stating it like it is!

If President Obama is not qualified to receive this NON-ACADEMIC
DEGREE....­..........­....WHO IS?

[Pilate]

Too little, too late, Mr. Crow. Ms. Dalton Smith's letter ain't big enough to cover all the exposure you now have.

[KeysDan]

This sounds like inexperienced staff work at the White House. Conditions associated with the Commencement Address are determined in advance, especially whether an honorary degree is to be given. Honorary degrees are a faculty responsibility and are even out of the realm (except for some pressure from the University president, which can be counterproductive) of the University administration. It does seem ridiculous for ASU not to give an honorary degree to the president, and for that matter, anyone selected as Commencement speaker.

[frantaylor]

Especially considering that ASU has made it their custom for MANY years.

[qdog112]

It was also a custom to elect a white man to POTUS. Should we have held to that custom too?

[Blurp]

Hey, ASU won't give him a degree like that backwater school Harvard did... but I'm sure they'll throw him one hell of a kegger seeing as most of their students major in partying.

[theone718]

The pushback on this, from all sides, is incredible.

[kmswriter]

From wanttruth earlier - sums it up -


"When a true genius appears in this world, you may know him by this sign that the dunces are all in confederacy against him." -- Jonathan Swift

[gwashington777]

So true !! I've never seen the GOP and their hacks so worked up and willing to insult anyone as much as they are now.

[Bamboo]

So why, among the hundreds of universities in this country, did the White House agree for President Obama to speak to ASU anyway? This is the question I'd like to hear answered.

[gwashington777]

Ya, you're right, it's Obama's fault that Crow is a clueless partisan hack.

[Cil]

Because he wants to SPEAK TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO,
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HAD A LOT TO DO WITH HIS SUCCESSFUL
CAMPAIGN!

President Obama believes in young people everywhere, and he
is willing to do his utmost to inspire these leaders of tomorrow,
to say he believes in them, and to encourage them to believe in
themselves, it does not make a difference WHAT WALKS OF LIFE
THESE YOUNG PEOPLE COME FROM, TO PRESIDENT OBAMA
THEY ARE ALL CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING THEIR AMERICAN
DREAM, IF ONLY THEY ARE PREPARED TO WORK TOWARDS
THAT GOAL!

[AnnfromCA]

The sheer ignorance of Obamafans over this story is simply a sight to behold. Those who touted his Harvard accomplishments again and again, who skewer that nasty ole' Palin because she dared to have a different academic path......

Have totally outted themselves as ignorant about honorary degrees, have proven that they are angry mobs,

and, unbeknowst to them, have humiliated their president beyond repair.

He'll be given an honorary degree due to mob hatred.

Just opposite of what he would really want.

But.......­.he's not in control.

That's been obvious since the primaries and the booing.

[pamelagoodenough]

It is beyond ignorant to even try to compare S. Palin to our POTUS.

There are no comparisons. Period. Except that Palin might be human. She certainly has no ideas or ethics. What a nightmare if she had become VP. Gag me with a spoon.

[proudliberal4truth]

Ann...what world are you living in?

[kmswriter]

Ann - earlier post say - she has not seen backmann on tv - so take the comment from ann with a grain of salt... she obviously knows not of what she speaks...p­erhaps rush needs to add her to his email list

[Ashamed-in-Texas]

Has anyone ever told you that you live in a bubble??? Or maybe a whoopie cushion?

[Ashamed-in-Texas]

Look AnnfromCA.­... someone wrote something just for you... It's even complete with your little asterisks.


"When a true genius appears in this world, you may know him by this sign that the *dunces* are all in confederacy against him." -- Jonathan Swift

[frantaylor]

I use your posts as evidence that our educational system has failed miserably.

[FinallyFreeOfGeorgeIII]

If he doesn't get the ASU degree, does that mean he doesn't get the beerpong table either?

[kmswriter]

AZ Republic article (azcentral on line) - today 4/11

HEADLINE "ASU is holding fast: NO honorary degree for speaker Obama" - "speaker Obama" -OMG

On Thursday Crow told azrep. university is not giving an honorary degree this year and does not give honorary degrees to politicians while they hold public office. (this a new twist, you betcha)

Crow is quoted "when i took office - you can blame me if you want -we are not giving any honorary degrees to any donors. We're not giving any honorary degrees to sitting politicians".

Something is lost in translation along the way - the more they spin the worse it gets...

President Obama will honor the students of ASU - not ASU.

[judesuper]

The Arizona Republic, is actually the Arizona Republican. That paper is too biases towards repubs. They never give equal space for the democratic point of view. The last paper I read prior to me cancelling it forever was their editorial commending kyl. Commending Kyl for pete's sake. Kyl the boot licking repub. What has Kyl (or McCain for that matter) ever done for us? List five things that kyl or mccain had ever accomplished for this state? I dare you, you won't be able too.

[kmswriter]

Totally agree w/you - asked hubby to pu paper this morning so i could read what az republican(yep) would report in light of the national media pounding of ASU yesterday - imagine they had the audacity to raise the cost of their paper to $.75 and add a tax..i suspect they will be history soon.....m­ost of what is reported is gleened from AP(ugh) - no creative thought...­the opinion page is slanted but oh so funny!

[judesuper]

I meant biased, of course.