U of A Faculty Chair Boycotts Commencement Over Shared Governance Dispute

Leila Hudson says the university president has cut off faculty participation in honorary degree selection.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 4:40am

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A bold, abstract silkscreen print featuring a repeated icon of a graduation cap in a grid of neon colors and heavy black outlines, conceptually representing the dispute over academic traditions and shared governance at the University of Arizona.A celebratory visual capturing the tension between university administration and faculty over commencement traditions.Tucson Today

Leila Hudson, the chair of the Faculty at the University of Arizona, has announced she will not participate in the university's commencement ceremony this year. Hudson says the decision is in protest of University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella's move to cut off Faculty Senate participation in the selection of honorary degree recipients.

Why it matters

The dispute over honorary degree selection highlights ongoing tensions between university administration and faculty over shared governance. Faculty argue they play a crucial role in upholding academic standards and representing diverse campus perspectives, while administrators often seek more centralized control.

The details

Previously, candidates for honorary degrees were nominated by college deans and vetted by a committee chaired by the faculty secretary. The nominations would then be discussed by the full Faculty Senate. Hudson says this process ensured collective expertise from across the university. However, Garimella has now removed the faculty secretary from this role and asked Hudson to provide a list of top faculty members for him to appoint to a new panel, which she refused to do.

  • The policy change was processed recently.
  • Hudson announced her commencement boycott on April 7, 2026.

The players

Leila Hudson

Chair of the Faculty at the University of Arizona.

Suresh Garimella

President of the University of Arizona.

Mitch Zak

University of Arizona spokesperson.

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What they’re saying

“It's a nice celebratory thing, you know, it's a great event. We celebrate our students, our honorees, and our whole kind of academic tradition. We all dress up and we walk in, there's fireworks and all these things.”

— Leila Hudson, Chair of the Faculty

“The University of Arizona's updated honorary degree protocol is consistent with its peer institutions. Faculty are formally included in the process, nominee vetting is strengthened through a structured review, and final responsibility rests with the president.”

— Mitch Zak, University of Arizona spokesperson

What’s next

It's unclear if the Faculty Senate will take any further action in response to Hudson's boycott or if the university administration will reconsider its changes to the honorary degree selection process.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the ongoing challenges universities face in balancing faculty governance and administrative authority. While administrators seek efficiency and centralized control, faculty argue their expertise and diverse perspectives are essential to upholding academic integrity and shared decision-making.