Final Approval Body: Senate
Senior Administrative Position with Responsibility for Policy: University Secretariat
Date Initially Approved: 2017
Date of Last Revision, if applicable: 4/18/24
Definitions
Honorary Degree – A degree awarded to an individual to recognize outstanding contributions to society or the university on a national or international scale. The degree is not awarded for the completion of a Senate-approved academic program of study.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline the requirements involved in the nomination and selection of Honorary Degree candidates.
Policy Statement
Queen’s University awards Honorary Degrees to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to societies or the university on a community, local, national, or international scale. The contribution may be to the advancement of the candidate’s discipline or field of work, or it may be to the national, international community, or Indigenous communities or to the University’s mission, values, or goals. In reviewing honorary degree nominations, Queen’s University recognizes that outstanding contributions to a discipline or field of work might encompass non-traditional forms of achievement, though still extraordinary.
Nomination
The identification of deserving candidates for the consideration of the conferring of Honorary Degrees at Queen’s is a collaborative and community-based activity. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members outside the Queen’s community can submit an honorary degree nomination; however, self-nominations will not be accepted.
By tradition, new principals and chancellors may name the honorary degree recipients for their installation, subject to the approval of Senate. They should be made aware of the Policy as soon as planning for an installation begins.
The nomination process is strictly confidential; consequently, nominators must not inform or share details of the nomination process with nominees, including the fact that they have been nominated. Nominators will be notified of the outcome of the adjudication of their nomination. In turn, successful nominees will be notified of their nomination prior their public announcement.
Eligibility and Exclusions
Active members of faculty and staff, Board of Trustees and Senate members at Queen's are generally not eligible for honorary degrees, as outstanding contributions to Queen's by these individuals may be recognized in other ways. Retired members may be considered at least three years after retirement.
Normally, an active politician should not be nominated for an honorary degree. However, an exception may be made in the case of a person who has been a politician for a considerable length of time and has made a particularly outstanding contribution.
Honorary degrees may be awarded to a group or entity that is not a natural or legal person, provided that the group or entity fulfils the requirements for an honorary degree recipient as set out in this Policy. In such cases, the degree is awarded to the group or entity as a whole and not to the individual members of it.
Posthumous honorary degrees will not be awarded. In awarding an Honorary Degree, the university is honouring a recipient, not the recipient’s memory. If a candidate dies after accepting the Senate invitation to receive the degree but before the convocation at which the degree is to be conferred, the Honorary Degree will be awarded.
Only in exceptional circumstances will a degree be awarded in absentia. The Principal will determine when this would be appropriate.
If a nominee declines the Senate invitation to receive an honorary degree, the Principal may select a replacement from a list of alternates already approved by the Senate. The Principal is able to extend an invitation to the nominee for up to two subsequent years to account for scheduling matters.
Number of Honorary Degrees
As recommended in the 2016-17 review of convocation, 10 or fewer honorary degrees will normally be awarded in each calendar year. At spring Convocation ceremonies, the presentation of honorary degrees will normally be distributed among Faculties and Schools as follows: Arts and Science (2), Business (1), Education (1), Engineering and Applied Science (1), Graduate Studies (1), Health Sciences (1), and Law (1).
There will normally be two honorary degrees awarded at one the fall Convocation ceremony.
In exceptional circumstances, the Committee may choose to vary the number of honorary degrees conferred each year by one to two degrees in the case of either an exceptionally strong group of candidates or a group of candidates with insufficient qualifications.
Criteria for Selection - Honorary Degrees
In selecting the candidates for the award of an honorary degree, the Senate Honorary Degrees Committee should endeavor to strike a balance between outstanding Canadians and international nominees and between nominees who have not received honorary degrees from other institutions and those who have already received similar recognition. Similarly, the Senate Honorary Degrees Committee strives to select diverse candidates with different backgrounds and contributions, reflecting Queen’s commitment to Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism.
The committee is committed to the principles of non-discrimination and equity. Accordingly, it should ensure that such groups as equity-deserving groups, racialized and vulnerable communities such as visible minorities, women persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, persons identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+), and others who reflect the diversity and pluralism of Canadian society are regularly included in the recommendations.
The following degrees may be awarded:
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Science (D.Sc.)
In awards to scientists and engineers, the D.Sc. degree should be awarded if the major contribution of the candidate is to pure or applied science. If the major contribution is to public service, the community etc., the LL.D. degree should be awarded. The D.D. degree is awarded on the recommendation of the School of Religion.
Revocation
For revocation of an Honorary Degree, please review the Policy on Revocation of or Special Statements Concerning an Honorary Degree and its procedure.
Responsibilities
University Secretary – Receive nominations of candidates for honorary degrees, verify that nominations meet the requirements outlined in this Policy and the Procedure for Selecting Honorary Degree Candidates, and provide the nomination package to the Senate Honorary Degrees Committee.
Senate Honorary Degrees Committee – Review complete nomination packages in accordance with the principles laid out in this Policy and provide a recommendation regarding a final decision to the Senate.
Senate – Consider the recommendation received from Senate Honorary Degrees Committee and make a final decision.
Related Policies and Procedures:
Policy on the Revocation of or Issuance of a Special Statement on Honorary Degrees
Procedures on the Revocation of or Issuance of a Special Statement on Honorary Degrees
Policies Superseded by this Policy: n/a
Responsible Office: University Secretary
Contact: University Secretariat
Date for Next Review: 2029