NOVEMBER 26, 1999
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THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA NOVEMBER 26, 1999 |
| What do Sir Edmund Hillary, Oscar Peterson, Silken Laumann, Pierre Berton and Atom Egoyan all have in common?
They’re among the 265 artists, scientists, educators, musicians, historians, community workers, politicians, athletes, business leaders, civil rights activists, philanthropists and other lifetime achievers who hold an honorary degree from the University of Victoria. Honorary degrees have been awarded at UVic since its inaugural Convocation in 1964, and are the highest honour the university can give for distinguished achievement in scholarship, research, teaching, the creative arts and public service. Senate confers honorary degrees based on the recommendations of a nine-member committee on honorary degrees and other forms of recognition. That committee, in turn, bases its selections on nominations invited from UVic faculty, staff, students and alumni. Each year, the committee reviews approximately a dozen nominations and those that aren’t successful are put in a pool for future consideration. Honorary degrees can be related to an individual’s area of achievement, such as a doctor of music or a doctor of science. The most popular honorary degree given in Canada and the U.S. is a doctor of laws (LLD), which in spite of its legal-sounding name, is not related to achievement in the legal profession. “An LLD implies achievement within a wider field, usually in the public sector,” explains Helen Kempster, manager of UVic’s ceremonies office. “Recipients are individuals who best exemplify good citizenship through their adherence to, and the upholding of, the laws which govern society and its institutions.” After the Convocation ceremony, the honorary degree recipient’s relationship with UVic is not over. He or she becomes a member of Convocation, and can participate in the governance of the university by electing a chancellor and four members of senate. Honorary degree recipients are also encouraged to attend future Convocations and remain active alumni of the university. |