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teuter .27,1979
Address, Honorary Degrees
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The Senate Committee on Honorary Degrees has given consideration
to the practice in recent years of having one of the honorary degree
recipients identified as the distinguished visitor, who is required
among other things to deliver a convocation address.
With the continued growth in the number of graduands and an
increasing demand for guest seating it is necessary to have the
convocation ceremony in two parts to meet realistically these increased
numbers. For 1979 there was a morning ceremony involving installation
of the Chancellor and of the President, and an afternoon ceremony
involving the Distinguished Visitor and a convocation address.
The Committee does not believe that there should be attempt to
have two distinguished visitors, nor does it consider it appropriate
to ask one individual to deliver two addresses - whether the same or
different. Further there is some difficulty in separating out one
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person being granted an honorary degree to be more distinguished than
the others, and throughout the year there are other persons visiting
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who
are very distinguished visitors.
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The Committee also notes that our sister universities no longer
utilize a convocation address but concentrate basically on the students
graduating and honorary degree recipients.
Under current policy at S.F.U. the distinguished visitor may be
either a British Columbian or from any part of the world. In addition
other honorary degrees may be awarded to British Columbians only,
normally zero to four in number (for a maxinun of five persons). The
Committee considers it very desirable to continue to recognize both
British Coluxnbjans and other persons but with restrictions on numbers.
The Committee therefore recommends as follows:
?IYFION
(1) That the present practice of having one person identified
to be Distinguished Visitor, to receive an honorary
degree, to deliver a convocation address, be discontinued
(2)
That Senate continue to award honorary degrees to selected
British Col.nibians and others
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(3) That the number of honorary degrees normally awarded annually
at the convocation ceremonies be from zero to six, with not
more than two to be awarded to persons who are not British
Coluirbians.
For information -
(1)
If this motion is approved mbers of the university conhlunity
will be asked to submit nominations for honorary degree
recipients
for 1979/80 immediately to the Secretary of Senate,
with intent to bring recommendations from the Committee to
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Sate at the November meeting. Nominations will be due not
later than October 12th.
(2)
The intent is to hold the Convocation ceremonies on Campus in
1980.
(3)
The Coninittee has approved date of Saturday, June 7, 1980.
}NE/ph
