The history, philosophy and etiquette of honorary academic awards.
14 articles
Academic dress, an inscribed scroll, a address to the graduates. The ritual is designed to include the honouree in the institution’s history — for a day. The etiquette around titl…
Civil rights leaders, novelists, scientists and public servants have all been honoured from commencement stages. A look at what kinds of contribution earn the gesture. What separa…
Recognition of public service, artistic achievement or a lifetime of contribution: the reasons are varied, and each says something about the awarding institution. For the public,…
Fellowships, medals, honorary doctorates: academic recognition comes in many forms with different meanings. A map of the distinctions that are easy to blur. What separates a genui…
Reputation takes decades to build and can be borrowed by counterfeiters at a fraction of the cost. The economics explain both the jealously guarded honour and the fake that imitat…
The honoris causa award is older than most modern institutions. Its medieval origins explain a great deal about how universities use it today. Selection is usually a serious insti…
Fundraising optics, celebrity bias, overlooked teachers: the critiques are serious and long-running. Reading them is the best way to understand how the practice is reforming. The…
The tradition travels well, but each academic culture decorates it differently — from the wording on the scroll to the weight the title carries in public life. Criticism of the pr…
