Honorary Degrees

[Psamathe]

Half watching TV yesterday and local news magazine has a brief report on some Olympic athlete medal winner who had been awarded an honorary degree from some UK university.

I've always disagreed with such awards as I feel it belittles those who have studied hard and demonstrated knowledge and ability, or carried out research and helped progress knowledge. This athlete has won 2 Olympic Medals, congratulations to him for that achievement which has been recognised by his being awarded his Olympic medals. So how can an academic university decide he should bypass lectures, projects, research, study, fees, etc. and get awarded the degree for something totally unrelated and totally irrelevant (to the awarded degree).

I feel such honorary awards discredits the awarding universities.

Ian

[bovlomov]

Honorary degrees are a great thing, as they demonstrate that fawning and celebrity worship afflict even the most qualified people.

Despite being semi-literate, and knowing next to nothing about chemistry, Elena Ceausescu (wife of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu) was awarded an honorary fellowship by the Royal Institute of Chemistry.

Robert Mugabe, Jimmy Savile and Bill Cosby were all awarded honorary degrees - before being stripped of them with rather less ceremony.

[old_windbag]

I've always disagreed with such awards as I feel it belittles those who have studied hard and demonstrated knowledge and ability, or carried out research and helped progress knowledge.

I agree. Some if chosen carefully may be applicable i.e an honorary degree in drama to say a thespian of 50yrs acting, shakespeare etc. They may have really proven their ability and deserve such as a recognition of their ability..... but in most part these are rare people. When I saw clarkson announce he had an honorary doctorate in engineering it spoke volumes. When katy price gets an honorary degree in english literature then it's time to leave the UK.

But the honours system too is now becoming a little devalued in respect of knighthoods because you've gathered 3 gold medals versus a knighthood for someone whose spent 50yrs perfecting their talent with all the hours that has taken. Perhaps we are running out of worthy recipients and sports are a regular set of medal winning new faces.

[iandriver]

They don't get awarded a degree do they? They get an honorary degree. Not the same thing. See the Modern Practice section https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_degree

[Psamathe]

They don't get awarded a degree do they? They get an honorary degree. Not the same thing. See the Modern Practice section https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_degree

From that link

An honorary degree,[1] in Latin a degree honoris causa ("for the sake of the honor") or ad honorem ("to the honor"), is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, a dissertation and the passing of comprehensive examinations.

(my highlight)

Also (from same source)

A typical example of university regulations is, "Honorary graduates may use the approved post-nominal letters. It is not customary, however, for recipients of an honorary doctorate to adopt the prefix 'Dr.'"

So John Smith B.Sc. might have studied hard for 3 years, paid substantial fees and demonstrated knowledge and ability hin his chosen subject or ... might have one race fast and turned-up on the day to collect his B.Sc.

And even if we interpret "should" as "must" how many would distinguish between "B.Sc. hons." vs "Hon. B.Sc.".

Seems to me that an academic degree should be for academic work and athletic competition medals should be for athletic achievement. Or should we start introducing "honorary Olympic medals" for politicians, scientists, artists who might not even be able to run 50m let alone jump a single hurdle!

Athletes achievements get recognised through medals awarded for their achievements; academics get recognised for their studies and achievements through awarded academic degrees.

Ian

[Tangled Metal]

In use all recipients are not to use it in a confusing way. Using the term honorary in front of it or (h. c.)after it. It is also supposed to be only listed on your cv under awards not education.

Basically the recipients are not supposed to use it in a confusing way. There's rules over their use and theoretically they can be stripped if mis-used. So I have no problem if truly a worthy individual gets one. That if course is subjective.

[Si]

Honorary degree = you achieve something outstanding and so are given a degree to recognise it.
Normal degree = you spend three years drinking and dossing and so are given a degree to recognise it.

[axel_knutt]

You can buy 180 degrees for £1.49 in W.H.Smith.

[thirdcrank]

I don't know if it still applies but once upon a time, progression from BA to MA at Oxford and Cambridge was automatic after a couple of years without further study (possibly on payment of a fee.) If you see that somebody has MA (Cantab) or MA (Oxon) after their name, they have graduated as a BA at Cambridge or Oxford respectively.

Is it all that important?

Edited because I couldn't spell "study."

[pete75]

Honorary degree = you achieve something outstanding and so are given a degree to recognise it.
Normal degree = you spend three years drinking and dossing and so are given a degree to recognise it.

You're not wrong