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Honorary Doctorates Policy

This is not a current document. It has been repealed and is no longer in force.

Section 1 - Policy

(1) The University confers an Honorary Doctorate to demonstrate its recognition of a person who has:

  1. made an outstanding contribution to his/her chosen field resulting in academic eminence; and/or
  2. given distinguished public service to the University, to the community in Armidale, the New England Region, the state of New South Wales, Australia and/or internationally.

Criteria for Selection

(2) The criteria for selection for award of an Honorary Doctorate are not specific but normally include circumstances where, in the opinion of the Honorary Degrees, Titles and Tributes Committee the nominee should be recognised for:

  1. eminent achievement and merit in their chosen profession; or
  2. distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or to humanity at large; or
  3. service in a particular locality or field of activity or to a particular group; or
  4. service to the University worthy of particular recognition.

(3) The University will look for a connection between the nominee and the University that is either established or incipient but a person is eligible to be nominated for an award under paragraph 1 above irrespective of whether the person has had an association with the University, holds a degree and/or is an Australian citizen.

(4) Posthumous awards. The University may award posthumously an honorary doctorate to a person meeting the requirements of 1(a) or 1(b) who has died within the past 12 months, as a mark of the University's respect for the person's past achievements, contributions and eminence.

Honorary Doctorates

(5) The University confers the following honorary doctorates:

  1. Doctor of Letters honoris causa (Hon.DLitt)
  2. Doctor of Science honoris causa (Hon.DSc)

(6) At the discretion of the Council and on the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor, the title of the degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa or of Doctor of Science honoris causa may have the addition of a disciplinary area added to the citation and testamur.

Confidentiality

(7) Correspondence and discussions regarding the nomination and selection of recipients for honorary doctorates are to be kept confidential at all times.

(8) Canvassing, petitioning or contact with a potential or actual nominee to solicit public or private support for a nomination will render that nomination invalid.

Nominations

(9) Proposals for the award of Honorary Doctorates (excepting those submitted by the Chancellor under his/her own discretion) are first discussed with the Vice-Chancellor.

(10) Proposals made on the grounds of academic achievement or distinction must be signed by at least three Professors of the University.

(11) Proposals made on the grounds of distinguished public service must be signed by three full-time members of the Academic or General Staff of the University or a member of the Council.

(12) Nominations, after being discussed with the Vice-Chancellor, may be considered by Vice-Chancellor's Committee (VCC) for discussion and advice.

(13) Nominations are then considered by the Honorary Degrees, Titles and Tributes Committee of the Council for discussion and recommendation.

(14) The Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor may make nominations at their own discretion directly to the Honorary Degrees, Titles and Tributes Committee.

Selection

(15) Nominations referred to the Honorary Degrees, Titles and Tributes Committee (HDTTC) of Council are considered as follows:

  1. as confidential business; and
  2. with consultation as deemed appropriate, with the relevant Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor/Dean; and/or
  3. with advice from with discipline experts as deemed appropriate for nominations based on academic achievement or distinction; and/or
  4. with advice from local or national community members as deemed appropriate for nominations based on public or community service or distinction. The Committee may seek advice from appropriate persons in the local community and nationally.

(16) The HDTTC recommendations for awards of an Honorary Doctorate are forwarded to the Council. No reference is made to Council of people considered but not recommended by the HDTTC.

Nominations and Presentation

(17) Proposals for Honorary Doctorate nominations are called twice annually by the Office of the Chief Governance and Planning Officer in strict accordance with the Procedures for Management of Awards of Honorary Doctorates.

(18) Honorary Doctorates are conferred at the appropriate graduation ceremony after selection by the Council: recipients who are unable to attend that ceremony are invited to the next series of ceremonies.

Posthumous Awards

(19) In the event that a nominee dies before the promulgation of the selection, the Committee will recommend to the Chancellor whether the award should be made posthumously under the appropriate provisions of this Policy and its Procedures.

(20) In the event of a posthumous award, the next-of-kin may nominate a representative to attend the graduation ceremony, hear the citation read and receive the testamur. The representative shall not wear the academic dress for the award but may wear any academic dress to which he/she is entitled.

Restriction on Eligibility

(21) As from the policies endorsement members of Council will not be eligible for the award of an Honorary Doctorate while in office.

Entitlements of Recipients

(22) Honorary Doctors are entitled:

  1. to wear at appropriate occasions, the academic dress laid down for their degree; and
  2. to use the post-nominal letters laid down for their degree in paragraph 5 (but not to use of the title 'Doctor' unless otherwise entitled by academic award).
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Section 2 - Procedures

Nominations and Selection

(23) Each March and September the Office of the Chief Governance and Planning Officer (CGPO) distributes cross-campus and to members of the Council an invitation to nominate potential recipients of Honorary Doctorates. The closing date will be not earlier than four weeks after the invitation is distributed.

(24) The call for nominations will include advice on the requirements of confidentiality (see paragraph 31), eligibility, the content of the curriculum vitae of the proposed nominee, and a draft citation.

(25) Nominations should be submitted, ideally in electronic form to a designated email address established by the CGPO. Appropriate security protocols will be employed to limit the accessibility of the incoming nominations. Alternatively a nomination may be delivered in hard-copy form to the Vice-Chancellor's Office.

(26) Discussion with the Vice-Chancellor by nominators in regard to prospective nominees (paragraph 9 above) may be in any manner the Vice-Chancellor determines to be appropriate and convenient.

(27) Formal nominations are collated by the CGPO for the Vice-Chancellor's attention, consideration and, at the discretion of the Vice-Chancellor, selection for forwarding to the Vice-Chancellor's Committee (VCC) for its consideration and advice to the Vice-Chancellor.

(28) The Vice-Chancellor considers nominations and makes one or more of the following recommendations:

  1. the nomination not be proceeded with; or
    1. the nomination is endorsed for forwarding to the Honorary Degrees, Titles and Tributes Committee of Council (HDTTC) for its consideration; and
  2. recommendation of the specific Honorary Doctorate to be awarded; and
  3. whether a recommendation is made for a disciplinary identification of the Honorary Doctorate (Hon.DLitt (Law) or Hon.DSc (Psychology) for example); and
  4. the acceptability of the citation wording (a recommendation that the citation is not acceptable may allow the nomination to proceed to the HDTTC while arrangements are made in the interim for the citation's adjustment).

(29) Nominations endorsed by the Vice-Chancellor are forwarded by the CGPO to the HDTTC at its July or December meetings.

(30) P5. Nominations submitted directly to the HDTTC by the Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor under paragraph 5.6 above are referred to the CGPO for inclusion with other nominations. The Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor may decide at their own discretion whether or not to submit their nominations for advice by the VCC prior to referral to the HDTTC.

Confidentiality

(31) Any information on inappropriate contact with a potential nominee or canvassing by or on behalf of a potential nominee must be reported immediately to the Vice-Chancellor for action as he/she deems appropriate. Where inappropriate contact or canvassing occurs after forwarding to the HDTTC or the Council, the Vice-Chancellor will consult with the Chair HDTTC for a decision whether the nomination should proceed or be withdrawn.

(32) Contact with nominees shall be solely through the CGPO or as directed by the Council.

HDTTC Consideration

(33) The HDTTC considers nominations and makes one or more of the following recommendations:

  1. the nomination not be proceeded with; or
  2. further information on the nomination is sought under paragraphs 15(b), (c) or (d) above; or
  3. the nomination is recommended to the Council for formal adoption; and
  4. the specific Honorary Doctorate to be awarded; and
  5. whether to recommend to Council a disciplinary identification of the Honorary Doctorate (Hon.DLitt (Law) or Hon.DSc (Psychology) for example); and
  6. agreement to the citation wording.

(34) In determining that further information is sought under paragraphs 15(b), (c) or (d) above, the HDTTC Chair will either:

  1. defer further consideration until the next meeting (meaning the an award may be delayed until a later-than-planned graduation ceremony); or
  2. seek appropriate consent from the HDTTC for 'off-line' consideration of the nomination.

(35) The decision whether to defer further consideration until the next meeting or to seek 'off-line' consideration shall be the discretion of the HDTTC Chair in the light of the known circumstances surrounding the nomination (the timing of the nominee's availability for presentation, for example).

(36) Further information sought under paragraphs 15(b) and (c) will be provided on request of the HDTTC Chair by the appropriate Pro Vice-Chancellor/Dean (both Pro Vice-Chancellors/Deans may be approached for disciplines that cross Faculty boundaries).

(37) When seeking further information under paragraph 15(d) the HDTTC Chair may either use his own discretion from whom to seek advice, seek recommendations from the HDTTC members, and/or consult with the Vice-Chancellor for appropriate persons.

(38) The HDTTC Secretary will refer HDTTC-endorsed nominations to the next Council for meeting for its final decision under Confidential Business.

Awards

(39) Council-approved nominees are contacted by the CGPO on behalf of the Chancellor:

  1. to seek the nominee's consent for the award of the Honorary Doctorate; and
  2. ascertain the nominee's availability to attend the next appropriate graduation ceremony; and
  3. obtain agreement on an appropriate public information announcement.

(40) In the event of posthumous awards, the CGPO will make enquiries to ascertain an appropriate next-of-kin who decides whether to accept the award and agree an appropriate person(s) to attend graduation to represent the Honorary Graduand.

(41) On receipt of the nominee's consent and confirmation of his/her availability to attend a graduation ceremony, the CGPO communicates the details to the:

  1. Chancellor and Council members;
  2. Vice-Chancellor's office (who manage the liaison arrangements for the nominee's reception at the University for the graduation ceremony); and
  3. Graduation Coordinator in the Directorate of Student Administration and Services (for inclusion in the Graduation List and the Order of Proceedings, production of the Citation and Testamur, and purchase of the academic dress); and
  4. Director of Marketing and Public Affairs (for release of the public information announcement and subsequent media liaison); and
  5. Secretary of the Academic Board for notification to the Board and addition to the List of Honorary Graduates.